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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderfully entertaining mystery, February 8, 2008
This review is from: Dead Hunt (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 5) (Paperback)
The term `black widow' is sometimes used to describe a woman who has killed one or more of her husbands, usually for profit. Black widow fits Clymene O'Riley. She murdered her latest husband in the most ingenious way, and would have gotten away with it had it not been for Diane Fallon. Diane, head of the Rosewood, Georgia crime lab, forensic anthropologist, and director of the local natural history museum, found the tiny piece of evidence that convicted Clymene and sent her to prison for life. Unfortunately the brilliant Clymene doesn't intend to accept the role of lifetime inmate. She possesses a unique ability to manipulate people and an amazingly sharp intellect. She has a plan to regain her freedom and extract some revenge along the way.
Clymene isn't Diane's only current problem. An anonymous source has informed the local newspapers that her museum has knowingly purchased stolen artifacts. The rumors spread like fire and when the smoke clears, the reputation of the museum and its employees are likely to be in ruins.
Meanwhile, the board of directors engages in a political power struggle and seems willing to sacrifice Diane and her assistant to mitigate the artifact scandal. Finding the source and the motive for these rumors isn't going to be easy, but it will be vital if she hopes to save the museum and defend her reputation.
Deadly surprises wait behind every closed door. Fast paced, well thought out and wonderfully entertaining. Beverly Connor gives us another excellent mystery.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beverly Connor, remember that name!, February 14, 2008
This review is from: Dead Hunt (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 5) (Paperback)
It's amazing that every Beverly Connor book doesn't immediately rush to the top of the best seller lists. Her books are among the most readable and consistently interesting I've ever encountered. DEAD HUNT, the fifth in the Diane Fallon mystery series, is no exception.
This series is set in a natural history museum in a small town near Atlanta and is full of small town politics, gossip and a modern version of southern charm that is tempered by life in a major metropolitan area. The recurring characters are well developed and just quirky enough to avoid some of the common cliches seen in so many series. Ms. Connor has concocted a mix of police procedural, forensic magic, historical detail, romance and violence to appeal to nearly any taste. I guarantee that you will learn something new in each of her books; in some it's the inner workings of museums, in others it's forensic details that would make Kathy Reiches or Patricia Cornwell proud, in DEAD HUNT you'll find some fascinating details about DNA profiling and some pretty darn spiffy computer work. You'll also find one of the most interesting villains you're likely to encounter, one with a background that is somehow both totally outlandish and yet totally believable. There is a lot going on in DEAD HUNT including an escaped serial killer, suspicious goings on involving Egyptian antiquities, unexplained attacks and large amounts of money that can't be explained but Ms. Connor manages to keep all the balls in the air at all times and neatly fields them all at the end of her act.
DEAD HUNT is one of the strongest entries in this series and is just different enough from it's predecessors to keep things interesting while staying true to the established characters and settings. This isn't one of those "well it's time for another book" series entries, it's original and very entertaining.
I strongly recommend all of Beverly Connor's works especially her sadly out of print Lindsey Chamberlain series (well worth scouring the used book stores for!). The only problem is that there just aren't enough of them!
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My First Beverly Connor Novel - It Won't Be My Last!, April 27, 2008
This review is from: Dead Hunt (Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation, No. 5) (Paperback)
Dead Hunt was my first experience with author Beverly Connor. I decided to give her a try in part because of some of the positive reviews of her books here, and I must say, I'm sold! Immediately upon finishing Dead Hunt, I went on line and ordered a copy of Dead Past, the book in the Diane Fallon series just prior to this one.
First of all, Dead Hunt is very well written and was a joy to read! Also, Diane Fallon isn't your typical heroine. She's a forensic anthropologist with a fascinating career, working both as Director of the Rosewood Crime Lab and Director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History (which owns and houses the lab). Her dual hats make for some interesting plot possibilities!
In this installment, Diane has received a letter from Clymene O'Riley, a woman in prison for murdering her husband - convicted on evidence found by Diane herself. The letter requests Diane's presence at the prison. While Diane has no intention of meeting with the woman she believes is a serial killer, Ross Kingsley, the FBI profiler connected to the case, requests that Diane comply with the request. At their meeting, Clymene tells Diane a strange but worrisome story involving a prison guard, something that Diane can't ignore.
In addition, Diane finds herself embroiled smack dab in the middle of a scandal involving the museum which places her in an exasperating and career-threatening situation that diverts her attention from the meeting with Clymene - that is, until she learns that Clymene has escaped from prison and crime scenes start to pile up, with Diane herself in danger.
Diane Fallon is surrounded by top-notch, loyal individuals, both in the crime lab and the museum, and they work together diligently and relentlessly to get to the bottom of everything that is going on. The science is fascinating, and the characters, both good and bad, interesting. I recommend this book highly, and fully intend to read more novels by Beverly Connor - especially the next Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation book!
Carol Ann Hopkins 4/27/2008
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