An Old Faithful Murder [Paperback]

Valerie Wolzien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 1995

The Henshaw family vacation at Yellowstone National Park turns tragic when George Ericksen -- whose family has been befriended by the Henshaws -- is found murdered at the foot of Old Faithful. When amateur sleuth Susan Henshaw takes the case, a web of twisted emotions and buried secrets quickly unfolds, and Susan finds that everyone had a reason to kill George. But there can only be one killer . . . can't there?

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Susan Henshaw's family winter vacation in Yellowstone National Park is quickly overwhelmed by the Ericksen clan's reunion at the same snowed-in hotel. When an effigy of domineering Grandfather Ericksen is thrown into a geyser and the curmudgeon himself is murdered, Henshaw is called upon to play amateur sleuth. Soon another body--that of the gay lover of one of the Ericksen sons--is found frozen in the snow. What follows is a genre mystery with a myriad of flaws. The Ericksens are portrayed as a dysfunctional family, and so readers must suffer through pages of psychobabble. And although a storm's stranding the guests in the park without police assistance is plausible, why should housewife Henshaw run the investigation when a park ranger on site has police training and another guest is a former police detective? Nor does Wolzien ( We Wish You a Merry Murder ) do Yellowstone justice; she uses the isolated winter wilderness as a plot device but neglects to use it for texture. Finally, the motivations she ascribes to the killer are contradictory: having killed ostensibly to keep a favorite family member near, the murderer is willing to let that relative go to prison as the fall guy in the murders.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Although I now live in New York City, there's a lot I can identify with in Valerie Wolzien's mysteries. Valerie's portraits of small towns and suburban communities remind me of my youth -- and I suspect they strike a similar chord with all those readers who live (or used to) far from urban centers. Also, Valerie's novels are like comfort food in a way -- because they are, in part, celebrations of holidays and happy social occasions (weddings, birthday parties, family vacation trips) . . . plus the mandatory addition of homicidal doings. Valerie is now writing two series with two different amateur sleuths -- suburban housewife Susan Henshaw (MURDER AT THE PTA LUNCHEON is her first appearance) and businesswoman Josie Pigeon (who started solving murders in SHORE TO DIE). I heartily recommend anything Valerie Wolzien writes.

--Joe Blades, Associate Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (February 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044900743X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449007433
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not her best , but still enjoyable, July 10, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: An Old Faithful Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Susan Henshaw and her family take a trip to Yosemite National Park for cross-country skiing. They meet another couple with children the same ages as Chrissy and Chad. The other couple is meeting the rest of their family for a reunion. The patriarch of the family is murdered and Susan and Kathleen have to find out why.

This was an okay mystery, but not up to Wolzien's usual standards. I figured out the mystery early on, but the descriptions of the park are worth reading the book to the end.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great January Reading, January 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: An Old Faithful Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Susan, her husband and kids, and Kathleen, her husband, and infant son, all head to Yellowstone for some skiing. At the ski lodge is a reunion of what can best be described as one big happy dysfunctional family. When one of the clan is murdered during a snowstorm that means no one can get in or out of the park, Susan has to work fast before there's another murder--maybe hers! Will she figure out whodunit in time to watch Old Faithful spout just once before her vacation's over??? Stay tuned. .

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Cozy Mystery, October 18, 2006

By 

drebbles (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: An Old Faithful Murder (Paperback)

Susan Henshaw, her husband Jed, and their two children, Chrissy and Chad, are on a skiing vacation at Yellowstone National Park when they meet the Ericksen clan who are there for a family reunion. While the younger Henshaws quickly become friends with the youngest members of the Ericksen clan, Susan and Jed discover that the older Ericksen's are a dysfunctional family, especially patriarch George who dominates the entire family while his wife Phyllis tries to keep calm. Son Carlton is an alcoholic who had to leave the country to escape his father and stop drinking; and youngest son Darcy's homosexuality is not accepted by his father. The family seems to be constantly fighting and it's not long before someone murders both George and Darcy's lover. Most of the family thinks Darcy is the killer, but his mother isn't convinced and asks Susan, who has solved some murders in the past, to investigate.

"An Old Faithful Murder" is a good cozy mystery. I liked the skiing aspects, I've only been skiing once and I could fully emphasize with Susan as she learned how to ski. The mystery itself was well plotted with the identity of the murderer being a surprise as well as the motive. Wolzien's decision to have a housewife as the detective is an interesting one, especially since Susan's closest friend, Kathleen, is an ex-police woman who agrees to help with the case, but does little actual detecting. Wolzien's writing style can be shaky at times; the viewpoint sometimes switches from Susan's to Jed's and Jed disappears for long stretches in the book. Unfortunately, the ending of the book is the old cliched one with Susan gathering the family together to reveal the identity of the murderer. But what makes this book worth reading is Wolzien's gift for creating real characters; you can picture each member of the Ericksen family as you're reading the book.

"An Old Faithful Murder" is a pleasant if unremarkable cozy mystery.