Customer Reviews

Leave a Message for Willie

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"Leave a Message for Willie" is the fifth novel in the Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller. Willie Whelan is a vendor, who is also a fence, at the Saltflats Flea Market. He hires McCone to check on a man wearing a yarmulke who has been hanging around Willie's stall. The man, Jerry Levin, claims he is working for a group that recovers stolen Torahs. Later that day Levin is found dead in Whelan's garage. Willie becomes the major suspect in this murder, and Sharon McCone must find the real killer. All the Sharon McCone mysteries are well-plotted, and the characters, especially McCone, make them a pleasure to read. "Leave a Message for Willie" is a very good novel.

Investigator Sharon McCone has been asked to do an assignment in which she'll work with Willie Whelan, a man who sells goods at flea markets. Willie is concerned because a man is stalking him and he wants Sharon to find out why. As she begins the investigation, the stalker is killed and Willie is the chief suspect. Sharon begins to uncover some strange occurrences in connection with the murdered man, and before it's all over her own life is put in jeopardy. This is a good mystery which Marcia Muller fans will want to read and it has some romance thrown in for good measure.

Sharon McCone has a difficult assignment. Why is a man in a suit and a yarmulke following Willie - flea market entrepanuer extradinaire? What unfolds is a short (152 pages) but tightly woven tale of torahs, player pianos, Vietnam PTSD, cabins in the Santa Cruz mountains and Sharon's ability to see the connections. It's a solid (not stellar) book in the series. As a native of the Bay Area, I enjoy her musings about the locale as much as the story and she goes some pretty interesting places in this episode. Also, Don the DJ from Games to Keep the Dark Away is back so we have a little romance for Sharon.

Probably the least enjoyable Muller book I've read so far. This shows her early difficulties with character development and plot excitement. Her more recent novels have a lot more to offer the picky mystery reader. (McCone's life gets a lot more exciting as she ages!!!!)

Mixing up the torah business with the Santa Cruz mountains and PTSD and the flea market just somehow didn't work for me. Usually I enjoy Muller's ramblings around Northern California; however, the wandering just didn't work for me here.

Also, wondering why so many reviewers on Amazon.com feel it necessary to do a plot summary and possibly spoil key plot developments? A review ought to be our opinions, right, not giving away most of the story before we even open the book!