Murder Crossed Her Mind by Stephen Spotswood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This read (listen) came about because of a 2 for 1 sale on Audible.com. I have to say I am quite pleased to have discovered it.
I love Nero Wolfe and Sherlock Holmes and have listened or read many takes on each collection. Archie was always more interesting than Wolfe and Watson caused some humor but made Holmes more accessible.
Both Pentecost and Parker are interesting people in their own right but bring them together and there is something a bit arcane about their relationship. Each woman is very individual and interesting and not a cookie cutter cut out of some other literary character.
The time frame is also interesting and unusual. Later than either Wolfe or Holmes and in New York City, no less, the reader is treated to a post-war environment that is not cozy or mundane. Can I just say I love the idea of the brownstone?
My entry into the series was book 4 and as such a lot of the foundation has already been put into place. Juggling several cases (mysteries) at once makes the reader engage or just keep pace, there is no mid way if only to keep up with the various mysteries.
Speaking of the mysteries, wow! When each starts out I found myself thinking that I ‘knew’ what was coming but as each evolved it became clear that the author was in control and what IO ‘thought I knew’ was not what was actually going on. I love it when the author does that!
The cliffhanger ending was a both expected and surprising. And I can’t wait to find out what comes next!
I know I will be going back to Book 1 to learn more about Pentecost and Parker. I also know that I will have to pace myself as the author takes no prisoners and I suspect each book will be intense and wild.
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From The Reading Table: Murder Crossed Her Mind
