November 2005

It's November at the Morgue, and you know what that means—okay, so maybe you don't. Well, before you brace yourself for a slew of turkey jokes and bad Native American puns, relax. We're here to celebrate mystery books, not stuff ourselves with... um, stuffing!

This month's issue is loaded (notice how we didn't say "stuffed?") with mystery reviews: 19 of them, to be exact, from such authors as Deborah Turrell Atkinson, Denise Dietz, Kirk Russell, Don Porter and Kate Charles. And there is a revealing, insightful "How I Write" essay by Leann Sweeney, author of the Yellow Rose Mystery series, whose latest is Dead Giveaway, a new release this month.

Also, we have a very interesting interview with Rochelle Krich, author of the Molly Blume series, with a new entry out called Now You See Me... that brings Molly to a new investigation just as she's settling into a new domestic life. It discusses social issues, religion and raising a family while writing mystery novels. Fascinating.

Our ongoing tag-team mystery, "Murder By Committee," is taking the month off so that we can introduce a new feature that will appear occasionally in the Morgue: The Mystery Morgue Book Club. Here, a new mystery novel is discussed by a group of critics who agree on some points and on others... not so much. The inaugural edition discusses the new Aaron Tucker Mystery by Jeffrey Cohen, As Dog Is My Witness.

So stop worrying about the calorie count and dive in: we have plenty of content here at the Morgue, and there's not a carb in the bunch. Enjoy!

In this month's issue:

How I Write, by Leann Sweeney
Rochelle Krich—The Mystery Morgue Interview
The Mystery Morgue Book Club: As Dog Is My Witness by Jeffrey Cohen

Reviews:

A Hole in One, by Catherine Aird
The Green Room, by Deborah Turrell Atkinson
Murder in Cheesman Park, by Kenneth N. Brown
The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle, by JoAnna Carl
Evil Intent, by Kate Charles
As Dog is My Witness, by Jeffrey Cohen
Three Can Keep a Secret, by Judy Clemens
Chain a Lamb Chop to the Bed, by Denise Dietz
The Cipher Garden, by Martin Edwards
The Flaming Luau of Death, by Jerrilyn Farmer
Tilt-A-Whirl, by Chris Grabenstein
Slaying Is Such Sweet Sorrow, by Patricia Harwin
Madonna of the Apes, by Nicholas Kilmer
The Carbon Murder, by Camille Minichino
Room For Murder, by Tim Myers
Love Her To Death, by Linda Palmer
Deadly Detail, by Don Porter
Five for Silver, by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer
Deadgame, by Kirk Russell

Link to Archives

 

How I Write
by Leann Sweeney

School nurse-turned-author Leann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY, and educated at St. Joseph's Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in behavioral science and worked for many years in psychiatry.

She began writing about fifteen years ago, fulfilling her lifelong dream. After honing her writing skills at classes and a small fortune in books on writing, she joined MWA and Sisters in Crime. Her short fiction won many awards and several mysteries were published in small market mystery magazines. One novel and another mystery novella went straight to audio.

Okay, here's the deal. The better questions for me are: How did I write then? How do I write now? Because now is an accumulation of knowledge, persistence and finding out whether I really could do this back then.

Let's fast-reverse sixteen or seventeen years. How did I write then? Like crap, that's how. But I was happily oblivious to this. A totally organic experience. Such joy being a writer, I thought. It's sort of like being a new mother. You have instincts, you have this sense you know what you're doing. And you screw up a lot. Only when baby number two comes along do you realize what you've taken on. Because you love this new part of your journey. And yet some days you simply hate it. No matter what you do for that manuscript you've birthed, it cries like a banshee for revision. What came out on the paper in no way resembles the perfection you had in mind.

Move forward a few years. I realized I was writing crap. Duh. Finally someone told me. Nicely. So I took courses, bought books, joined with other writers, installed writing software, got new computers, entered contests, wrote short stories rather than novels because I had to at least finish something that got published. Guess what? That helped. Progress. I was learning how the short story writing was different than the novel writing. I was learning what the books and courses don't teach you—what my own personal process was. The short stories were pure, my unconscious at work. The novels needed far more structure and planning. But even though I required a complete plot in hand before the fun began—tedious work at best—I knew this was what I wanted to do. The plotting, the outlining is like getting the key to Disneyland and then I can go play in the amusement park all by myself. And believe me, if I'm not having fun, the readers won't either.

Fast forward to present. That first ugly baby? Unlike many writers, it became my first published novel. I rewrote the manuscript maybe fifty times, sent it out to everyone in NY until I'd hit every one of those baby editors and then their children. The editor who eventually bought it told me to rewrite it again, with a major change that forced me to redo the plot from page 1 on. Did I whine? No. Did I do what she asked? Yes. Did this make the book better? Absolutely.

Today, I write a very detailed synopsis first. I do get paid for this torture, so there is a God. I had a day job until four months ago and for a long time had two kids still around to care for—they do require care and feeding. All writing was done way into the night and sometimes on the weekends for ten or twelve hours non-stop. (Do not even think about whether any housework got done. Who the heck cares?) Now I write in the morning. I rewrote book #1 and wrote books 2 and 3 in about eighteen months. (I would not recommend this schedule and since I will be coming up on a new contract, I will know better about such things if they re-sign me, which I have been told will probably happen). Writing is about flexibility, knowing the rules, finding your voice, trusting people who know what they're doing to criticize and thus help, and most of all about showing up on some editor or agent's desk over and over. If you're lucky, like I was, someone early on will tell you, "This sucks. Fix it and send it out again." When you're sliding down the learning curve rather than clinging to the upslope by your fingernails, that person who tells you the truth might just be yourself.

 

Rochelle Krich—The Mystery Morgue Interview

Author of the Molly Blume and Jessie Drake series, as well as standalone novels, Rochelle Krich juggles a good many balls in the air: wife, mother, grandmother, Orthodox Jew, social critic, crime fiction writer. And she blends them all in her work, which takes on social issues and religion as well as murder. In this interview, she discusses how she makes it all work at once, what's important to her, having a novel filmed, and the status of her series heroines. As her latest Molly Blume novel, Now You See Me... is released, Krich assesses her work and what might be next for her.

How did you get started writing crime fiction?

Rochelle Krich: I'd been fantasizing about becoming a published writer for years (and becoming a Broadway star). True, I was teaching high school English and raising a large family, but in retrospect, fear of failure, more than anything else, held me back. Finally, my husband said, "Stop kvetching about it. Sit down a write a book." So I did.

That book, Till Death Do Us Part,didn't sell right away. I had no agent. It was too long (over 700 manuscript pages). I didn't know where to start the story. But I learned. I wrote another book. I got an agent. And when that book was published (Where's Mommy Now?—which my kids started asking once I began my writing career), an Avon editor who read Mommy bought Till Death.

As to whyI write mysteries: I've always been a fan of crime fiction. I love the puzzle, the game. I love trying to figure out "whodunit." Whenever I visited the library as a teen and young adult, I headed straight to the M (is for mystery) section. As an adult reader I also appreciate the fact that in most crime novels, justice is served, order is restored. As a writer, I love being able to put the bad guys away. As a reader and writer, I'm interested not only in the whodunit, but, perhaps more, in the "whydunit." I fantasize that if we could solve the mystery of the whydunit, we could, in some measure, prevent the whodunit.

Mystery fiction and Orthodox Judaism don't, on the surface, appear to be a logical fit, but your series bring the two together and weave them with social comment. How do you balance the writing?

On some level, you know,the two are a perfect fit.More than twelveyears ofJudaic studies trained me to dig deeply into the text and commentaries—to find the differences in nuance that would help me unravel a challenging or obscure passage and arrive at the truth. Mystery fiction—playing detective—employs similar skills.

My goal is to tell an entertaining story that centers around a believable, engagingcharacter to whom readers can relate even thoughshe belongs to a particular world—that of Orthodox Judaism, a character who tries to balance her faith with the temptations andchallenges of a very secular world.

I'm drawn to writing about social causes. I suppose it's my form of social activism. I've written about date rape, elder abuse, domestic violence, teen violence, Holocaust denial, abuses of infertility clinics, postpartum illness. My just published Molly Blume mystery, Now You See Me... focuses on teens at risk and the dangers of Internet chat rooms. Judaism, like other religions, stresses the concept of "tikun olam"—improving the world around us. In writing about social issues, I want to increase awareness of a problem. I want to take the reader along onmy journey. Invariably, I begin each book with questions, and end up having more questions than answers.

Molly Blume has evolved over the course of the novels. Did you make a conscious choice before writing your first novel in the series about how she would change?

Not really. In the first book, Blues in the Night, I reunited her with Zack, the high school hunk who dumped her and morphed into... a rabbi. My contract stipulated that Molly and Zack would tie the knot in that book—but she wasn't ready. She had doubts about trusting Zack, and other men, especially since her husband had cheated on her. And she wasn't sure she was suited to become a rabbi's significant other.

Molly is outspoken, sometimes overly inquisitive. But she's empathetic, passionate about social issues, about justice—particularly because her best friend, Aggie, was murdered six years before, and the police haven't solved the case... not until Grave Endings, the third book in the series (it won the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Calavera Award).

What kind of reaction has your work gotten from your non-Jewish readers? Are you asked interesting questions?

One bookstore owner told me I'm her "rabbi." Readers say my books help them understand their Jewish neighbors. Others, that my books have awakened a nostalgia for their own religion and traditions. Several readers e-mail me regularly with questions about Jewish traditions, and ask for recipes for Jewish foods. :-) One of my most interesting questions came from the copyeditor of Till Death Do Us Part, which deals with a woman whose husband won't give her a "get," a Jewish divorce. (I kill the husband. Felt pretty good, actually.) In the book I created a support group for women in this situation (they're called "agunot"). At a meeting, one of the women was smoking. The copy editor's query: "I heard on the radio that Orthodox Jews aren't allowed to smoke. If so, do you want to change the scene?"

Over to my rabbi, who concurred that oneisn't allowed tostart smoking (or do anything that harms one's health), butif one is already a smoker,and smoking is highly addictive, lighting up isn't considered a sin.

You have six children and seven grandchildren (although that hardly seems possible when meeting you). How does that infuse your work? Do you see your heroines catching up, or do you prefer to live a different life vicariously through your characters?

Most of my heroines are in their mid-thirties, aging slowly.Having raised six children, and being blessed with eight grandchildren (we have a new grandson), I think I can write with some authority about family dynamics. (Ask my kids about the horseradish on the ceiling, and the pizza on the floor. On second thought, don't.)

At some point I may write an older heroine. And I do love writing the character of Molly's grandmother, Bubbie G, a wise, warm (I think) Holocaust survivor through whom I share with the reader Yiddish proverbs and humor. Bubbie G is the grandmother I never knew (asa daughter of Holocaust survivors, I never knew any of my grandparents). She is also my late mother. When I write her voice, I shut my eyes and hear my mother's Polish-Yiddish accent....

What is the status of the Jessie Drake series? What do you plan to write next?

Jessie makes an appearance in Now You See Me... She was in Hawaii till then, on a much-deserved vacation. I had to bribe her to get her to come back.

As for what's next: I'm writing a proposal for a stand-alone with a working title of Mind Games. That's all I can tell you right now. If I told you more, I'd have to kill you.

In that case, don't tell us more. You've worked in short stories as well as novels. What do you see as the main differences in form (aside from novels being, you know, longer)?

Short stories are more like poems, where every word has to serve double duty. Writing a short story, creating multi-dimensional characters, setting, and a self-contained plot within a limited number of pages is a wonderful exercise. I also think short story endings should carry an emotional wallop.

Your first novel, Where's Mommy Now?, was filmed as "Perfect Alibi," with Teri Garr. What was that experience like for you? Was it difficult to let go of your characters and let a screenwriter decide their fates? Any further film adaptations in the works?

It was fascinating seeing characters I'd created brought to life on the screen—walking, talking... killing. I had a friendly relationship with the producer, who invited my input—which the screenwriter/director promptly rejected. But sometimes I prevailed.

I was impressed by the attention to detail (a scene in a bar was filmed twelve times; twelve times the person in charge of continuity made sure that the celery stick in one of the drinks was exactly the same length). I have to say that the screenwriter stayed true to the story—although he did add a steamy sex scene that made me blush at the private screening. I almost jumped up and announced to my father and mother-in-law: "I didn't write that!" On the other hand, the screenwriter added a wonderfully creepy scene that I wish I'd written.

Interestingly, most of my characters' names were changed, for legal reasons. This bothered me only for a few seconds. Once they were introduced to the audience, their names were hardly used.

How much does Mah Jongg influence mystery writing? Do you recommend it for all crime authors?

Absolutely. Along with the popcorn and chocolate that are must-haves at a mah jongg game. By the way, I dedicated Now You See Me... to my mah jongg group. Think they'll buy extra copies?

Certainly hope so. You were born in Germany, then lived in New Jersey and New York before settling in Los Angeles. How does the sense of place play into your writing?

In my Molly Blume series, I've been trying especially hard to create a strong sense of place—in this case, Los Angeles—for the reader. Along with Molly, I've been exploring different parts of the city. I love discovering interesting facts about the history of L.A., and connecting it, if possible, with the plot or characters.Molly writes true crime books and a weekly crime sheet column, and every chapter that begins a new day in her life has as a header an excerpt from a real L.A. crime blotter. I wanted to give readers a sense of what L.A. is like—and why they probably wouldn't want to live here. :-)

What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

That all manuscripts should be double-spaced.

That adverbs should be used sparingly.

That deadlines always, always creep up on you.

 

Mystery Morgue Book Club: As Dog Is My Witness by Jeffrey Cohen

Welcome to the first meeting of the Mystery Morgue Book Club! (No, you can't buy books here—we wish you could!)

The club will meet every so often to discuss in depth a new release or an old favorite in the mystery genre. Here's how it works: we ask a number of our friends to read a particular mystery book, and offer some questions for discussion. They discuss, and we report what they said. It's a way to get a little more in-depth than a review can, but still provide some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a title you might know well, or might not know at all. If you want to add it to your TBR pile afterwards, that's great, and if you immediately want to delete it from your Amazon.com wish list, well, we're glad we could warn you off!

The inaugural meeting of the club met to discuss the latest book in Jeffrey Cohen's Aaron Tucker series, As Dog Is My Witness. (Yes, so he's the editor of Mystery Morgue, too: if you want to be the editor, then your book can be first!)

In this humorous mystery, Aaron, the New Jersey-based freelance writer/aspiring screenwriter, work-at-home father of two and all-around wiseacre, is asked by a friend to investigate the shooting of a local man who was killed while walking his dog. The young man accused of the crime, Justin Fowler, has Asperger's Syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder shared by Aaron's son Ethan, so he can't refuse. Along the way, he has to deal with visiting in-laws who seem to be judging Aaron's every move, his own feelings about his son's AS, a professional crisis for his friend Jeff Mahoney, the rental car mechanic, and the interest of a local mob figure, who wants Aaron to stop investigating—now.

Our readers for this meeting were Clara Johnston, Angela McQuay and Terri Tumlin, and they had much to discuss:

The author has said that he considers the books in this series to be "comedies, with a mystery added to them." Did you feel the book was a mystery, or a comedy with a mystery framework?

Clara Johnston: The book was a mystery to me (most things are). I enjoyed the comedic parts of it, but it was definitely a mystery.

Angela McQuay: Although the writing was comedic in nature, the basis of the book was the mystery. The humorous writing just added another dimension to it.

Terri Tumlin: I have to agree. I felt that it was a mystery with comedic overtones. Since I respond most favorably to verbal humor, I found many occasions throughout the book to laugh or smile.

Was the brief prologue—which describes the crime being investigated—helpful, or did it just delay the beginning of the book?

AM: The prologue was very helpful. Not only did it set the tone for the mystery, but it also provided a bit of insight into the victim, which is always helpful.

CJ: The prologue was helpful for me—it set the stage and since this was my first in this series, I was thenable to go meet the other characters. I found out from the first couple of pages in the prologue that Michael was walking their dog, Dalma, and his wife's name was Karen. I know that something is going to happen to Michael and the prologue set up the mood for me that he isprobably going to get snuffed.

TT: It set up the situation and created the sense that I, as the reader, knew that this was a happy marriage before the murder. Also planted in the prologue was Dalma's reaction to the assailant, although Karen's (Michael's wife) later statements about the blood in Dalma's mouth obscured this point in the body of the novel.

What was the most satisfying aspect of the book for you?

CJ: I liked the characters a lot! It is always important for me to feel the relationship with the people in books. Sometimes I can, and sometimes not. This was good. I also liked the humor of it all.

AM: I thought it was pretty satisfying when Abby (Aaron's wife) finally stood up to her brother, since he was such a pompous ass and really had it coming. Of course, the resolution of the mystery was also pretty satisfying.

CJ: It also felt good to learn something about Asperger's. I know just minimal information about autism and this was an eye opener for me. I always like to learn something and somehow do a bit of a stretch in some forum(it's the former teacher in me).

Much of the book was about the relationship between Aaron and his son Ethan, who at 12 is starting to "notice" his Asperger Syndrome. Was the relationship believable? Did it "deepen" the plot, or was it a distraction?

TT: I found the relationship between Aaron and Ethan very believable. Aaron comes across as a parent who understands that his son is different, but at the same time maintains a balance between making allowances for the difference while still requiring behavior that will serve Ethan well as he grows up. Because Ethan plays a pivotal role in the mystery, the relationship enhances the plot. And because his role as father is an important key to Aaron, it enriches the fabric of the story.

CJ: At first, I was not comfortable with the relationship but I ended up absolutely adoring it. I like when <SPOILER> Aaron and his son, Ethan, worked together with the murder and Ethan was so darn successful.

AM: It was very believable. I found it especially realistic that Aaron was not always patient with Ethan and sometimes lost his temper, which is what I am sure happens in real-life situations like this. Their relationship certainly deepened the mystery because it helped us to relate to Justin (the accused murderer, who also has AS) and it made solving the mystery that much more important to Aaron.

For the first time in this series, there is a little tension between Aaron and Abby relating to her brother's visit. Fans of the series have often pointed to their relationship as a strong asset: did the slight disagreement between the two characters bother you? Or was it a welcome relief from Aaron's usual unabashed worship of his wife?

AM: It didn't bother me at all. I thought it was very realistic. No matter how much a couple adores each other, they have to argue about some thing and this was a good reason for them to be at odds with each other. If Aaron and Abby never argued, I don't think I'd enjoy the storylines so much because they would not be realistic.

TT: I found the portrayal of Howard and his family less successful than the rest of the characterizations. They were so obnoxious as to be somewhat unbelievable, which made Abby's taking their side also unreal, especially the way her character had previously been drawn. I also had trouble with the suddenness and totality of Howard's change of heart at the end. As for Aaron's relationship with Abby-it works either way for me.

CJ: It didn't concern me that they were at different places with the relative issue... hm... real life, isn't it... LOL

Who was your favorite character in the book, and why?

CJ: This was a tough question for me because there were 3 or 4 characters I thought were so well done and my favorites. If I had to just choose one, it has to be Leah (Aaron's daughter). For a nine year old, she is so savvy and sometimes, when there are special challenges in the family, all the members in the family rise to the situation to become stronger. I thought she was really stretching to be a catalyst for a strong family member and I liked her wisdom beyond her years.

AM: Aaron is my favorite character, as he has been in all of the books. It's hard not to love a self-deprecating, witty, sarcastic stay-at-home dad. Since the book is written in the first person, I think most people will probably find Aaron to be their favorite.

TT: Aaron.

Since the book is meant to be humorous, anybody want to contribute lines that made them laugh?

CJ: I gave a Very Big Smile for "if your children teach you properly, it is indeed possible to become a good parent." When Howard, the obnoxious brother-in-law, comes to town. "When you're married 14 years, you pick up a lot of things ... like your brother-in-law's baggage."I chuckled when the other mysterylit characters were mentioned... i.e. Myron Bolitar, Elvis Cole, Jack Reacher, etc. The 3 fellows (sent by the mob boss, whom Aaron calls) Big, Bigger and Biggest were all a stitch! Very visual and every time they appeared, I liked it.

AM: Wow, you want me to pick just one? You ask too much...

As Dog Is My Witness also deals more with Asperger Syndrome than either of the previous books. Did you learn anything about the disorder, and did it add to your enjoyment of the book, or seem like a preachy way to introduce an "issue" into the mystery?

TT: I learned more about Asperger Syndrome in the way it should show up in a novel. It added to the richness and texture of the story. Personally, I love stories that have a strong factual thread in them that interlocks with the fiction.

CJ: Didn't seem preachy to me, very informative. I've not read the first two books and since I don't much about the subject, it was new for me.

AM: It added to my enjoyment of the book and gave it more of a signature. I enjoy books that I not only enjoy reading, but that I also learn from.

Do you think people with a relative or friend who has an autism-related disorder might be offended by the book? Do you think they'll welcome it?

AM: I definitely think they'll welcome it. I'm sure they would love to read about another family who is dealing with issues like theirs and handling it with humor and love. In fact, I have already recommended this book to an acquaintance of mine who has a son with Asperger's.

TT: I think that those with a close contact with someone who has an autism-related disorder should welcome the book since it gets information about Asperger kids out to people with no first hand experience with them.

CJ: One thing you can rest assure is that everyone will see it differently—some of it is dependent on what type of day they are having or if the individual is carrying a very large chip on their shoulder.

What do you think was the most important aspect of the book, and why?

AM: I think that's a difficult question to answer! The relationship between Aaron and his family, the mystery and the humorous commentary all work hand in hand to make this an excellent book. If one of those aspects were missing, the book would have suffered.

CJ: The story was comfortable for me—lots of characters and I felt good about that. I don't always. In some books, it would have been too many characters. There was ane easy transition between the story lines for me also. As mentioned before, the characters were prime and I liked the mystery. I also enjoyed the success that Ethan felt. The visiting relatives added a dimension that came full circle. I liked how Howard comes around—first being the proverbial pain in the butt and then getting smarter and kinder, with a little help from his sister. I like these people.

 

Reviews

A Hole in One
by Catherine Aird
St. Martin's Minotaur
Hardcover, 202 pages, $22.95
ISBN: 0-31234-229-2
Reviewed by Clara Johnston

This story commences at a golf course. Ursula and Helen compete in the "Rabbit" Golf Competition.  The rabbit category is for novices.  Helen's stray ball slices into a sand trap. This takes her off the green where she finds a body.  All she was looking for was her little white ball. 

Detective Chief Inspector Sloane works in a serene British town.  Constable Crosby, also known as a sometimes likeable pain, is his partner.  Sloane receives welcome phone calls from his wife; she is happy since he is at this prestigious golf course hoping this will heighten and enhance his status.  Of course, she never dreams that he is there to investigate and identify a young man's body.

New to this series, I am drawn to the character called Pretty Polly.  She is a police sergeant and has a knack for cutting right into a situation with a classic no nonsense style.  

Catherine Aird adds this book to many (more than twenty) crime stories.  Sloane is a frequent character in many of them.  The conclusion leads to a chase for justice and the prevention of yet another murder. 

 

The Green Room
by Deborah Turrell Atkinson
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 284 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59058-198-9
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

Some people surf the web, but in Hawaii surfing is big time on the ocean.  Storm Kayama, who made her initial appearance in Primitive Secrets, has opened her own private law practice and is seeking clients.  Her cousin, a promising surfer in competition, refers a client to her, a woman who is seeking a divorce from her husband, a co-promoter of a new high profile international surfing contest.

The client invites Storm to the North Shore to see the contest in which he is entered, along with Storm's boyfriend and co-counsel; and others as well.  Unfortunately the cousin is found drowned and mutilated in a cave just before the contest. A short time later, another top contender is similarly discovered. Dead.  Interspersed with the mystery of their deaths are various Hawaiian legends.  Did they play a role in the deaths?  Or were they just a cover-up?

As in her first novel, the author gives the reader deep insights into island life.  A glossary is included of Hawaiian words used throughout to give authentic flavor.  The story flows like lava from a volcano.

Murder in Cheesman Park
by Kenneth N. Brown
Bedside Books
Paperback, 286 pages, $22
ISBN: 1-58982-196-3
Reviewed by Dacia Blodgett Williams

Brown's story follows Greg Forman, who was introduced in a previous book titled The Grand Scam. Forman is a young millionaire and is finalizing a divorce from his greedy wife Marilyn, who committed adultery with a shady character who is later found murdered. She's innocent and hires the firm Greg works for to prove it.

Though a millionaire, Forman is a bit of a sleuth and enjoys working as a security guard. He develops a relationship with Kim, who owns the firm he works for. Things develop rapidly and they move in together with plans to marry.

The investigation of Marilyn's murder leads Forman to Mexico, where among other things, he has a torrid one-night stand with a sweet young thing named Maria.

Things fall apart with Kim, who winds up selling the company to Forman and he buries himself in work on Marilyn's case.

The book is hard to put down. I was pleased with how the murder is eventually solved, and I found Brown's writing engaging.

Even though I was disappointed in Forman's character flaw with regards to using good sense with women, I have to admit that I enjoyed the book's overall pacing and resolution. For most people, this book would be quite enjoyable and probably will be inoffensive.

 

The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle
by JoAnna Carl
Signet
Paperback, 227 pages, $5.99
ISBN: 0-45121-364-5
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Lee McKinney is the business manager of her aunt's chocolate business TenHuis Chocolade in Warner Pier, Michigan.  Lee is a bit skeptical when flashy Aubrey Andrews Armstrong sweeps into town claiming he wants to produce a movie based on a local author's romance novel. 

Lee gets even more suspicious of Aubrey when she stumbles over a dead body.  Can Lee unravel the mystery and find out more information about Aubrey without ending up dead?

This was the first book I've read by this author.  It won't be the last.  I really enjoyed the characters and the setting.  I look forward to reading many more escapades with Lee.  I highly recommend this book.

Evil Intent
by Kate Charles
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 344 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59058-200-4
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

With the evolving Church of England as the background—with liberals and traditionalists pitted against each other—the murder of one cleric sets off unexpected repercussions.  This is a tale of mystery and personal tragedy.  The traditionalists oppose women clerics and homosexuals and other modern developments.  And the leading characters are just symbolic of these cross-currents.

Callie Anson has just been appointed to a new post after her ordination.  At her first meeting of the area's clerics, her mentor, Fran Cherry, and she are confronted by a traditionalist who is later found strangled with Mrs. Cherry's stole.  She is accused by the police and arrested, as is the area Deacon, who the police theorize may have conspired with her in the murder.  He is black and homosexual.

The well-written novel is unusually well-plotted and comes to a conclusion so unexpected that it takes some thought as to how the author laid all the clues all along the way without this reader, at least, having obtained the merest hint of solving the mystery.  You should give it a try.

 

As Dog is My Witness
by Jeffrey Cohen
Bancroft Press
Trade paperback, 269 pages, $16.95
ISBN: 1-89086-243-6
Reviewed by Angela McQuay

Those who have been lucky enough to have read Jeffrey Cohen's first two mysteries, For Whom the Minivan Rolls and A Farewell to Legs, will be happy to know that Cohen's third mystery featuring Aaron Tucker, As Dog is My Witness, is just as good. 

Aaron Tucker, diminutive freelance writer and stay-at-home dad extraordinaire, has his work cut out for him this time.  Not only does he have to deal with his wife Abby's pain-in-the-butt brother and his family, but he also has agreed to assist his best friend Mahoney as he tries to discover who is sabotaging his mechanical skills and he's investigating a murder that a young man with Asperger's Syndrome—an autism-spectrum neurological disorder—has confessed to.  Loyal readers of Cohen will already know that Tucker has a personal interest when it comes to Asperger's: his own 12-year-old son, Ethan, has the condition and Aaron knows that someone with Asperger's is very unlikely to commit a random murder.

As Aaron tries to deal with his hostile in-laws (and his wife's inability to see their true colors), he also gets deeper into a mystery that includes a Jewish mob figure, a grieving widow with strange ideas and a Dalmatian who is the only witness to a murder.  With his trademark self-deprecating humor, Aaron narrates a story that moves along at a fast clip, weaving in red herrings and plenty of twists and turns.  As good as the mystery is, however, it pales in comparison to the characters and to the writing style.

When it comes to mystery novel heroes, Aaron Tucker is truly in a class of his own.  His humor and intense love for his family shines through on every page.  It's impossible to not relate to his character or root him on as he fumbles through his cases, making fun of himself and others at every turn.  The humor is always light-hearted and never cruel, making an already enjoyable novel even more fun to read.  His supporting characters, including Aaron's wonderful family and friends, are also well-written and their appearances enhance the storyline and the character of Aaron himself.

If you haven't tried one of Cohen's Aaron Tucker books, you're truly missing out.  Although I suggest you begin with the first book, For Whom the Minivan Rolls, to get the whole story on Aaron and his family, you can't miss with any of his three books.

Three Can Keep a Secret
by Judy Clemens
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 254 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59059-184-9
Reviewed by Janet Koch

Stella Crown has it tough. Not only is she recovering physically from a motorcycle accident, she's also emotionally raw from the death of the man who'd been a father to her. Add the fact that she's running a Pennsylvania dairy farm single-handedly and you get a woman who can't take much more.

Along comes Lucy, a Mennonite widow willing to do the hard work a dairy farm requires. Despite a few misgivings, Stella hires Lucy and soon finds those misgivings might well have been premonition. A widow from accident, disease, or murder? Lucy's story grows more complicated each day.

Stella's friend and fellow-biker, Lenny, isn't exactly helping matters. Despite break-ins at his bike shop and home, he refuses to talk to the police and stalks away from Stella's questions. Whatever Lenny's problem might be, he's intent on keeping it to himself, no matter the cost to him, and potentially to Stella and Lucy.

Three Can Keep a Secret is a story of what havoc someone else's problems can wreak in your own life. It's also a tale of keeping on when all seems lost and of finding strength in the midst of disaster.

Judy Clemens has written a worthy successor to the Agatha Award-nominated Till the Cows Come Home. While Three Can Keep a Secret runs a quick pace, always in the background is the ever-present and unchanging needs of the animals. Only a dedicated farmer would keep those brutal hours—milking in the morning, milking every night, every morning, every night. Stella is a farmer to the bone and a character worthy of admiration and respect.

Chain a Lamb Chop to the Bed
by Denise Dietz
Five Star Publishing
Hardcover, 372 pages, $25.95
ISBN: 1-59414-422-2
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

Invited by her significant other, Detective Lt. Peter Miller, to a dude ranch for a week's vacation, you just know that it isn't going to be the stress-free reprise it's supposed to be for Ellie Bernstein.  Before they leave, there is one murder, and the mystery of a defaced painting by a long-standing friend of Ellie's.  In this their third appearance, Ellie and Peter are confronted with other occurrences, including the murder of the artist, on the Aspen ranch.

Other paintings are found slashed and at least one owner also found murdered.  Each painting has the face of the model disfigured.  The model in the paintings is of the artist's wife and all are early works.  Surprisingly none of the new works are touched.  And therein lies the mystery, which unfolds in a real twist in the plot.

The novel is written in the usual breezy style of its two predecessors, the characters remain interesting and the plot well-founded.

The Cipher Garden
by Martin Edwards
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 276 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59058-206-3
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

The Cipher Garden brings back Hannah Scarlett, head of the Cold Case Review team in Old Sawrey, a lovely village in England's Lake District, and Daniel Kind, an Oxford Don and historian/television personality, who has escaped London to the village with his paramour to seek a different kind of life.

An anonymous letter regarding an old murder leads Hannah to look anew into the case.  Meanwhile Daniel is attempting to discover the secret of the strange garden in his own cottage.  Daniel trips over elements of the years-old murder.  Between them, the clues unfold and the mysteries of the murder and the garden become known.

The charm of The Coffin Trail, in which the two protagonists made their initial appearance, is continued in this second of a promising series.  The characters are sensitive and intelligent, the writing and plotting superb.

 

The Flaming Luau of Death
by Jerrilyn Farmer
William Morrow
Hardcover, 227 pages, $23.95
ISBN: 0-06058-729-6
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Holly is getting married in two weeks.  Madeline and Wes decide to take Holly, her sisters, and her best friend on a surprise bachelorette party to Hawaii. 

Holly confides in Madeline that she received a threatening e-mail demanding the whereabouts of her husband.  Apparently Holly married her prom date in high school.  But the details are a bit hazy.  She hasn't seen him for years and has no idea where he might be.

When they arrive in Hawaii, they expect to have fun before going back home to deal with this problem.  Wrong.  There's a man waiting in Holly's room when they arrive.  He runs out and eventually ends up dead. 

Madeline sets out to figure out what is going on.  How is the dead man connected to Holly?  Where is her husband?  Can she do this without anyone else getting hurt and finish before they have to leave the big island?

I always enjoy books in this series.  Since this one was set in Hawaii, a place I've never visited, I found it to be even more interesting.  The exotic place, the great food, and wonderful people really added to the mystery. 

I highly recommend this book and the whole series.  Give it a try; I doubt you'll be disappointed.

 

Tilt-A-Whirl
by Chris Grabenstein
Carroll & Graf
Hardcover, 321 pages, $23.95
ISBN: 0-7867-1584-7
Reviewed by Gloria Feit

Danny Boyle, a 24-year-old part-time summer cop in the New Jersey resort town of Sea Haven, finds himself partnered with, and chauffeur to, John Ceepak, a former MP new to the local Police Department.  On a day which starts with the more-or-less typical level of danger as this one, when the first police matter to be dealt with is the theft of a tricycle, things ratchet up a whole lot when the area's version of Donald Trump is found murdered in a kiddie park known as Sunnyside Playland.  The body is found on the Tilt-A-Whirl ride where, as one reporter puts it, "Reginald Hart's whirlwind life came spinning to a stop."  Hart's barely-teenage daughter is seen shortly thereafter, her dress completely covered in blood, screaming for help.  John Ceepak is put in charge of the investigation, with Danny right behind or alongside him, literally and figuratively.

Ceepak brings a lot of baggage with him, not the least of which is his stint in Iraq, and he brings an ex-Marine's Honor Code with him.  He also brings a sharp mind and intuitive cop skills, from all of which Danny learns quite a lot.  There are a lot of twists and turns in the case, as befits a book with this title.  Once I got caught up in the story, and the voice of Danny, who narrates the tale, I found it very enjoyable and a lot of fun.  But there's danger here as well, and threats, real and perceived, and a lot of good stuff for the mystery fan who likes to try to figure things out before the pros do.

This debut novel by Chris Grabenstein is a delightful cozy, one that is a fast read and keeps the reader guessing right up until the end.

 

Slaying Is Such Sweet Sorrow
by Patricia Harwin
Pocket
Paperback, 273 pages, $6.99
ISBN: 0-74348-225-5
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Catherine Penny, a former New York librarian, now lives in a tiny English town of Far Wychwood.  She has to deal with painful memories when her ex-husband and his new lady love show up to attend an awards ceremony honoring their son-in-law Peter.  He is supposed to be a shoo-in for a prestigious appointment at Oxford's Mercy College.  They are shocked when he is not chosen.  The man that is chosen, Edgar Stone, is a womanizer and is not well liked.

Stone is found dead, and Peter is accused.  Catherine does everything she can to prove he's innocent.  Unfortunately the police have a call from Stone saying that Peter is there threatening him with a knife right before he's found dead.

Her daughter and ex-husband have hired a solicitor, but he doesn't seem to be much help.  Her relationship with her daughter is tenuous at best, and these circumstances really wear on it.  Plus Catherine and her ex-husband run into each other more than Catherine would want.  This adds a lot of tension in the family.

I am not a big fan of mysteries set in England.  I think one of the reasons I like this series is that it is an American who has moved to England.  So often she will explain the idiosyncrasies I would otherwise not understand. 

Catherine is an enjoyable character.  I like seeing England through her eyes.  I enjoy the English countryside.  Her relationship with her family is very difficult and always adds to the story. 

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it and the first book in the series.

 

Madonna of the Apes
by Nicholas Kilmer
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 301 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59508-196-2
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

Fred Taylor is a mystery man—apparently a Green Beret-type now living in Boston.  He owns a mortgage on a house which serves as a residence for various homeless men who live in a cooperative manner with strict rules governed by Fred.  We find him at the outset of the book in bed with a mysterious woman with a snake tattoo up the length of her arm—she's mysterious because he can't remember her name.  Early in the wee hours of the morning he awakens and slips out of her apartment.

Wandering the streets, he encounters two men coming out of a taxi and then fighting.  Fred subdues the apparent aggressor.  When all settles down, Fred and the victim are invited into the attacker's apartment for a huge surprise: The walls are covered with rare art.  A “wedding chest” on the floor immediately attracts the interest of the ‘victim,' who wants to purchase it.  After haggling, $5,000 is set as the price.  Fred and his new-found friend carry the chest to a Beacon Hill home where the cover is revealed to be a possible lost painting by Leonardo.

The rest of the story revolves upon the attempt to authenticate the painting, while a couple of murders take place of key players seeking to retrieve the chest.  Is it or is it not a Leonardo?  Is all the art legitimate, or are they forgeries?  Or a clandestine sale to avoid taxes?  Or what other manipulations are taking place?

The characters are intriguing, the ins and outs of the authentication process and dialogue explaining the underlying philosophies of the protagonists interesting.  The book moves along to an unexpected ending and is extremely rewarding.

 

The Carbon Murder
by Camille Minichino
Thomas Dunne
Hardcover, 258 pages, $23.95
ISBN: 0-31231-958-4
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Gloria Lamerino is now a police consultant.  She is a retired research professor and physicist.  Her goddaughter M.C. Galigani believes her ex-boyfriend Jake Powers is stalking her.  Wayne Gallen, a former co-worker, shows up to warn her that she's in danger because of some misdirected e-mail. 

Then a student of M.C.'s that was an undercover private investigator is murdered.  Gloria is very concerned about the whole situation. 

Gloria's boyfriend, Matt Geneva, is a police detective.  He isn't very involved in this case as he has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer.  Gloria is torn between helping M. C. and taking care of Matt.

Gloria uncovers an illegal medical experiment run by someone who doesn't seem to stop at murder.  Can she protect M.C. while bringing everything to light?

This was the first I've read in this series, and I will definitely be reading more.  Gloria is a likeable character.  I was so worried that since this series is the periodic table series, there would be too much scientific talk, but that wasn't the case.  The author uses her knowledge of science, but the book is very enjoyable to those who don't know science.

I highly recommend this book.

 

Room For Murder
by Tim Myers
Berkley
Paperback, 181 pages, $5.99
ISBN: 0-42519-310-1
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Alex Winston runs The Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse.  After renovations, the Dual Keeper's quarters are finally ready for occupancy.  As part of the opening festivities, they hold a debate between two locals running for mayor.

Mor, Alex's best friend, and Emma are finally going to be married.  When Mor goes out to his truck after the festivities, he finds a dead man in the driver's seat.  Once it is determined the dead man is Emma's abusive ex-husband, Mor and Emma become the prime suspects.  Then when one of the mayoral candidates is found dead, Emma is no longer suspected.

Alex is trying to convince his co-worker Elise that they should be a couple.  Things aren't looking too good in that department.  He is also trying to figure out who killed these people.  He believes the murders are linked.  Can he find the killer without putting himself in danger?

I love this series. Alex is a fabulous character: his love of the Inn and lighthouse really comes through.  Being a lighthouse lover myself, I feel a real connection.  I also really enjoy Elise.  The tension between these two characters is good, but I really hope they are able to come together some day.

The other characters in town really add to the story.  The author has caught the feeling of a small town.  I always feel as if I'm there while reading these books.

I highly recommend this book.

Love Her To Death
by Linda Palmer
Berkley
Paperback, 326 pages, $6.99
ISBN: 0-42520-295-X
Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle

Morgan Tyler writes and produces for Love of My Life, a daytime drama.  Cybelle Carter, a star on the show, comes to Morgan and expresses concern because she's going to be on the cover of Time.  She is married to Philippe Abacasas.  He has threatened to kill her if he finds her. 

Morgan gets a call that a body has been found in Cybelle's apartment.  She immediately thinks it is Cybelle, but turns out to be her stunt double.   Morgan is concerned that Cybelle was the intended victim. 

Morgan meets Abacasas.  He tells a completely different story in which Cybelle and her brother stole some coins from him. 

Morgan's sometimes boyfriend, a police detective, is not happy with her looking into another murder.  She still has to create and produce episodes in the daytime drama as well as find time to do her sleuthing.  Can she figure out who's telling the truth and who killed the stunt double without becoming a victim herself?

I love this series.  Morgan is a fun character.  She is very down to earth, but she is willing to step out when needed.

The relationship tension and the work demands all add to this series.  Everything is well scripted and blended.  I highly recommend this book and series.

Deadly Detail
by Don Porter
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 232 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59058-191-1
Reviewed by Theodore Feit

Alaska is the setting of this novel, with the air charter business the heart of the mystery at the time of the Trans-Alaska pipeline.  Alex Price, a Bethel bush pilot, meets with his best friend for a drink at a local bar in Fairbanks.  His friend, Stan, has urgently requested the meeting because he thinks he heard something nefarious (but is not sure).  Upon leaving, he is murdered when his pick-up truck explodes.

Alex only knows that Stan may or may not have overheard some incriminating information and the threat may extend to Stan's wife and Alex himself.  The suspicion is confirmed by four or five attempts on their lives as they try to hide from the would-be assassins by moving from hotel to hotel, restaurant to restaurant, from Barrow to Valdez and back to Fairbanks.

Meanwhile the reader enjoys the majesty of the Alaskan landscape, not to mention a series of mouth-watering menus, recipes and tasty wines.  The palate is rewarded and so is the reader of this shrewdly constructed mystery.

Five for Silver
by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer
Poisoned Pen Press
Hardcover, 259 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 1-59058-112-1
Reviewed by Terri M. Tumlin

The time is 542 AD and the place is Constantinople.  John, the Lord Chamberlain, is asked by his servant, Peter, to investigate the murder of his friend Gregory, a friend from earlier times when they were both in the army. It seems that Peter has had a visitation by an angel conveying the message, "Gregory.  Murder.  Justice."  John consents to look into the matter.  Thus begins the fifth in the series of historical mysteries featuring John the Eunuch.

Plague has struck the city.  In Gregory's case, however, that is irrelevant, since he was stabbed to death.  As John tries to track down Gregory's killer, the only clue he has is that Gregory was one of the witnesses for the oral will of a wealthy importer.  With this slim thread he begins.  The plague itself is a major player in the mystery, randomly removing witnesses and links to past events, making the search ever more difficult.

The search for the killer is only one of the enticements of this story.  The picture presented of Constantinople in the sixth century is richly textured and believable. The foods, the sights, the smells and the sounds are deftly woven together in a tapestry that brings the time and place alive.  Dancing through the story is a holy fool, who in the tradition of the times, scandalizes one and all with his antics.  The subplots are also fun, especially the doings of Anatolius, whose love, Lucretia, has left him and married a senator.  We also follow Anatolius' friend, Cinagoras, who is a prolific, but very bad poet as he plies his trade.   

Reed and Mayer's knowledge of and love for the period is evident throughout the novel.  The details of the city, its streets and the homes of the various characters ring true.  Included with the story is a glossary of names, terms, and items from the period, which allows the reader a further insight into the period. 

Five for Silver is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end.  And, like any good novel in a series, this one entices the reader to seek out the earlier volumes for additional pleasure.

Deadgame
by Kirk Russell
Chronicle Books LLC
Hardcover, 377 pages, $23.95
ISBN: 0-8118-5078-1
Reviewed by Janet Koch

Sturgeon: a fish family millions of years old with breeding habits unchanged since long before humans walked upon the earth. Unfortunately, those same breeding habits—females don't spawn until they're twenty, and even then they only lay eggs every five years—might now be their undoing, for those precious eggs are caviar and in order to harvest the delicacy the fish has to die. With the Caspian Sea sturgeon population declining 90 percent in the last twenty years and the US demand for caviar zooming up, poaching the protected fish can be an easy way to make a few bucks.

Enter John Marquez. Head of the California Fish and Game undercover team, he is running an operation to catch a major wholesaler of illegally obtained caviar. They are close, so close, to snaring their prey when a key informant disappears.

Marquez's boss wants to shut down the team permanently, but Marquez, worried about his informant, bargains for more time. Three weeks is all he gets. A substitute informant leads the team even closer to their target—only the target is much more dangerous than they'd imagined.

Deadgame begins with sturgeon and ends with sturgeon. Between is a labyrinth of criminality of kidnapping and car theft and Russian mafia and arms sales and murder, featuring a host of bad guys who aren't bad in just one way.

In addition to the numerous bad guys, Kirk Russell gives us a full slate of good guys, many of whom have the feel of characters introduced in earlier books. Though this plot-driven book eventually explains why we should care about poaching and why the delta mentioned so often is important, the explanations are left a bit late. Deadgame takes a while to get rolling, but in time the momentum picks up and hurls you to the very satisfying end.

Note: on September 29, 2005, the US Fish and Wildlife Service banned the importation of Caspian Sea beluga caviar.