Murder in Metropolis [Hardcover]

Lonnie Cruse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

The first in the popular Metropolis Mystery Series finds Sheriff Joe Dalton investigating the the murder of his best friend. But how did the body wind up on the arm of the famous fifteen foot tall Superman statue in downtown Metropolis, Illinois?

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Quiet Storm Books (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972881956
• ISBN-13: 978-0972881951
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,510,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lonnie Cruse is the author of the Metropolis Murder Mystery Series, the '57 Chevy Mystery Series, and she writes non-fiction self-help books for women. Cruse lives in Metropolis, Illinois, home of the famous Superman statue. Check out her website at: www.lonniecruse.com for more information and pictures of the statue!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!, February 15, 2004

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Murder in Metropolis (Hardcover)

Sheriff Joe Dalton has a problem, namely finding the murderer of his best friend Jack Hatfield, whose decapitated body was hung neatly over the landmark Superman statue in front of the courthouse.
Things like this don't happen in his town and certainly not to one of his old schoolmates. This case was personal and if it took him his entire life he would find out who did it; the quest beings.

I have read a lot of murder mysteries, some have been grisly, some have kept me sitting on the edge of my seat, some have bored me to tears, but this one was different.
The author weaves the storyline around in a way that you very quickly feel you are a member of Sheriff Dalton's town. He does this by bringing in personal aspects of different town members lives, their hopes, dreams, fears and shortcomings. They no longer are just story characters in your minds eye, but through the author's words they are alive. The murder victim Jack, his sister and brother, the Mayor and even Dalton's wife become your neighbors and friends and you find yourself just as determined as the Sheriff is to find the culprit of this crime.
The only problem is that it is your very friends and neighbors who become the prime suspects as two more bodies turn up, a newborn baby and Big Ed, the town drunk and possible witness, who may have been able to shed some light on the crime.
How does the baby figure in all of this? You have to know.

Murder In Metropolis is not a fast paced read, but one that draws you into the lives of the suspects, allowing you to search them for motives and making you part of the crime investigation. I enjoyed that, it was a lot of fun trying to figure out, "Who done it!" The motives for the murders and the ending I promise will surprise you. Very well done. Who would have ever thought! A delightful reading experience.

Final analysis: A well thought out mystery drawing the reader into the very lives of the townspeople, the suspects and the victims themselves. Written in a way that allows you to participate in the investigation, but let me warn you, no matter how much you think you have it all figured out, the ending to this one will surprise you. Excellent read, highly recommended.

Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mystery!, September 14, 2003

By 

Claire (Lake in the Hills, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in Metropolis (Hardcover)

Lonnie Cruse drew me in Murder in Metropolis from the first with a corpse in a bizarre setting - hanging on the Superman statue. The murder of one of Sheriff Dalton's best friends is followed shortly by the discovery of a murdered newborn and the town drunk. The Sheriff leads the investigation in spite of concerns back home and a deputy whose personal life interferes with the investigation. The pace is brisk and the characters vivid. Lonnie Cruse treats personal and professional loyalty issues, marital discord and health fears with a sensitivity that had me caring and hoping for the characters. She maintained a wonderful balance between the investigation and the characters' lives with each complimenting the other. The ending was surprising and satisfying, but came too soon - I wanted to keep reading. If you want a puzzler with characters not created from a pattern - read this book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life, love and murder in a small town, August 18, 2005

By 

Pat Browning "Author of ABSINTHEOF MALICE" (Yukon, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in Metropolis (Paperback)

Lonnie Cruse looked at the Superman statue and thought, "What a good place to put a body." That's how a mystery writer's mind works.

MURDER IN METROPOLIS is the first in a series featuring Sheriff Joe Dalton, a likeable guy and good country sheriff. Cruse knows the rhythms of small-town life, and her characters ring true. In this traditional mystery we get to know the victim through comments and action of friends and family after his death.

The victim is a popular businessman and the sheriff's longtime friend. Was there a witness to the murder? Maybe, if you count Big Ed, the town drunk, who was sleeping (or not) in a nearby doorway. How about the traveling salesman who may have been the last person to see the victim alive? Too bad the statue can't talk.

As the investigation proceeds, an old crime surfaces and carefully hidden secrets are brought to light. In a small town nothing is ever quite what it seems. There's a bit of a twist at the end. Cruse drops a clue early on, but I only realized it after the fact. No matter. I like surprises.