The April Fools' Day Murder and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Kindle Edition
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The April Fools' Day Murder
  
Start reading The April Fools' Day Murder on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The April Fools' Day Murder [Hardcover]

Lee Harris (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover --  
Paperback --  
Mass Market Paperback $6.50  

Book Description

December 2001
A SECOND CHANCE TO DIE

For his favorite charity, the high school drama club, Willard Platt fakes his own murder as an April Fool stunt. But the repeat performance later that day is the real thing. And some, including the next-door neighbor, say he deserved it.

Investigator (and ex-nun) Christine Bennett is haunted by the sad state of Willard's survivors. His widow roams the road at night. His son has a troubled marriage and bizarre secret life. Behind this suburban family's respectable facade, violent passions are seething. For this is not the first tragedy to strike them. Nor will it be the last. . . .
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.


Editorial Reviews

Review

"AN EXCELLENT SERIES."
--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

A SECOND CHANCE TO DIE

For his favorite charity, the high school drama club, Willard Platt fakes his own murder as an April Fool stunt. But the repeat performance later that day is the real thing. And some, including the next-door neighbor, say he deserved it.

Investigator (and ex-nun) Christine Bennett is haunted by the sad state of Willard's survivors. His widow roams the road at night. His son has a troubled marriage and bizarre secret life. Behind this suburban family's respectable facade, violent passions are seething. For this is not the first tragedy to strike them. Nor will it be the last. . . .
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 341 pages
  • Publisher: Thorndike Pr (December 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0786237147
  • ISBN-13: 978-0786237142
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,441,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER INCREDIBLY AWESOME CHRISTINE BENNETT NOVEL!, February 27, 2001
Guess what everyone, Lee Harris is back with one of her best holiday murder mystery novels. "The April Fools Day Murder" was on my "Can't Wait To Read" list for six months, so I was very excited to get my hands on it. I belive it was probably her best one. Christine Bennett and her husband, Jack, are back along with Sister Joseph, to try and solve the murder of Willard Platt, an old grumpy man, who was credited for donating a lot of money to the local high school's drama department. Willard was found stabbed to death at his house by his own cane. Christine Bennett is greatly disturbed by this because she just saw this older man in the supermarket earlier that day and spoke with him. Christine starts to investigate. There are many suspects including, the local high school students who came over for an april fool's day hunt, Platt's mysterious son, Roger, and wife, Winnie, who claims she is deaf in one ear and the local nursery owner who wanted a piece of Platt's land. Christine is having a hard time determining who the killer is, so she returns to St. Stephens covenant and speaks with Sister Joseph for more insight. Can Christine Bennett determine who the killer is before she gets herself killed? This is an excellent novel of mystery and suspense that can easily be devoured in one sitting.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A good puzzler, February 15, 2001
Christine Bennett meets Willard Platt when her three-year-old son Eddie hits him with a shopping cart. Christine learns that Willard has filed many pesky lawsuits. Christine relates the incident to her spouse, New York City Detective Sergeant Jack Brooks, who also says that Willard is a disagreeable individual.

On April Fool's Day, a driving Christine sees a man lying on the ground. She finds Willard dead with a knife in his back, but that proves false because he is working with the high school drama club. However, later that same day someone kills Willard. That night, a driving Christine sees a woman walking on a lonely street. It turns out to be Willard's widow trekking a mile and a half to her son's house. Perhaps it is a vestige of her fifteen years in a monastery, many as a nun, but the Good Samaritan Christine takes the woman to her son's home. There, Christine witnesses the ultimate dysfunctional family, which raises Christine's curiosity and her concern for Willard's wife. She begins to investigate what happened to Willard.

Lee Harris' holiday murders are always a time to celebrate because they are typically among the year's best cozies. The latest tale, THE APRIL FOOLS' MURDER, is the usual well-written suburban mystery that hooks readers from start to finish as a seemingly innocent lamb of a plot turns into a roaring story line cozy-style. In her thirteenth appearance, Christine retains her freshness due to her caring nature and curiosity. Fans of the series will relish the newest entry while newcomers will know that the kudos bestowed on the Bennett novels are not April Fool's Day jokes.

Harriet Klausner

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars This series has lost its steam, March 29, 2001
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I found it very difficult to get through this book. What began as a refreshing series about a former nun adapting to the secular world and unwittingly becoming caught up in murder investigations, has become boring, predictable, and unbelievable. In this book, I found that I didn't care who killed the victim or why. Chris takes it upon herself to investigate, which I found extremely far-fetched. How many wives and mothers have time to involve themselves in a murder case? There was no need for her to get involved here, and I found myself rooting for the people she interviewed. What makes her think she has any right to question people? She doesn't work for the police.This just doesn't ring true. The reader can't identify with these actions. In addition, the story reads almost like a journal in that all the minutiae of Chris' life are captured: her son takes a nap; he wakes up; he has a snack, etc. Who cares? Chris rarely shows any emotion, and her character even seems bored. For this series to continue, Chris needs to become more three-dimensional, and her involvement needs to be scaled back unless she finally decides to become a cop.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews



Only search this product's reviews



What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:








i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...