Perfect Murder A Books

This is a cracking good Agatha Christie Miss Marple mystery. The plot of Miss Marple's helping to solve a mystery that is many years old and hinges on a young women's long-suppressed childhood memories is different and surprisingly believable. It kept me guessing right up til the end. Vocal characterizations are good, this is one mystery that will not disappoint fans of Dame Agatha.

The plot of Sleeping Murder revolves around New Zealander Gwenda and Englishman Giles, a young, newly-married couple. While Giles is traveling on business, Gwenda is charged with finding a house in the English countryside for the pair. She jaunts through the country on the errand, enjoying being a tourist as well as a house hunter. (She has never visited England before.) Gwenda finds a charming Victorian villa where she immediately feels at home, purchases it, and begins to decorate and renovate it in preparation for Giles' arrival.

Then the odd things start to happen. She asks the gardener to move some steps from one place to another. Upon beginning the work, the gardener discovers that the new location for the steps was actually original to the house. She requests that a door be cut from one room to another. The workmen begin to carry out her wishes, and they find that, once upon a time, there WAS a door there, exactly where Gwenda pointed out. As these types of "coincidences" accrue, Gwenda feels sure that something is amiss. Is the house haunted, perhaps? Then, she has a frightening vision of the body of a young woman at the foot of the steps in her new home, strangled.

As the mystery begins to unravel, who should happen upon the scene but our dear Miss Marple? Naturally, she lends clarity and caution to the proceedings, and before long, our young couple is in the thick of a decades-old murder investigation.

I love reading Agatha Christie mysteries! They are such fun, and I never see the RIGHT ending coming. (Red herrings everywhere, which is what makes them so tricky to figure out.) Plus, they give me a hankering for scones (Miss Marple and her compatriots are always talking things out over tea.) which I am only to happy to satisfy.

Amazingly, I actually liked Miss Marple in this story. She's the likeable, feisty woman I remember from my childhood, not the snooty, condescending know-it-all from the last few books I've read. Still, I think the plot of this one is a little over-reaching, but it a faster paced mystery than most of the Marples - especially the ending. And even though it's on the short side, you still get a good sense of the characters and setting, and nearly enough details to solve the mystery yourself, if you're so inclined.

A must-read for any old-school mystery enthusiast, and one of the better Marples I've read of late (though Poirot is still better in my book!).

What improvements have been made for the "Miss Marple's Last Case" edition? There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead editions of this novel. There are further differences between the Dodd Mead editions republished by Random House/Avenel and the Dodd Mead editions republished by Simon & Shuster/Pocket. There are further additions still in the Signet, Berkley, and Black Dog & Leventhal editions. For every publishing house putting out her works, there seem to be a new batch of editors altering Agatha Christie's words and the sound of her voice. What's the matter with these publishers? Whose voice do they think we want to hear when we sit down to a novel by Agatha Christie? And what will she sound like twenty years from now? It's frightening that her estate has failed to see the importance of guarding her words as she wrote them. Please tell me I'm not the only one here who senses that a crime has been committed.

It was a nice mystery, but it didn't stick in my head long after I was finished with it. In fact, I had to review the plot again to write this review! That says something, because I have a good memory for books that really draw me in. However, I would recommend this book for any Christie fan.

I bought this book last september. And I still read it.
It made me cry that someone so cold could take someone who is loved by everyone. It made me think to. darrell was so loved by millions of people whether they were fans friends or family. He will be truly missed by me and my family and I cant wait to get my dimebag tattoo.

we miss you dime keep on rockin w/ hendrix and joplin.

A great book about the events leading up to Dimebag's demise. Good detail and well written. A definate read for any hard core dimebag fan out there. Getcha Pull!!

I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT DOWN. I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK IN A LONG TIME THAT MADE ME CRY THAT HARD. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYONE THAT DIED THAT NIGHT....(GOD BLESS THEIR FAMILIES) AS WELL AS DIMEBAG. MY 15 YEAR OLD IS AN AVID GUITAR PLAYER AND THIS IS HIS HERO. I HAD TO READ IT BECAUSE THAT IS ALL WE EVER HEARD/AND STILL HEAR ABOUT IS DIMEBAG. WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY. I AM SO SADDENED THAT I CAN NEVER SEND MY SON TO ONE OF HIS CONCERTS. I BELIEVE HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON IN MY SON THOUGH BECAUSE HE PLAYS LIKE DIME VERY MUCH. HE OWNS 6 ELECTICS AND OF COURSE HAD TO GET A DEAN!!!!! THE ONE WE GOT HIM FOR XMAS WAS DIMEBAGS TRIBUTE GUITAR. AN AWESOME BOOK IS ALL I CAN SAY AND YOU JUST HAVE TO READ IT!!!!

This book was read in like 6 hours, it is not a big book but i got to say that i was hooked from the 1st page to the last one !! Im a big metal fan, so for sure im a fan of Pantera & Dimebag and im happy to say i saw them live at least 5 times in the 90's. I will always remember that day when my friend called me at 6ham to give me the bad news, this book tells you everything about that day and more. Get it now !

The book has a dual thesis; one being the victim's lives and the second the nightclub rampage and police shooting. What I did not realize while reading the book is that the author did a splendid job of weaving Thompson's, Bray's, Halk's and Abbott's seemingly unintersecting lives into the tragic end. I felt this book was in-depth and gripping.

There is no shortage of research done by the author. He has credited numerous people for contributions of photos, interviews and documents. Given the subject matter, it may have been easy to invoke a morbid fascination from the reader for the sake of selling books but, he tastefully used hundreds of crime scene photos. He obviously established a repor with CPD Officer J. Neggemeyer as well as other investigators. He did a fine job of delving into the lives of the victims and articulated what good people they really were, which made the occurrence that much more disturbing and tragic.

I thought the book was accurate for the most part, save for a few mistakes in municipalities. The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was I felt that referring to Nathan Gale as "the beast" was childish. Although he slowly changed into a beast given his mental illness, changing the moniker does not change the fact that Gale was single-handedly responsible for immeasurable pain and damage.

Foxy Statehood Hens and Murder Most Fowl

Score: 4 / 5

Reviewer: Vee of Night Owl Romance

Online: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=1080

Foxy Statehood Hens is a fun, three-story collection of romantic mysteries set in Oklahoma. All the stories take place or end in 1907, the year Oklahoma became a State.

The Spinster, The Pig and The Orphan by Jackie King

New to the Indian Territory in 1889, Harriet Lauren sets out to find a husband. With an inheritance, she opens a hotel and hires Radine Morgan an orphan who soon becomes a good friend.

After Ida Mae, a local 'fallen dove' and friend of Radine's is killed, Radine sets off to find the killer.

With likable characters, a good plot, wonderful dialog and social commentary of the time, The Spinster, The Pig and The Orphan is an entertaining read.

The Raucous Bird and a Felony Twist by Paula Watkins Alfred

Rebecca Donna Summersdale, an orphan who longs to shed the restrictive chains of womanhood, pretends she is Donnie, a boy. But upon meeting Donnie, Miz Myrtle, a local shop owner, sees through the disguise and demands an explanation. After hearing it, Miz Myrtle decides to help Donnie along in the charade. The pair become very good friends.

When Miz Myrtle is nearly murdered and left unable to speak, Donnie comes to her aide to bring about justice.

The Raucous Bird and a Felony Twist is a delightful story full of the unexpected. With colorful characters, an interesting plot and the added tension of Donnie coming into womanhood the story is a page-turner. I also felt the sense of time and place was well done as well as the dialog.

Hats, Healing and Homicide in Tulsey Town by Peggy Moss Fielding

After the death of her grandmother, Eula Mae Kent sets out for Arkansas to be with an Aunt she'd never met. When she is unexpectedly left behind by the lecherous Mr. Montmorcey, she is helped by Bartlett Starr, a local man who takes her into Tulsey Town, OK, where she decides to set up a hat shop.

Then the murder of one of the locals shakes things up and Eula Mae takes matters into her own hands.

While another period piece set in an unusual setting, the characters and their plight never felt real. The story felt forced and the ending contrived.

© Night Owl Romance 2007-2008

Statehood brings brave women to Oklahoma who succeed on the frontier by their charm and wit. This collection of novellas delightfully combines the best of mystery, romance, and western. Alfred's gender-bender shows her heroine disguised as a man only to discover the town banker has fallen in love with him/her. Fielding's novella leads us on a wonderful journey to life among Native Americans in pre-statehood Tulsa, and King's story fictionally demonstrates how young women actually came west and succeeded in commerce and romance. The book is a fun read and a great gift for the foxy hen in your life, whatever age she may be.

What a terrific little read, these three novellas celebrating Oklahoma's 100th birthday.

The second sentence in Jackie King's contribution, THE SPINSTER, THE PIG AND THE ORPHAN, defines the story. "One didn't buy a husband in the same way one bought a lumberyard."

Author Paula Watkins Alfred uses vernacular to push the reader back in time and give one the shivers as a young girl pretending to be a young man bumbling into danger in THE RAUCOUS BIRD AND A FELONY TRYST.

In the final offering, Peggy Fielding provides an affectionate close-up view of early day Tulsa in HATS, HEALING AND HOMICIDE IN TULSEY TOWN.

Foxy Statehood Hens is a great book - entertaining, and informative. It makes you really think about the hardships the early settlers endured as Oklahoma was settled, but especially the difficulties for women. But mostly, it was a fun read, and all three stories (romantic mysteries) really keep you guessing...and laughing! This is a great book for a lazy Sunday afternoon with a glass of tea, a hammock and a cool summer breeze.

Just in time for the Oklahoma Centennial, the Foxy Hens, also known as Peggy Moss Fielding, Jackie King and Paula Watkins Alfred, have created a delightful anthology of novellas set in the early days of Oklahoma statehood. FOXY STATEHOOD HENS is the second anthology by these authors, the first anthology is titled CHICK-LIT FOR FOXY HENS. This time the "Hens" have hatched three short murder mysteries. "The Spinster, the Pig and the Orphan" by Jackie King tells the tale of a spinster hotel owner with a murder on the premises. "The Raucous Bird and a Felony Tryst" by Paula Watkins Alfred chronicles the life of a young girl masquerading as a boy. Sleuthing is enough adventure for her until she loses her heart to the town banker. The heroine of Peggy Fielding's "Hats, Healing and Homicide in Tulsey Town" solves a murder with the help of a magical horse and his oh-so-romantic owner. This trio of mysteries will please readers searching for mystery and history.

Overall, I liked this book. It doesn't slow down. I had a bit of a hard time empathizing with the main character and the ending was a bit contrived. But, altogether, it was a good read.

Piccirilli returns to the world of crime with his latest novel THE FEVER KILL, a neo-noir tale that fully embraces its pulp/hardboiled roots while beautifully taking them forward into the modern era.

Crease is a NY undercover cop working to bring down his "boss"--a Latino drug dealer who's not quite big enough for the police commissioner to really crack down on, but big enough to lead the authorities to even bigger fish. For that reason, they've left Crease in place for two years despite him having garnered plenty of evidence against the drug dealer. Driven by guilt, frustration, and a haunted past, Crease decides to admit he's a cop and tells his boss that they'll have a showdown once Crease settles some other accounts first.

Those other accounts are found in Hangtree, Crease's New England hometown. Ten years before he was run out by some dirty cops who had turned their back on the sheriff, Crease's father who died in disgrace after charges were leveled against him for having something to do with the kidnapping & murder of a young girl. Crease returns to Hangtree to find out the truth about what happened to little Mary and decide for himself whether his father was indeed involved.

Although all of these elements are rather familiar, they've never been added together the way Piccirilli does it. With authentic emotion, plenty of honest and plausible action, and some truly innovative touches. The bear on the cover of the novel references little Mary's teddy bear, who Crease imagines was with her at the end of her life. As he tries to put himself in both his father's place and little Mary's as well, Teddy takes on a life of his own and acts as something of a chorus for Crease's guilt and rage.

A first-rate crime novel that's equal parts thriller, suspense, drama, and tragedy (despite there being a great deal of humor). THE FEVER KILL is also one of the most beautifully produced indie press offerings I've ever owned. Creeping Hemlock Press deserves major kudos for the elaborate look of the book, designed to give the feel of a shelf-worn pulp novel from fifty years ago. Utterly gorgeous inside and out.

Tom Piccirilli's writing is authentic, sharply humorous, and always deals with complex issues of family, a tragic past, and the delicate understanding of identity. For years he's worked to no small acclaim in the horror and suspense fields, but now with The Fever Kill he turns his talents to the neo-noir crime genre and gets first-rate results.

A New York undercover narcotics officer who is bound by red-tape and unable to fulfill his duty of taking down knife-wielding drug lord Tucco, Crease finds himself being drawn further into a world he hates. He's impregnated his mistress--Tucco's wife--has lost contact with his own family, and discovers that he too greatly enjoys living on the edge of blood and violence. In an effort to extricate himself, and to face some unresolved trauma from his past, Crease offers to have a showdown with Tucco as soon as he takes care of some unfinished business he has in Vermont.

In his rural hometown of Hangtree, Crease must deal with his powerful memories of childhood, when he watched his father's fall from grace. As the one-time sheriff, Crease's father may or may not have been involved with the kidnapping, ransom, and intentional murder of a young girl. Driven to becoming the town drunk, Crease's father was often beaten and abused by former comrades in the police department. After the man's death, Crease himself was forced out of town by one particularly brutal deputy.

Now no longer a frightened boy, Crease faces down his enemies, former neighbors, and even an ex-girflriend turned town tramp and small-time grifter as he seeks the truth about his father and himself. But not only does he have to deal with his past, but his present as well, since Tucco and several henchmen have followed him to Hangtree.

The Fever Kill is about as good as a neo-noir novel gets. This is a fast-paced, cynical, complex, often extremely funny story that combines a lean, powerful prose with a pedal to the metal plot. Piccirilli gives us not only plenty of action but also takes the time to examine the dark side of family, sorrow, loyalty, revenge, and the potential for redemption.

The book itself is beautifully put together by the folks at Creeping Hemlock press. The cover artwork is incredible and the intro from Ken Bruen alone is well worth the price of admission.

But I have to say Mr. Piccirilli has definitely outdone himself with this one. These are, by far, hardest hitting, grittiest characters he's drawn yet.

Crease is a man haunted by everything - his past, his present, his future. He's got loyalties he didn't even know he could form. He's weighed down by duty, pride, and a shame that's only partly his own. He's struggling to find some sort of peace that he's not even really sure he wants.

This is a mystery, a revenge tale, a family gone horribly awry tale. But mostly what it is, is an inventive, absorbing, heart pounding, can't stop turning pages tale.

Do not miss out.

Tom Piccirilli's novels are crisp, concise, provocative, and usually, psychologically multilayered. "The Fever Kill" is an extraordinary study of a man's search for his identity and the meaning of his life within a neo-noir milieu that includes hardboiled characters, fast-paced plotting, and a return to one's roots...along with healthy doses of cynicism, humor, and tragedy. It is at once, a tale of revenge, a tale of personal discovery, and a tale containing mysteries from the past as well as the present.

Crease is an undercover narcotics officer for the NYPD who is so far under that he has long ago blurred the line between right and wrong, between what is and what should be. He has lost his family, become friends with Tucco, a Mafioso-type crime leader, and, in fact, fallen in love with and impregnated Tucco's mistress.

In the midst of this identity crisis and fleeing from an enraged Tucco, Crease impulsively returns to his hometown, Hangtree, in New England. Crease has unfinished business in Hangtree. His father had been sheriff there until a botched kidnapping, a tragic killing, and missing ransom got him fired and impelled him onward toward his alcohol fueled death. In the process, young Crease had to suffer the abuse of the townspeople who blamed his father for the tragic death and missing money. Ultimately, Crease was run out of town by a sadistic deputy.

Now he has returned seeking the truth of what happened, less to clear his father's name than to, hopefully, find his own way back to right and wrong. He is looking for some means to find his way and refocus his life before meeting up with Tucco and his henchman. Fans of revenge tales where the mistreated hero returns years later to exact his payback will love this story and its plotting. There are so many opportunities for Crease to exact retribution from "townies" who abused him or his father that it is fun to watch his transformation from an agent of vengeance to an agent of redemption.

"The Fever Kill" has astute commentaries on family, loyalty, self identity, and personal growth. The issues of losing focus on what is real vs. what should be real and self introspection leading to potential redemption underlie the entire novel. I truly enjoyed this effort and highly recommend it to fans of the genre. Piccirilli is an author well worth adding to your must read list!

I saw this book in the bookstore and read the inside cover and thought it sounded very good. But I didn't get to read it for a few months, so I let my camp friend borrow it, and when he finished it in a few weeks, he said it was a very great book.

The story is well played out, and the characters are very great. I loved the mystery within it all, and the sadness throughout. This is a wonderful teen book that is quite amazing, and every teen who enjoys sports books or mystery books should buy this, because it's very entertaining.

I loved this book so much! I dont see how anyone couldn't. i read it for fun and it turned out to teach me a lot about love and about law. I can understand things more clearly by relating experiences to experiences of the characters. their lives are magnificently changing and understandable. i would reccomend this book to people who love teen murder mysteries and amazing pieces of writing that touch your heart. this book made me feel, it made me cry, it made me laugh. this book is about life and understanding the situation. the characters' struggles are real and exciting. this book is amazing.
I couldnt put this book down, but at some parts i had to, this story is very intense and that made it all the more lovely.
the murder of one boy's girlfriend turns into a path to life discovery, a path that leads to the meaning of everything. read this book and follow young Brian, go down the path with him. you will discover too.

The novel, The Perfect Shot, by Elaine Marie Alphin, is probably the best book I have ever read. It is basically about a teenager named Brian Hammek. He was outside playing basketball, and he watches his girlfriend get murdered. He loves to play basketball. One day he went to court to try to set his girlfriend's father free, he was kicked out of the courtroom and he hid in the bathroom and was threatened by his girlfriend's murderer. After a game he was up in his room when the murderer broke into his house and tried to kill him. He made the perfect shot on the murderer and saved his family's lives. I think the pace of this book was different than you would find in other books. It starts out fast, but then it slows down. In the end it speeds back up again. If you like thrillers, than this is a book you need to read. You never what is going to happened. That is a quick review of The Perfect Shot.

I read this book based on a student recommendation. What a welcome surprise. This author deserves much more recognition for her talent. I look at and read Young Adult books all the time, but I knew nothing of this book.

The Perfect Shot is a wonderful look at teen life and the struggles human beings go through when dealing with a loss. This book is also an experienced look at the struggles young adults go through when trying to figure out what their place is in this world.

The book does all of the above and accelerates the plot with a suspenseful ending that will leave the reader wanting to read whatever this author produces.

This book is a gem of a Young Adult book. This is a definite must-read.

I am now going to backtrack and read this author's other books, one of which is an Edgar Award winner.

Like other reviewers, I think this is a great story. There are multiple levels to the plot--a murder mystery, a run at a basketball championship, a school project mirroring real life, a friendship tested. Even with all these elements working together, the story isn't convoluted. The start of the story, though, does drag a bit, especially compared to the fast pace of the rest of the novel. Overall a great read, though--another great one by this author!--and one that boys and girls alike would enjoy.

I've read almost all of Ms.Dunlap's "Trust Me" columns over the years and waited all that time for her to apply the quick wit and entertaining dialog I've always enjoyed, to a novel. The mystery kept me guessing who did it, until the very end! Birders and non-birders alike will get a kick out of this story. You don't have to live in the "frozen tundra" to appreciate the descriptions of Minnesota and northern birds. Thanks, Jan, it was worth the wait!

Dunlap teaches writing at Mankato State University in Minnesota. This is the first in the Bob White Birder Murder Mystery series.

Bob is a counselor at Savage High School in Minnesota, and his sister Lily is a landscape designer. Yes, their parents did have a warped sense of humor. Bob and his friend Mike are up in the Superior National Forest on the North Shore trying to find the elusive boreal owl.

While tramping though snow on this freezing early spring night, they literally stumble on a body. It is a man they know, Dr. Andrew Rahr, a Duluth ornithologist, a man who had done a lot of research on the boreal owl and who was secretive about where to find them. Rahr seems to have been hit on the head, and is in street clothes, his parka, mittens and hat missing. Then a bear appears, and Scary Stan, another birder, magically appears out of the darkness, shoots at the bear and chases him off, and disappears. Very odd!

Police officer John Knott is suspicious of Bob for a short time, enough to call his school and check his alibi, which is all it takes for the administration to ask him to take a leave of absence. Bob goes up north, and decides to help Knott solve the case, so he can keep his job. His sister Lily has asked him to check out Very Nice Trees, a possible source of a beautiful wild flower, the ladyslipper, and white pines, in Two Harbors. She had bought some Christmas Trees from them last year, and they were almost too good to be true. She is a bit skeptical.

Bob starts his investigations at the University in Duluth, where he encounters Dr. Rahr's wacky ex-secretary Alice Wylie, and Rahr's old graduate assistant, Ellis. Also in the running for suspect are: Margaret, the leader of Save Our Boreals; her friend Vern Thompson, the owner of Very Nice Trees, and an ex-logger; and Scary Stan.

No one in the birding community really knows what Stan does for a living, but Bob discovers he is dating his sister, and calls himself an accountant! Luce Nilsson, Bob's girlfriend, joins him up north, and the two of them come very close to both the boreal owl, and the murderers. Too close to be safe!

Armchair Interviews says: Dunlap's quick pace and quick wit makes this book a delight to read.

Fascinating !! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author's description of the Minnesota woods and cold weather actually made me feel that I needed more blankets on the bed. The characters seem like people you actually know and deal with every day. The conclusion was exciting and surprising. I was charmed by the insightful world of 'birders', and can't wait to read more from Ms. Dunlap.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Boreal Owl Murders. Anyone who has ever been in the northeast -- specifically Minnesota -- in the winter immediately can feel the cold when Ms. Dunlap describes the setting for the mystery. I really liked the tight group of characters and the time duration of the mystery. I felt very sympathetic for the hero, Bob White, and found myself grinning during the sections when he is at work as a guidance counselor. I read a lot of mysteries and this one had me guessing until the end as to the full cast of villians. I also came away with a real feeling about the lifestyle of a dedicated Birder. Anyhone who has lived in the northeast, worked in the academic world, enjoys the outdoors or wants to know more about Birding will enjoy this book. I can't wait until the next one!

I have a few of books on the crime/mystery genre. Some of them are overly academic (dry and professorial) while others are labors of love written by fans (passionate but not always insightful or even factually correct). Then there are those books that are still wonderful to read but are a bit out of date (the Haycroft, Keating and Symon books, for instance).

Lehman's book avoids all these pitfalls. He's a scholar but his prose moves along and is never fussy. He covers a lot of ground but never sails into vague generalities. And his recommended reading list (always a highlight in this sort of book) is nicely put together, with a good mix of old works and new.

If I had to buy a single volume for someone looking to expand his or her perspective on the history of the crime-mystery story, this would be the one.

His books covers it all: history, stories, the idea of doubles and masks, the resolution of good and evil after World Wars through the detective who resolves to bring order out of chaos. David Lehman talks about the detective novel as one genre that crosses all classes. Given this election and all the open questions, let's delight in some sleuthing. We are asking Whowonit in America. His book is a Whodunit. This book is fun and includes many of David's Favorites throughout history, including Poe's Murder of the Rue Morgue and even spy novels such as LaCarre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. If you delight in detective novels, you'll savor this read.

Finally in paperback, "The Perfect Murder" will provide intriguing delight for both newcomers and accomplished literary detectives. With this new twenty-first-century insight into the murder mystery, Lehman has now made the study of the Detective Novel as morally and historically important as any in literature today, "not only" in Lehman's words "because of the detective novel's debt to human nature but because of the possibly larger debt that human behavior owes to detective novels."

David Lehman investigates the development of mystery fiction, defining improvements and refinements, comparing auth
2000
ors, detectives, plots and techniques.

If, as he observes, the murder in the most inspired detective novel is perfect, it's not because of its solution but because of its artful conception. The first clue is in the basic premise of mystery fiction. Speaking, as it does, of such basic matters as life and death, quest and query, fear and the unknown, the detective novel assumes that the puzzles of life can and will be solved. The reader turns from the ordinariness of life to the author's promise that around each corner lurks the possibility of menace, that conspiracy fills the air, that we have every right to be paranoid, but in spite of it all, everything will turn out all right.

Another clue: Reading mystery fiction provides us with a harmless and vicarious way of releasing our homicidal instincts, says Lehman, allowing us to murder again and again without having to suffer the consequences. Thus, he concludes, reading mysteries leads us away from performing the act of murder.

"Our love of mystery is matched only by our longing for certainty," he writes. "and because we find it hard to tolerate the condition of doubt and guilt in shich we are destined to live."

Lehman's love of mysteries and his eagerness to share favorite books and characters lends charm and emphasizes his major points. A chronological bibliography is included and divided into related genres, critical documents and resource books. That proves to be a banquet of delicious additional reading on the subject. Another delight is his review of 15 of his favorite mystery novels.

Read this one to gain new insight and a deeper appreciation for the mystery genre.

One night in March 1999, fifteen-year-old dance student Rachel Elizabeth Barber vanished. No one could have guessed that she had become another girl's 'perfect' victim. Happy. Beautiful. Talented. She had everything her killer could want.
Perceived by crime experts everywhere as one of the most bizarre homicides they had encountered, Perfect Victim recounts two stories: Rachel's mother Elizabeth Southall tells of her family's heart-rendering experience - how they lived through unimaginable tragedy, going to extraordinary lengths to prove their daughter wasn't a runaway. Criminal court reporter Megan Norris provides another side of the picture; the analysis, the astonishment of professionals when faced with the killer's weird and unsettling letters, and the police proceedings that led, eventually, to the Rachel Barber case being solved.

Confronting and compelling, this is an incredible story about a callous and calculated crime.

First read by myself little over three years ago at the tender age of sixteen, Perfect Victim remains one of the most compelling works I have come across. The novel is essentially centred on Elizabeth Southall's intense and emotional tribute to her 15-year-old daughter, Rachel Elizabeth Barber, murdered by a troubled young woman driven to the unthinkable by obsession. Interspersed with Southall's story is an account of the case from the point of view of journalist Megan Norris, providing a detailed analysis of the motive and means while offering what little insight can be found into Rachel's 20-year-old killer.

Through the agony and ecstasy of Elizabeth's later entries emerges a truly beautiful tribute to her daughter's life, one that remains with you long after the pages close. It can remain difficult to twist yourself away from the ugliness of Rachel's early demise, yet, like Elizabeth, towards the novel's close you are simply inspired by the energy of Rachel's life. With the contribution of Norris' perceptive examination of the Barber case, Perfect Victim shines as a profound insight into love, death and beyond.

Feel free to discuss your own reflections on this exceptional book with me at bijou_bleu{at}hotmail.com.

I was drawn to a copy of Perfect Victim, thanks to the hypnotic, engaging and exquisitely beautiful eyes of Rachel Barber. The fifteen year old girl from Melbourne portrayed in this touching book. I got a copy for my Mum for Mother's Day 2002, since she loves true stories. I also felt I'd enjoy reading it and I really did. This book has touched me like no other real life account from a mother's perspective ever has. The events happen here in locations I know so for me it does have a chilling aspect to it I could relate to. I don't read many real life stories since they can have a profound effect on me. From the very first line it had me in a state of shock, and always incredibly moved. We never get to really know Rachel because from the start she has already vanished. So a sense of dread already comes over me. It's only through reading from chapter to chapter do the events of her disappearance take shape, and her final hours are reconstructed in a fascinating series of events, I couldn't even see coming. Yet it is a very gratifying resolution to Rachel's disappearance, and one I really enjoyed reading. Both sides of the story are addressed, not only from the mother of Rachel, but the killers story making this better then most other books around.

I think this would make an effective movie one day. I can see myself directing it but then maybe I'm a little too close to the subject matter. I might not also have much experience in this field but I guess it's all relative. I don't know anyone in this book but I wish I did. Rachel's eyes are a big part of the attraction to her I think. Nothing pychotic intended, just pure interest and a deep love to remember her affectionately. I think Ron Howard would do a wonderful film if offered it even though it may never be on the market for filming. To me, Ron did such effective films for 'Ransom' and 'The Missing'. Even though he doesn't like to do kidnapping stories I still think he does them extreamly well.

If I had to choose characters for a film I'd probably choose Amanda Seyfried as Rachel. Mika Boorem as Heather. Amber Tamblyn as Ashleigh-Rose. Hilarie Burton as Caroline. Pattie Tierce as Elizabeth the mother. Matt McCoy as the father Mike.

In 2002, the year this was first published, I discovered Rachel would have been eighteen. Now in 2005, if she had lived, and I believe she and others who have passed into heaven have never really gone, would have been twenty-one this year in September, and that is a very special event for most people. So for anyone who has lost someone close to them, you'd always want to remember. That's how I feel.

I really couldn't say a word wrong with this book, even though someone is sure to find faults. I'm sure I'll also hold a special place in my heart for this precious little girl, so please be respectful to my review and the subject matter. I'm so thrilled it has been recounted for people to read. I have also passed where Rachel used to dance and while I've never been to a funeral or visited her grave there would be time for that one day I'm sure. May we all look out for each other those past and present.

I'm more then happy to speak with anyone who has read this book and feels as touched as I continually am about everything it contains. A book I'm very proud of, and couldn't imagine it not being in my vast book collection. This is one of my favorite books and will always be special to me. I will always love this book.

Some of the mysteries you could solve but others were challenging and unsolvable. I liked it.

Comtemplating the perfect murder? At least buy this book to see how hard it is to pull it off. Solving these "almost-perfect-murders" is definitely not a spectator sport. Solve all the cases using the minimum number of clues and you can consider yourself an accomplished sleuth!! A team effort often helps to crack the cases, it's also more fun. Consider enlisting the help of a friend or significant other. Note that some of the stories may eventually be appear at The Case website.

I am the third of four brothers, was born in New Jersey, 1933, the year of the Archbishop's murder. In my childhood years I remember this atrocity being mentioned, but remember no facts. An older brother born in 1931 has vivid memories of discussions of this event in following years as does Dr Housepian's son, who was baptized at the church and whose father was called to see if the Archbishop could be saved.

The book explains how the Murder was the initial dividing point of the Armenian Church. Presently the mother church's headquarters' are in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. The other division of the church is headquartered in Antilias, Lebanon. The churches are known as a Diocese Church or a Prelacy Church. Recent years have brought cooperation of the clergy of the churches while both keep their separate leadership and identities.

What was of great interest to me, born and raised in the United States, was the author's revelation that the actual murderer was an imported "hit" man from Chicago, a non-Armenian. The time was prohibition and murder amongst gangsters was common. However, the group that surrounded the Archbishop came from a larger group that had hired the "hit" man. Members of the group filtered into the Church, impeded the Archbishop's walk down the isle to the alter, and allowed the "hit" man to knife to death the Archbishop. Those who impeded the Archbishop were a selected cadre of then anti establishment Armenians.

This cadre had a strong irrational view as to the correct allegiance for all Armenians after the 1915 Genocide of over one and a half million Armenians by the then government officials of Turkey. One of these officials was tried and convicted in a world court. An individual murdered a second official as an act of retribution for his perpetration of the Genocide. A German Court absolved his act of the official's murder in Germany.

The Murder of the Archbishop in his Armenian Church is a sad memory and an irremovable stain on the entire Armenian community.

Murder at the Altar

This is a fascinating books on three counts:

1) It tells the little-known but important story of the murder of a church leader in New York in the thirties, a crime that strikes right at the heart of the coming Cold War, and a crime that is as current as tomorrow because it foreshadows today's international battles fueled by church versus state issues.

2) Murder at the Altar is an extraordinary adventure story.

3) The book reminds us how difficult it is for human beings to leave our barbaric past as we search for solutions to religious and political differences.

In the interest of transparency I am pleased to note that Phillips and I are colleagues; as journalists we've both reported from some of the saddest and sorriest datelines in the world. Those experiences fuel Phillips's storytelling in Murder at the Altar and help bring the crime and the trial to page-turning life. As he researched this fine historical novel, Phillips came upon unpublished and previously unknown photographs of the events and characters involved in the crime. These he's cleverly spotted throughout the text, adding a illustrative reality to the novel that neatly enhances its be-here-now tone.

For those concerned about Armenia, the Armenian diaspora, and the legacy of the Soviet era on Armenian affairs, this book is, of course, a must read. Nothing else is available that so completely explains the tragedies surrounding the murder of Archbishop Tourian, and how they continue to infect the survivors. But the book is no less valuable for those seeking an understanding of how good men can do bad things, or those just seeking a damn good story.