Customer Reviews

Wake Up Little Susie: A Mystery (Sam McCain Mysteries)

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This prequel to The Day the Music Died isn't quite as good as the first book, but it's still very, very good. As usual, Gorman creates a fantastic, vivid cast of characters, each with their own particular quirks that place them just left of center, and sets them all down in a compelling murder mystery. The period detail seems to capture the 50s without being heavy-handed. Let's hope there are many more Sam McCain novels to come in the future.

This is a fun book, with a novel story line, great humor and a credible small-town mess of characters. The fun is in the reading, not in detecting. The author is not absolutely surefooted about his time period of 1957, but who cares? Good reading with a gin and tonic in hand.

It's a day Sam McCain and other car enthusiasts have been looking forward to for a while. The Ford Motor Company is releasing their new design, the Edsel, in dealerships all over the country. But it turns out the design is less than appealing.

The real shock in this small Iowa town, however, is the body that is found in the trunk of one of the models. Susan Squires was the second wife of David Squires, another ambitious attorney in town. A part time PI, Sam is asked to look into the murder and beat the crooked chief of police. Does he have what it takes to find the killer?

I may not have lived during the 50's, but this book was a fun nostalgic journey to the not so distant past. References to pop culture long gone made me smile. Sam is a smart, likable lead, with the exception of his love life. I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight at first, but once I did, they began to stand out to me as well. The mystery was good with a few nice twists along the way. I never would have figured out the villain without Sam's help.

Those who enjoy history or live through the decade will enjoy this trip back in time.