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Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Source: Received to Review
Genrey Mystery/Suspense
Book Description: Someone is trying to kill Liz Johnson and it’s up to quirky private investigator, Erica Coleman, to find out who. Erica is no stranger to murder and mystery, which is why her best friend’s daughter, Megan, turns to her when unaccountable and potentially fatal “accidents” threaten her roommate’s life.
Once Erica arrives at the ramshackle old
mansion known as Crooked House, matters go from disturbing to deadly as it
becomes clear someone is trying to kill Liz.
As Erica begins to unearth secrets, she
discovers a twisted web of love, money, greed, and deception. Although the
police and friends sometimes find Erica’s OCD annoying, its those very traits that
help her sift through evidence and see clues that others miss. Erica must draw
upon her all her investigative prowess to keep Liz safe and unmask the killer
before he can accomplish his deadly objective.
With a
dash of romance and surprising twists, this thrilling mystery will keep you on
the edge of your seat until the very last page. As with all Erica Coleman
mysteries, ten delicious recipes are included.
My thoughts: I have wanted to read on of Marlene Bateman's books for a while now. I have the first two book starring Private Eye Erica Coleman, but have not found the time to read them yet. Fortunately for me, I didn't need to read them before starting this book.
This book is full of mysterious events and danger. It appears that someone is trying to kill Liz. She is a sweet young lady. The only thing she possesses of some value is the historic home she inherited, Crooked House.
Several times she is the target of someone trying to kill her. Erica needs to get the clues sorted and solve this case before another the killer succeeds.
The book is written in a fun manner. Marlene Bateman does a good job at portraying the thoughts of the characters in a light way, yet as a reader, I still understood the danger.
The book has background religious elements, but they are not the focus of the book. It is pure and simply a mystery/suspense novel that will keep you wondering who did it and will they be caught.
The book is clean. There are murder attempts and a murder, but I did not find them to be graphic.
*
Read an Excerpt
********************
“I’m scared.”
Erica’s heart turned over when she heard
the quaver in her young friend’s voice on the phone.
Then Megan asked, “Can you come?”
“Of course.” Erica’s reply was automatic. She
would do anything she could to help. Although she often received
emotionally-laden phone calls in her job as a private investigator, there was a
difference when the call came from the teen-aged daughter of her best friend.
The very fact that Megan—who was usually so calm and composed—sounded frightened
out of her wits, put Erica on high alert.
“I think someone’s trying to kill my
roommate, Liz,” Megan said.
“What makes you think that?” Erica asked. “Has someone threatened her?”
“No, but Liz has had a couple of serious
accidents lately—at least she says they’re
accidents, but either one of them could have killed her.”
Erica made an effort to reel in her
skepticism. “Tell me about them.”
“First, someone tampered with her car.
The brakes went out and Liz ended up driving across someone’s yard and hitting
a tree. Fortunately, she was okay. The second one happened downtown. Liz was on
the sidewalk waiting for the bus when someone shoved her. She fell into the
road. A truck was coming and if a guy hadn’t pulled her back, Liz could have
been killed.”
Still, they could have been accidents,
Erica thought, at least until the third one occurred—this time at Crooked House.
*********************
About the Author: Marlene Bateman
was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah
with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan. Her hobbies include gardening, camping,
reading, and enjoying her four cats and three dogs.
Marlene’s first
novel was the best-selling Light on Fire
Island. Her next novel was Motive for
Murder—the first in a mystery series that features Erica Coleman, a quirky
private eye with OCD. The next book in
that line, (they do not have to be
read in order) is A Death in the Family.
Marlene has also
written a number of LDS non-fiction books under the name Marlene Bateman Sullivan.
Those books include: Gaze Into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in
Early Church History, which is a fascinating collection of over 50
documented near-death experiences from the lives of early latter-day Saints, Heroes of Faith, and Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines. Marlene also wrote three books about
documented accounts in early LDS church history when a person either saw or
heard an angel; Visit’s From Beyond the
Veil, And There Were Angels Among Them, and By the Ministering of Angels.
Check out the first two books!
You are making my TBR pile way too big :). Great review I cannot wait to read it :)
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