The George Eliot Murders [Mass Market Paperback]

Edith Skom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 1996

When Professor Beth Austin tires of the harsh, Chicago winter, she escapes to the sun and fun of the Royal Aloha hotel in Hawaii. This top-rates resort hotel with its gardens, its Asian art collection, its magnificent beach, and its dedicated, repeat clientele proves irresistible to Beth who has two glorious weeks of freedom between semesters. Hawaii will be the perfect place to prepare for her upcoming seminar on George Eliot's Middlemarch. But shortly after her arrival, Beth is confronted with the specter of murder and before she knows it, she and some new friends are neck deep in danger, and the closer they get to the killer, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Straight-arrow English professor Beth Austin, who debuted in The Mark Twain Murders (nominated for an Anthony, an Agatha and a Macavity), takes a midwinter break from Midwestern University at Hawaii's Royal Aloha Hotel, armed with a copy of Middlemarch and a decent backhand. On her first night, she overhears the phone conversation of an award-winning fashion designer who later falls to her death. When another body is found, Beth suspects someone in her tennis group may be the killer and enlists the help of two fellow vacationers, a bestselling author and a semiretired attorney. When their collective brain power falters, Middlemarch comes to the rescue with just the right passage every time. High-spirited, literate fun and a pleasure to read.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?Introduced in Skom's The Mark Twain Murders (Dell, 1990), Beth Austin, a witty English professor with a penchant for relating contemporary people and motives to those presented in classic novels, continues to solve murders. The locale this time is a swanky Hawaiian resort. Beth's new friends at the hotel include two able sleuthing assistants?and a murderer. The opening chapters grab readers, and the climax is suspenseful. The story moves quickly, since most of it is advanced through dialogue. Teens will appreciate Beth's sense of humor, the short chapters, and the large amount of white space per page. References to Middlemarch are adequately explained. Give this mystery to procrastinating students who must read a novel over the weekend.?Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Dell (April 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044021775X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440217756
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,826,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, April 3, 2000

By 

Tasha B. (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The George Eliot Murders (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a vast improvement over Skom's first novel, THE MARK TWAIN MURDERS, which was a predictable and formulated mystery. THE GEORGE ELLIOT MURDERS is not only better-written, but the characters, although "stock" in more than some cases, are better portrayed. However, the biggest improvement is the relationship between the heroine and her love interest - it's more believable and interesting.

I have to admit that I am not connoisseur of mystery novels, by any means, but I read this book at the urging of my mother (she's one of those people who have the mystery sections of every bookstore within a one-hundred mile radius memorized) and loved it. This is a good read that can stand on its own outside the genre, and I would definitely recommend this book.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rebuddle to the other mislead reviews, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The George Eliot Murders (Mass Market Paperback)

If I could five this more than five stars I would! The characters as usual were interesting and the ending was the perfect surprise. A wonderful mystery that also highlights a great work of literature, Middlemarch by George Eliot. Two great authors in one!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I really, really, didn't like it., January 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The George Eliot Murders (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought a long time before writing this review. Writers, like the rest of us, have to make a living. However, I feel I must speak out. This is not a "Literary Whodunit" but rather what seems to be a thinly disguised ploy on the part of the author to deduct her vacation at the Mauna Kea Hotel. That the heroine happens to be reading a copy of Middlemarch is completely irrelevant to the plot. The book is poorly plotted with almost instantly forgettable characters with dumb names. There is a highly improbable love affair to spice up things.Who did it? Who cares? If I could give it less than 1 star I would!