Customer Reviews

The Oxygen Murder: A Periodic Table Mystery

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The eighth installment of Minichino's Periodic Table mysteries finds retired physicist and part-time sleuth Gloria Lamerino on a pre-Christmas trip to New York City with her new husband Matt Gennaro and their best friends Rose and Frank Galigani. The trip was supposed to be a pre-holiday shopping and sight-seeing getaway, combined with a police conference for Revere Police detective Matt. However, when Gloria pays a visit to Matt's niece Lori Pizzano, a documentary film maker, and discovers Lori's dying camerawoman Amber Keenan in Lori's studio/loft, Gloria and Matt suddenly find themselves searching for Amber's murderer. It turns out that there are lots of reasons why Amber could have been murdered, which range from the corporate secrets regarding ozone emissions which Lori and Amber were investigating in their latest documentary, to victims of Amber's blackmailing schemes which she was running on the side. Matt's niece Lori finds herself as a murder suspect, so of course Matt and Gloria want to find the real murderer. The mystery in this story is a good one and very enjoyable, with a soltuion which took me by surprise. As usual in this series, author Minichino mixes in quite a bit of scientific information in the plot, with the subject this time being ozone emissions from welding.

Set against a festive pre-Christmas New York setting, this latest entry in the series is one of the best of the series so far. Whether you are an old friend of Dr. Gloria Lamerino or new to the series, this is a story that all mystery fans are sure to enjoy.

Gloria Lamarino is glorious again as the physicist turned slueth in her newest science-based adventure. While a somewhat unlikely "heroine," Gloria, in her latest adventure, is becoming as unforgettable a character as Miss Marple. Once again, she has moved beyond her upper room roost above a Revere, Massachusetts funeral home. Now, instead of visiting friends in California, she and her new husband, Matt, find themselves in New York City. While Matt attends a conference, Gloria discovers a murder amidst old friends. Naturally, an element is involved -- oxygen. There are many twists and turns before the case is solved and the miscreant is brought to justice. But the real fun is in the wonderful characters that Minichino has created. To enter their world is a delight.

I absolutely love Camille Minichino's books, and The Oxygen Murders is no exception. The heroine is so much like me--older, a teacher, unsure about men--until Gennaro--I just think she's great. Not only are but books entertaining but also a good learning experience. The most amazing things is that she can write entire books without using sex and profanity. They are there, but she has enough vocabulary available to her that she knows how to express the feeling without the "explicit sex and language," as so many other writers do. I read their books, too, but I can't wait for the next Gloria Lamerino adventure. Linda Lunsford

Four months married physicist Dr. Gloria Lamerino accompanies her husband Boston homicide detective Matt Gennaro to New York City where he is attending a police conference and when he is free they plan to enjoy the Manhattan Christmas season. While Matt attends a conference session, Gloria visits his niece, award winning documentary filmmaker Lori Pizzano on West Forty-eighth. However instead of Lori being there, to her shock, the scientist discovers the corpse of camerawoman, Amber Keenan and she believes the culprit just left via the window.

Gloria worries about Lori's safety when she learns that she was collaborating with the victim on a new project about the ozone layer that has led to threatening encounters with corporate suits who allegedly are ignoring governmental environmental regulations. She begins investigating and learns that Amber also worked as a photographer for Tina Miller, Private Investigator. Gloria ponders whether one of Miller's targets killed Amber or was it one of the suits that had her murdered.

The eighth Periodic Table Mystery is a fun cozy in which scientific sleuthing is combined with tours of New York City. The story line is fast-paced as Gloria takes Manhattan while Matt and NYPD plead with her to not provide the Lamerino solution. THE OXYGEN MURDER is a fabulous whodunit that will send newcomers searching for the backlist gas tales and long time fans looking forward to The Fluorine Murder.

Harriet Klausner

It's Christmastime and retired physicist Gloria Lamberino is spending it in New York city with her new husband and best friends, Rose and Frank Galigani. While Gloria's husband Matt Revere, a Massachusetts homicide detective, attends a police conference Gloria plans to (reluctantly) shop with her friends and visit with Matt's niece, Lori Pizzano. When Gloria discovers the body of Lori's roommate in the young women's loft, there's no question that Gloria will be lending a hand in the investigation, especially when it's discovered that the two women were involved in the making of a documentary exposing the ozone depletion by a shady corporation. In between dining at famous New York eateries with her friends and visiting the City's famous sites Gloria discovers that the murdered woman was making a profit at blackmail and gathering no shortage of enemies, including the clients of a private investigator and the executives of a powerful corporation. Gloria finds herself torn between family loyalties and her need to ferret out the truth when she discovers that Lori has been less than truthful and may be implicated in the murder.

Surprisingly, the chapters from the point of view of Lori Pizzano prove to be the most interesting in this extremely pleasing mystery. Minichino does an admirable job conveying the moral conflict plaguing Lori as she finds herself unable to disclose either to the police or her own uncle her complicity in her roommate's schemes. Also refreshing is that after an initial rebuking, Rose and Matt are resigned to Gloria's investigation and refrain from their usual warnings to not interfere. Rose does, however, continue to campaign for a "real" wedding reception for Rose and Matt despite their attempt to escape a big party with their elopement. The Periodic Table Mysteries continues to be a reliable series sure to please fans with its humor, steady pace, and very likeable characters.

Gloria Lamerino, a retired physicist, and her fiancé, Homicide Detective Matt Gennaro, head to New York City for a vacation with their best friends Rose and Frank Galigani before Christmas. They plan to visit Matt's niece Lori Pizzano, a documentary filmmaker. Rose plans to shop and take in shows and to get Gloria to participate with her as much as possible. Matt is there to attend an NYPD conference.

Lori is doing a documentary on ozone and environmental issues. When Gloria goes to her apartment, she stumbles over the body of her camerawoman, Amber Keenan.

Later Gloria learns that Amber had been scheming, and there is an abundance of suspects. Can Gloria enjoy her vacation while finding a killer? And can she help Lori stay safe in the process?

Before I read my first book in this series, I worried about it being full of science jargon. It's not. The author has done a great job of presenting needed information without taking you out of the story. And all the technical data is in layman's terms.

I really like Gloria and Matt. They are a great couple with real problems and issues to deal with. The New York location of this book adds to the story and provides great ambiance. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.