Friday 9 September 2011

A Grand Murder - Book Review

A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

What is it about:
When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Saint Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress's husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim's letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.


What did I think of it:
A very satisfying read.
The writing is decent and the plot engaging. It's got all the elements I like to see in a good murder mystery: a weird murder, lots of suspects with suspicious behaviour, red herrings, clues that are open to interpretation, and to top it all off, a quirky investigator who has to make sense of it all to catch the killer.
Catherine is a tough, but very likeable, lead character and her dry sense of humor makes this book not just a suspenseful read, but a funny one as well. Although the focus is mainly on solving the murder, Verdick Case manages to put in a small storyline that's about Catherine's personal life and that makes you root for her even more. All in all I really enjoyed this book and I'll certainly read more books in this series once released and if I can get my trotters on them.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and suspenseful murder mystery.


Buy it here



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great review, Sullivan McPig! I will be happy to send you the next book when it's released.

Best wishes,
Stacy Verdick Case