Murder at Markham [Hardcover]

Patricia Houck Sprinkle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1988

When bad girl Melanie Forbes is found murdered in Chicago's elite school of diplomacy, the Markham Institute, administrative assistant Sheila Travis uses her years of diplomatic experience and her nose for crime to investigate. Reprint. PW.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia Houck Sprinkle studied English at Vassar College, spent a winter writing in the Scottish Highlands, and then moved to Atlanta to begin her writing career. She lives in Atlanta.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 218 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1 edition (October 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312022573
• ISBN-13: 978-0312022570
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very pleasant read!, July 24, 2002

By 

"colcl" (Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at Markham (Silver Dagger Mysteries) (Paperback)

Hooray for Silver Dagger Press which is reissuing the Sheila Travis mysteries. In this first of the series originaly published in 1988, Travis, a recent 40ish widow, comes to Chicago and the pretigious Markham Graduate School that trains future diplomats. Sheila is well qualified for her job as assistant to the president of Markham because her husband was in the diplomatic service in Japan and she served as his excellent hostess over their married years.
At Markham she is quickly tossed into a murder investigation when the body of a young woman is found in the library stacks at the institute. Suspects include not only the staff but visiting professors and an interesting group of grad students from very different backgrounds.
Sheila vows to keep clear of the investigation but her redoubtable Aunt Mary, a VERY Southern dowager and truly
delightful person, keeps urging her to dig in, despite the fact that Mike Flannagan of the Chicago Police, with an eye for Sheila, keeps reminding her to butt out. Another murder soon occurs for which Sheila feels some responsibility and her investigative skills soon are at full force.
In the end, Sheila gathers the suspects together in a large room (a throwback to the traditional mysteries of the 30's and 40's) and comes up with the solution.
Anyone who enjoys traditional mysteries with a very likable heroine will love the Shelia Travis series. Numer two, MURDER IN THE CHARLESTON MANNER is due for reissue in January.

3.0 out of 5 stars Sheila Travis in Chicago, December 27, 2009

By 

S. Collier - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Murder At Markham (Paperback)

I recently discovered Patricia Sprinkle and have read many of her books, including the entire Sheila Travis series. Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorites. While Sprinkle's plot lines were impeccable, and it did make for a great mystery, the description of the setting - Chicago - was not as vivid as her descriptions of Atlanta and Charleston, where other books are set. Clearly, Sprinkle is more comfortable and familiar with those settings. This is still a great read, especially if you have read other Sheila Travis titles.