“Odd happenings, misdirection, and suspense.” –LibraryThingEverybody in the village liked Grace Mathison, but, when the body of this retired schoolteacher is found on the roof of her home, it is up to the small-town police force to determine what has happened and why.The residents of Summerfield, Ohio, under investigation and ranging in character, all add pieces to the puzzle. But the more the … add pieces to the puzzle. But the more the police department learns, the more questions they have, and the scope of their investigation grows. Solving the death of Grace Mathison is only the beginning, and the reputations of several leading citizens become at risk. In a town where everyone knows everyone else, the most danger comes from trying to keep something hidden.
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Overall Rating = 4.38
Storyline & Concept = 5
Writing & Delivery = 4
Cover Marketability = 5
Editorial = 3.5
A small town where everyone knows everyone else and the most exciting thing the police do is rescue stranded cats provides an ideal setting for this whodunit within a whodunit. The lightweight police procedural dimension of the narrative draws readers into the investigation, and the mid-story surprise will keep them turning pages.
The author has a good voice for his young-reader target audience, but the choice to mix using contractions and avoiding them, sometimes in the same sentence, occasionally results in stilted dialogue. Parents of the youngest readers may want to be aware that there are allusions to adult situations, though nothing explicit. The prologue seems extraneous since the story never returns to that setting, and there are perhaps just a few too many secondary characters that don’t really contribute anything. But overall, A fun read.
Sublime Line: “A good whodunit for young readers with a nice twist in the middle and a valuable life lesson at the end.”
Good summer who done it! A little slow to begin with but exciting ending. Full of wonderful quirky characters. The story is more than just an intriguing title.
3.5 Stars
When a retired schoolteacher is found dead on her roof, the entire village of Summerfield, Ohio come under suspicion … which is strange considering that she seemed to be well-liked.
Today, Martin Addams is the Summerfield’s Police Chief. He’s dealing with Carl Ulicny, a Hollywood movie producer. Ulicny wants to make a movie of this cold case, with Addams as a consult.
At the time of this victim’s death, Police Chief was Jeff Pierson (Addams was a rookie at the time) and a man determined to take care of the people in his town. He was well liked and well respected.
The investigation under way, the police are finding that solving the case is harder than was suspected. First of all, they aren’t even sure if there was an accident, or murder. Reputations of highly known, leading citizens are at risk. In a town where everyone knows everyone else, the most danger comes from trying to keep something hidden.
This is more of a mystery than a thriller. There are lots of characters to meet and figure out where they fit into this story. Some of the book is in the present … some is recounting what happened years ago. It’s a fast read … less than 200 pages.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Small town life usually means small police force and usually only misdemeanors to be handled. So when the well known schoolteacher is found dead on her roof following a nasty thunderstorm, it seems as if she was trying to rescue her recalcitrant cat and met an unfortunate end. But the medical examination showed that the skull fracture happened elsewhere and the body was moved to the roof. So the investigation began. Lots of nice people, odd happenings, misdirection and suspense. It’s a short book, but very enjoyable.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Black Rose Writing via NetGalley. Thank you!
4 stars
I would categorize this book as an almost cozy mystery/police procedural.
It is a horrible night in the little town with torrential rain and wind. The next morning, a body is spotted up on a roof. So begins an exhaustive investigation into the mysterious death of Mrs. Mathison, a friendly and outgoing little old lady.
This book details the police search for her killer. It is a very small police force, but they seem competent in their duties. They all get along great and pull together in this tough investigation. There is one woman on the team and she is one smart cookie.
The book has a couple of shocking revelations that turn the case on its head. When the woman police officer gets injured, the tension in the story ratchets up.
Some secrets in the town are revealed and the killer is unmasked. The identity of the killer turns out to come as a complete surprise.
This book is well written and plotted. One event follows another in a logical manner and it all makes perfect sense. I liked the characters – even the killer. I classed this as a cozy mystery because of its gentle pace and decided lack of hard action. That is not to say that it is a slow read because it is not, just that it lacks the hard punch of some of the books I read.
I want to thank NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.