5.0 out of 5 stars
More Murder and Mayhem, March 14, 2011
This review is from: Chalk Dust and Chalk Outlines: A Maria Hart Mystery (Paperback)
Author Chris Forman treats us to another pair of mysteries in his fourth book, Chalk Dust and Chalk Lines. As in Forman's previous books, his tenacious and sexy heroine, Maria Hart, is back again on the trail of pernicious perpetrators of murder and mayhem.
In Part 1, The Fatal Faculty Meeting, the coffee-guzzling Maria is on the job at Northeastern Fidelity, investigating a life insurance claim involving the suspicious death of the male half of a honeymooning couple on a cruise ship. As it turns out, the grieving widow seems to have a knack for acquiring husbands who soon meet their untimely deaths not long after the wedding ceremony.
At the same time, the multi-tasking Maria helps the Chicago police solve the mysterious murder of a guest speaker at her husband Dan's school. Dan Hart is the new social studies teacher at a local Catholic high school and, as we learned in previous books, something of a master grilling chef. (In fact, both Dan and Maria give us some delicious, real-life recipes you can try at home). When you read Chris Forman's bio, you begin to suspect he and Dan have a lot in common. Does that mean Maria is perhaps based on Chris's wife Teresa? Maybe someday I'll sit down with Chris and, while sharing a cold beer and a thick, juicy burger, see if I can follow Maria Hart's lead and utilize my former investigative skills to root out the truth.
Besides the thrilling, twist-turning action of the murder investigations, we see another, more personal side of the Hart family. Maria reveals her jealous side when she realizes other women are showing more than a professional interest in her charismatic yet oblivious husband. Also, the reader becomes concerned for Ms. Hart when she receives some bad news from her doctor regarding her medical health
And could it be? Has the impossible happened? Would the top brass at Northeastern Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company actually be so obtuse as to fire their number one investigator, Maria Hart? No spoiler alert needed here, you'll have to discover the outcome of these teasers for yourself.
Part 2, The CEO is DOA, is the shorter of the two stories, perfect for a quiet evening of suspenseful mystery and intrigue. Maria is again called into service as she heads to New York to help determine the true motive behind the death of her company's Chief Executive Officer. The author has Maria following one lead after another in dogged pursuit of the truth, culminating with a dramatic showdown as she literally takes the stage and reveals the villains in front of a large audience. It's a nail-biter to very end, riveting you to your seat for hours until you reach the shocking, unexpected conclusion. You won't be disappointed.
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