The Shape of Dread [Mass Market Paperback]

Marcia Muller (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (1998)
• ASIN: B001E33MLQ
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,408,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Average, August 13, 2000

By 

AntiochAndy "antiochandy" (Antioch, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Shape of Dread (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read many of Ms. Muller's Sharon McCone mysteries. While there is, in my opinion, no danger that she will threaten the position of Arthur Conan Doyal and Agatha Christie at the top of the heap among mystery writers, I am clearly enjoying these stories or I wouldn't have read so many of them. Partly, I suppose, this comes from my familiarity with, and enjoyment of, her characters. McCone and the other denizens of the All Souls Legal Cooperative are, by now, all like old friends. Also, partly, it comes from San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area as the principal setting for the stories. The scenes she descibes are often familiar and, thus, easy to visualize. This applies especially to this book, parts of which are set in the area immediately south of Market Street in an area near where I once worked for several years.

Largely, though, I keep coming back because Muller writes entertaining stories. This one is no exception. In fact, I found this one to be somewhat better than her average story. Some, while still fun to read, aren't too difficult when it comes to putting your finger on the murderer. But in this one there were plenty of twists and turns before the story came to its final conclusion. At times, there was even some doubt about the crime. We have a convicted felon on death row but is catually Tracy dead? Or had she simply chosen to disappear? Or is somebody dead, but not Tracy?

My general rating for Sharon McCone mysteries is four stars in Amazon's system. This one I rate 4+.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick trip down Mystery Lane, February 2, 2004

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shape of Dread (Mass Market Paperback)

Marcia Muller has developed a formulaic approach in presenting the tales of her famous private eye, Sharon McCone. It seems to fit the bill - no deep psychological dramas (Elizabeth George) or alphabet soup (A is for ....), no coroners or little old ladies - just the unflappable McCone going about her business, solving crimes and getting involved in things she never planned.

This is a short read, a good whodunit where past sins have now stepped forward to claim their retribution. Interesting insight into the world of standup comedy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The case of the disappearing comedienne, August 1, 2002

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shape of Dread (Mass Market Paperback)

A criminal lawyer at All Souls Legal Cooperative is troubled by a convicted criminal who is on Death Row and has confessed to a murder. The confession is full of holes and the lawyer does not believe that Bobby Foster is really guilty. When he shares his concerns with PI Sharon McCone, she agrees to do some investigating into the situation. She decides that the only way to get Bobby off the hook is to find the person who did commit the murder. The case is two years old and Sharon fears that the trail has grown cold, but she perseveres in her investigation and interviews anyone who had any connection to the victim, Tracy Kostakos. She turns up some disturbing information about Tracy and begins to understand why she was the target for murder. This is a good addition to this series, and continues to develop the characters that Muller's fans have read about in previous books.