Customer Reviews

Grave Designs (Rachel Gold Mystery)

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As a longtime lover of legal procedure-detective stories, expecially with lawyers as heroines, it has amazed me that Michael Kahn's Rachel Gold novels have not enjoyed more general support. They are well written, loaded with authentic material and have truly puzzling mysteries to unravel. Throw in an irresistible, spunky main character and it's quite a nice package (as is Rachel Gold). While the fifth and so far final novel, Sheer Gall, is Kahn's best, Grave Designs is the start of it all. And a fine start it is. A complex story with a plot that reaches back to Colonial New England and a brainy heroine struggling with her own emotions and a nefarious criminal organization are the basis of the absorbing story. Plus there is one light touch that I just love. Rachel greets an old law-school friend with a flip "You mean you made bail on the morals charge?" and he replies "The sheep would never testify against me!" Ah, insouciance. Ah, breezy dialogue.

The Rachel Gold series has gone digital. And the entire series is available on Kindle for only $5 each!

This is the debut novel about a female lawyer in Chicago. The mystery in the first half was pleasantly puzzling. The second half of the book required more than the usual suspension of disbelief, and the climax was all too predictable. But the heroine is very likeable, and the author's characterizations and dialogue in general were enjoyable.

Although the Chicago setting was well defined, it didn't really make as strong an impact as some authors manage regionally, in say NYC or LA. However, you do feel you had an insider's view of a big city law firm. Given that this was written in the profligate 1980's, I couldn't help but wonder if the atmosphere would be the same in this era.

I had a good time and am looking forward to the second in the series, Death Benefits.