Murder At The Book Group
Maggie King
Pocket Books, Dec 30 2014, $7.99
ISBN: 9781476762463
In 2005 in Richmond, during the Murder
On Tour book club discussion, published author of Murder à la Isabel Carlene Arness vehemently tosses her copy
of Murder In The Keys into her fireplace stunning the other attendees; as
Carlene is normally a calm soft-spoken individual. Wannabe romance writer Hazel Rose wonders if
the cause of Carlene’s venom is the separation from her husband Evan, who
happens also to be one of her Hazel’s ex-spouses. Their efforts to illicit more information on
why she hated the novel leads to Carlene’s venomous response over the misuse of
cyanide, which she plans to deploy correctly in her next novel. As the session winds down, Carlene collapses;
the shocked participants realize she is dead from ironically cyanide poisoning.
The stunned reading group agrees that
Carlene was not herself at the meeting and even more upset when newbie Linda
arrived; but also would not kill herself especially using cyanide in spite of a
suicide note. Assuming a murder occurred
at the book group session; Hazel, her sometimes much more than just a friend
retired RPD homicide detective Vince Castelli and her cousin Lucy Hooper look
into the victim’s past seeking who loathed the recently dearly departed Carlene.
The first Book Group mystery is a pleasant
amateur sleuth though a scorecard as to who belongs with whom at that moment
would be helpful (this group gets around).
Witty Hazel is a tremendous lead who deftly keeps the
storyline focused even with a myriad of supporting characters. Murder
At The Book Group is a delightful cozy in which the audience will
want more investigations starring Hazel and her bookish cohorts.
Harriet Klausner
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