Category Archives: Time of Death

December 11, 2016 · 11:57 pm

Review: Time of Death by Lucy Kerr

Title: Time of Death by Lucy Kerr
Stillwater General Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

It’s been twelve years since ER nurse Frankie Stapleton fled the quiet banks of Stillwater, but with her sister’s pregnancy taking a dangerous turn and a string of failed relationships in Chicago hanging over her, Frankie is back–and hoping to put the past behind her. Within minutes of arriving at Stillwater General Hospital however, she ends up saving a man’s life, only to have him turn up dead hours later – and the hospital blames Frankie.

Her instincts say Clem Jensen didn’t die of natural causes, but the more she digs, the more she discovers too many suspects, a few surprising allies, and some hard truths about the first man she ever loved–and left. Now the boy she once knew is a skeptical sheriff’s deputy, her family’s hardware store is in jeopardy, and the rift between Frankie and her loved ones is deeper than ever.

With her career–and future–on life support, Frankie must catch a killer, clear her name, and heal the wounds of the past in Lucy Kerr’s enthralling mystery debut, Time of Death.

Review:

Time of Death by Lucy Kerr is a perplexing mystery with a refreshing and unexpected setting and a multi-layered protagonist.  This first installment in the Stillwater General Mystery series is a fast-paced and engrossing novel that fans of the genre do not want to miss!

Emergency room nurse Frankie Stapleton’s return to her small hometown is already fraught with tension as she deals with her complicated relationship with her family.  The last thing she needs after her sister, Charlie, delivers her baby six weeks early is a threat to her career.  However, after heart attack victim, Clem Jensen, dies, the man’s estranged son-in-law Jimmy Madigan threatens to sue the hospital.  In an effort to deflect attention away from the hospital, slimy hospital vice president Walter Strack is determined to ensure Frankie takes the blame for his death.  Certain Clem’s death was murder, Frankie starts poking around into his life to try to figure out who would want to kill the devoted grandfather and well-liked handyman.

Frankie’s relationship with her mom and Charlie has been strained since she chose to move away twelve years earlier instead of remaining in town to work in the family owned hardware store. She loves the diversity of working in the ER and in her downtime, she enjoys traveling.  Despite the slight estrangement with her family, Frankie does not hesitate to return to help out while Charlie is in the hospital.  However, her interactions with her sister and mother are quite tense and quickly deteriorate into bitter exchanges over her decision to pursue her career in nursing instead of working in the hardware store.

Frankie’s investigation into Clem’s death is another source of friction with her family and her former fiancé, Noah McLean, who is now a sheriff’s deputy.  With little evidence to back up her theory that Clem was murdered, she has no choice but to try to find  proof his death was not from natural causes.  She finds very troubling information about the current medications he was taking but she is stonewalled by Strack every time she tries to convince him Clem’s death was the result of foul play.  Frankie makes progress  in gaining help from McLean but when the person she is convinced killed Clem is murdered, suspicion falls on her.  Frankie then completely loses Noah’s  support after her wild accusations are disproven so she becomes more determined than ever to unmask the killer.

An absolutely phenomenal beginning to the Stillwater General Mystery series, Time of Death is a well-written and riveting debut by Lucy Kerr.  Frankie is a fascinating and well-developed heroine who is finally forced to take a hard look at the choices she has made over the years.  The mystery surrounding Clem’s death is quite interesting and although it takes time to make sense of the incongruous clues, Frankie tenaciously follows every lead she unearths.  Will Frankie uncover the truth about the murders before it is too late?  Or will she fall victim to a murderer who is willing to kill anyone who gets in their way?

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Filed under Contest, Lucy Kerr, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Stillwater General Mysery Series, Time of Death

May 31, 2015 · 11:07 pm

Review: Time of Death by Mark Billingham

time deathTitle: Time of Death by Mark Billingham
Tom Thorne Series Book 13
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 448 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The astonishing thirteenth Tom Thorne novel is a story of kidnapping, the tabloid press, and a frightening case of mistaken identity.

Tom Thorne is on holiday with his girlfriend DS Helen Weeks, when two girls are abducted in Helen’s home town. When a body is discovered and a man is arrested, Helen recognizes the suspect’s wife as an old school-friend and returns home for the first time in twenty-five years to lend her support. As his partner faces up to a past she has tried desperately to forget and a media storm engulfs the town, Thorne becomes convinced that, despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the police have got the wrong man. There is still an extremely clever and killer on the loose and a missing girl who Thorne believes might still be alive.

Review:

Time of Death by Mark Billingham is another brilliant installment in the Tom Thorne series. It is another well-written novel with a clever mystery to solve but it is the intrigue surrounding Tom’s girlfriend Helen Weeks that makes it such a riveting read.

In this latest outing, Tom and Helen are on holiday when she learns the husband of one of her childhood friends is a suspect in the kidnapping of two teenage girls. Helen insists they cut their vacation short so she can support her friend and Tom tags along to keep her company. Of course, he cannot resist poking around the investigation and although his input is not appreciated by the DI in charge of the case, Tom continues to pursue the leads he uncovers. He is also growing increasingly concerned for Helen since she has been out of sorts since their arrival in town but she remains tight-lipped about why she is so upset.

Helen abruptly left her hometown twenty years earlier and never returned. But when Stephen Bates, the husband of her old friend Linda, is arrested for the kidnapping of Jessica Toms and is a strong suspect in the disappearance of Poppy Johnston, Helen is compelled to lend her support. Their relationship is a bit strained but this could be due to the circumstances of their reunion. However, as the story progresses, it becomes obvious that something from their childhood is responsible for the increasing tension between them.

While Helen is busy with Linda, Tom continues his off the books investigation into the girls’ disappearances. When Jessica’s remains are discovered, Tom becomes convinced that Stephen has nothing to do with the crimes despite the overwhelming physical evidence against him. Tom’s close friend, medical examiner Phil Hendricks joins his investigation and the two men begin to piece together a viable scenario for how the killer is manipulating the evidence to frame Stephen for the crimes. Once their suspicions are confirmed, it is just a matter of time before Tom uncovers the identity of the real killer, but will he be able catch him before it is too late?

Time of Death is an absolutely outstanding addition to the Tom Thorne series. The mystery is fast paced and nearly impossible to solve. Although it is easy to narrow down the suspect list, red herrings and misdirects effectively mask the perpetrator’s identity for much of the story. Mark Billingham keeps the series fresh by taking Helen and Tom out of their element but it is the addition to Helen’s story arc that really makes Time of Death stand out from the previous novels.   Her revelations are heartbreaking and learning the truth about her past gives her character added depth. It will be interesting to see what comes next for Helen and Tom in both their personal and professional lives and as always, I am eagerly awaiting the next release in the series.

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Filed under Atlantic Monthly Press, Contemporary, Mark Billingham, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Time of Death, Tom Thorne Series