Fatal Deduction (Paperback)

~ Gayle Roper (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this charming romantic suspense novel, Libby Keating finds herself temporarily sharing a beautiful but tiny historic home in Philadelphia with her estranged identical twin. Less than 24 hours after her arrival, Libby trips over a dead body on the front stoop, and a series of hijinks and adventures ensues. As the murder mystery unfolds—with the aid of crossword puzzles the reader is encouraged to complete—so does Libby's backstory, which includes a series of traumatic events that ruined her adolescence. A committed Christian and devoted single mother, Libby is always trying to do the right thing, but is surrounded by people who sabotage her. However, good Christian friends—including her new neighbor, the handsome Drew Canfield—support her as she finds a way to love her enemies while standing up to them. Roper's dialogue and character development are spot-on, which is no small feat, considering that Libby's world is peopled by everyone from elderly patricians to two-bit gangsters. What's more, her treatment of non-Christian characters is refreshingly nonjudgmental; she even goes so far as to portray a gay couple in an entirely positive light. Though two highly implausible plot twists come out of nowhere, this novel is a pleasure from start to finish. (May)
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Review

“Six-letter word for author Gayle Roper: adroit
Nine-letter word for the plot: intricate
Six-letter word for the heroine: plucky
Ten-letter word for the villain: determined
Eight-letter word for Fatal Deduction: riveting
Advice to the reader: Go get it!”
- Donita K. Paul, author of the best-selling DragonKeeper series

“In Fatal Deduction, Gayle Roper has expanded on her trademark style of honest characterization and intriguing plot twists. She creates characters with real human flaws and shows those characters learning to forgive, giving me hope that this might even happen outside the pages of a novel. An excellent read that I could not put down.”
- Hannah Alexander, author of Double Blind and Hideaway Home

“A two-word phrase to describe Gayle Roper's latest book? Page-turning! Fatal Deduction had me from the opening line, to the clue-dropping crossword puzzles, straight through to the inspiring and breathtaking end.”
 - Tamara Leigh, author of Splitting Harriet and Faking Grace

“I’ve been a Gayle Roper fan for many years and this is her finest book. I was handcuffed to the characters, chained to the suspense and intrigue, and imprisoned in the plot.”  
 - DiAnn Mills, author of When the Nile Runs Red and Awaken My Heart
“Gayle Roper unravels a mystery, filled with twists and surprises, in a Philly neighborhood populated by quirky, delightful characters. Libby’s spiritual journey is evidence that God can redeem the past, keep regret from consuming us, and teach us to love difficult people. A charming Ben Franklin historian, crossword puzzles, and a peek into the world of antique dealing add elements of fun to this unique mystery.”
- Sharon Dunn, author of the Bargain Hunters Mysteries

“Fatal Deduction is a poignant and madcap ride, Gayle Roper style. This romantic mystery is a captivating combination of an intricate plot and well-rounded characters facing extreme family issues. Roper crafts the multiple relationship layers with compassionate insight, even for characters you’d like to slap. And she never loses sight of the burning question: Who left the body and the crossword puzzle on the doorstep and why?”
- Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of the To Catch a Thief series

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601420137
• ISBN-13: 978-1601420138
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #727,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery, July 11, 2008

By	Barbara Warren - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book in one afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Libby Burton and her twin sister, Tori, don't have much in common. Libby has always thought of Tori as vivid, and of herself as bland. Most of the time they don't even like each other. Then their great-aunt Stella dies, and has left the sisters her Colonial row house in Philadelphia, with instructions that they have to live there--together-- in the same house-- for six months. Talk about having to earn your inheritance. The action really heats up when Libby stumbles over a dead body on the front stoop with a crossword puzzle addressed to Tori on his chest. Things go from bad to worse when Tori resorts to her usual game of competition, trying to win over Chloe, Libby's thirteen-year old daughter. Tori denies she knows anything about the murder, but more crossword puzzles arrive, and Drew Canfield, their handsome neighor complicates matters by being underfoot all the time. A fascinating mystery with a cast of characters I'd like living next to me. Well, all except Tori. A little of her would go a long way. Clever and well-written with an ending that will leave the reader smiling.

4.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Puzzles, December 7, 2009

By	Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

Stories about sisters never seem to grow old especially with twins sisters who the polar opposite with each other. This book features that storyline but with an added twist of a corpse! It's not all happy times for twins Libby and Tori as they are forced to live in the same house in order to receive their inheritance. The two are as different as night and day and the distance throughout the years has made the gap between them almost uncrossable. I felt sorry for Libby throughout the entire book and the way her entire family treated her. I honestly wanted to smack her mother, grandmother and even her sister at times for being so mean to her. The way she took things in stride really amazed me. I was glad that her own daughter did not feel the same way as the rest of her family.

I was a bit worried at first that Libby and Drew's relationship would go in the way of the stereotypical Christian story that involves a divorce but was gladly mistaken. In fact Drew's whole relationship with his ex wife was really fairly refreshing. I'm glad that she was portrayed the way she was and that the whole situation was even discussed. Being bi-polar is something that is not mentioned very much in Christian fiction so how it was presented in this book was realistic and a good way for readers to be aware and knowledgeable of the subject.

There were two qualms I had with the book. The first was the use of the crossword puzzles themselves. The full unanswered puzzles are displayed in the book as how Libby might have seen them. Maybe I'm just weird or lazy, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to do the puzzle myself to figure out the clues. As it was, I skipped over them and just kept reading to see if anyone else figured them out. I'm not sure really what the purpose was of having them there. It's a unique concept but I was confused if it was supposed to be more interactive for the reader or just artistic design. The other qualm I had was Tori's character. This is mainly due to the fact that I felt her story is never fully resolved or really developed. The ending with her left me quite unsatisfied and unless there's another book involving her, I felt her character to be incomplete.

Other than this, I enjoyed the story. It has a good mystery and for fans of crossword puzzles, it is a unique way to bring about the clues. I've always been a fan of Gayle's other books so it was a delight to see her return to the mystery genre. Hopefully there will be more of these kinds of books in the future.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has it all --, June 14, 2009

By	Someone's Mom (Chesapeake, VA) - See all my reviews

Plot twists galore, a wonderful historic setting in Philadelphia, family dramas including a pair of twin sisters who are different as they can be, a difficult-ex-wife and extended family issues and most of all, a God of second chances who truly does make all things new. What I loved most about this book was the way the Christian message was woven so neatly into the text, didn't feel like an afterthought, and never felt jarring and forced. And the mystery kept you guessing from the first moments when Tori finds a dead body on her doorstep all the way through to the last second. I can't wait to read more mysteries by Gayle Roper.