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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, if predictable, mystery, February 18, 2000
This review is from: Murder in Volume (Prime Crime Mysteries) (Paperback)
Even before the second murder took place, I knew who would be killed, who would do it, and why. That didn't bother me, since with a character-driven mystery, part of the fun is seeing how the amateur sleuth will figure it out. That part of the book was fun. A few things did bother me. First, the main female character is a bit prickly. Being short of stature myself, I know it can be hard to get people to take you seriously, but I wanted to scream at her: "Get over it!" Second, the voice alternates between third person and first, with the first-person perspective provided by the male main character. In and of itself, that isn't bad, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if, instead of using just one character's voice and the omnipotent narrator, the author had used each of the members of the reading circle. That would have made the book more interesting, and it would have made the secondary characters more three-dimensional. There were some really annoying editorial lapses, including changes in tense and some awkward constructions. All in all, it's a book I would recommend for light reading.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Almost, but not quite . . ., September 24, 2000
This review is from: Murder in Volume (Prime Crime Mysteries) (Paperback)
This book has so many good things going for it, the mystery is why it doesn't leave a better impression on the reader. The author is certainly competent; the writing is fresh and clear and witty, although the jumps in viewpoint are a tad disconcerting. The setup is a new and interesting one; a bookstore-sponsored reading group devoted to mystery novels finds itself smack in the middle of a crime that happens practically at the bookstore's front door. Megan Clark, the leader of the group, is a vertically-challenged reference librarian, and a few less references to her height would be greatly appreciated in future books. Comparing the various crime writers and their sleuths to the happenings in their own little circle provides lots of interesting moments. The major male character, Ryan Stevens, nearly overdoes the bumbling male side-kick, but all in all, it's an enjoyable book, with a different locale - Amarillo, Texas. The bookstore ambiance is terrific, though! I'd certainly be willing to give the next book in the series a chance. I wish I could have given this book 3½ stars, rather than just 3. It's just not quite up to a four.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whodunit is obvious, but enjoyable anyway, April 3, 2000
This review is from: Murder in Volume (Prime Crime Mysteries) (Paperback)
It's always interesting for a mystery reader to imagine what it might be like to be involved in solving a real murder (though I don't think most of us would really like such a thing to happen!). That's one reason I enjoyed this mystery; another is the (mostly) likable characters. It's easy to figure out whodunit, but it's all very entertaining nonetheless. I hope there will be more in this series. If you'd like to read another book, British in this case, about mystery readers getting involved in a murder, I highly recommend the very well-written "Bloodhounds" by Peter Lovesey.
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