Trail Of Murder [Paperback]

Andreae (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995

Signing on as camp cook for a wilderness trail ride, English professor Lee Squires is witness to a patriarch's announcement that he has rewritten the family will and disinherited his spoiled children, setting off a murderous retaliation. Reprint. NYT. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A spellbinding plot, a valiant heroine and a majestic setting make this debut hard to put down. Lee Squires, a divorced English teacher and poet who is at loose ends, signs on as cook when wealthy Cyrus Strand takes his family and his lawyer on a horseback trip through Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness. The trip seems jinxed from the first day, when Strand's model-handsome adopted son Henry and his horse survive a 100-foot fall off the trail. Although shaken, the party continues, their squabbles increasing in proportion to their distance from civilization. After Cyrus is thrown from his horse, Lee discovers that a strap on his saddle had been cut. Then the pack mules are spooked and disperse, and Lee is left with the family while the guides undertake a search. Cyrus announces he has written a new will that leaves all his estate to his current, third wife; that afternoon he is fatally poisoned, and everyone scrambles to find the document. When another murder is committed, Lee realizes she must flush out the killer if they hope to get out of the wilderness alive. This treacherous journey offers thrills to armchair adventurers and wilderness buffs as well as mystery fans.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373261837
• ISBN-13: 978-0373261833
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,580,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clever writing by an outdoorsy poet, January 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Trail Of Murder (Paperback)

I've seen this setting somewhere before, wilderness trek with the heroine the cook who whips up quick meals inbetween murders and accidents. What saves the book from a mediocre plot is the writing- the description of the Montana wilderness; the details of outfitting, packing, unpacking, loading mules and horses for a wilderness trek; and cooking under a cook fly with limited equipment and ingredients.

The heroine of the book is an erstwhile poet, so her descriptive writing of the surroundings and the people on the trip are interesting and new,though sometimes very detailed.

A "woman's" book, too slow for those who want a fast paced thriller. But it's a how-to for those who want to trek the wilderness.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Literate, evocative, unusual setting, gets details right., August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Trail Of Murder (Paperback)

Compared to many mass-market mysteries, I thought this author far more literate than average. The writing was crisp, witty and enjoyable. While hard-core mystery fans may be disappointed with some of the plot, I found the book gripping. I enjoyed the evocative descriptions of Montana scenery, and for once, an author describes equestrian activities and accoutrements with the accuracy of someone who has either been there, or been briefed well. (Too many fictional works that rely on horsey settings contain inaccuracies that annoy people who really know horses.) A commendable first effort and worth the read.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Main character and author both need to work a little harder!, July 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Trail Of Murder (Paperback)

I don't know who annoyed me more--the main character, who needs a stiff kick in the butt and a verbal urging to "get a life"; or the author, who can't seem to write a page of copy without trying to cram in every idea used by mystery writers during the past 100 years.