Customer Reviews

Written In Blood: A Forensic Handwriting Mystery

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Claudia Rose runs a thriving business as a graphologist who the local law enforcement recognizes for her forensic handwriting skills. Young widow Paige Sorenson married much older wealthy Torg and; when he died he left his entire estate to her including The Sorenson Academy.. His twin children from his first wife, Dane and Diana, challenge the new will that gave everything to this gold-digger younger than them; they accuse her of fraud insisting she forged their late dad's signature. Paige hires Claudia to prove the signature on the will is that of Torg.

Claudia compares specimens and affirms the signature is that of Torg. Her expert testimony leads to Judge Krieger ruling that the will stands as is. The graphologist also becomes involved with Sorensen Academy student Annabelle Giordano, whose father Dominic runs a construction company allegedly with mob ties. Despite Annabelle's anger, Claudia bonds with the hurting teen. When Paige and Annabelle disappear, everyone assumes Annabelle kidnapped and killed Paige except Claudia. When Annabelle calls her, Claudia worries for the adolescent because there are people who want her dead.

The second Forensic handwriting mystery (see POISON PEN) is filled with plenty of action and deep emotions as Claudia cares about Annabelle. Paige will surprise readers as she also care about her students especially suicidal Annabelle and Claudia, whom she just met. There are plenty of suspects, but it is difficult to pick out the clever culprit from the crowd as that person is a nice individual who prefers the background. There is a fabulous courtroom scene where the opponent's handwriting expert proved to be a fraud instead of a differing rival pro. Readers will relish Sheila Lowe's fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

Claudia Rose is a forensic handwriting specialist who gets embroiled in the private life of her client, a beautiful widow named Paige Sorenson who is pitted against the children of her ex-husband Torg in a fight about a contested will. The elderly deceased Sorenson had suffered several strokes before one claimed his life but before he died, he changed his will and left the bulk of his assets, including money, real estate and the Sorenson Academy, a girls school located in Bel Aire, California to his wife. Bert Falkenberg is Paige's assistant and administrator of the Sorenson Academy. He had thrown his loyalty to Paige sometime before Torg Sorenson died. Prior to this he had worked for Sorenson's children. Bert had witnessed Sorenson signing the will. It was up to Claudia Rose to determine whether or not the most recent signature was authentic or not. This is a murder mystery and thriller within the new genre of hand-writing analysis and the author excels in her ability to develop plot, suspense, action, and hold the reader's interest from start to finish. Her ability to build interesting characters within the plot who have unusual proclivities and personal problems makes this book even more fascinating.

When Claudia gave her testimony on the witness stand she used slides and copies of the elderly Sorenson's handwriting and showed how scientific analysis helped her conclude his signature was authentic. Of course, the oppostion had their own hand writing expert, a nemesis of Claudia's. It is very entertaining and amusing how her clients lawyer, with Claudia's help makes him look very foolish. The outcome of the trial is in favor of Paige Sorenson but the matter does not end there. Diana and Dane Sorenson, her ex-husband's twin children, who are nearly the same age as Paige, seek revenge. They want to own the Sorenson Academy because it is located on prime real estate worth many millions of dollars.

Paige Sorenson is the head mistress of the Academy which educates primarily the preteen and teenage girls of the Hollywood film elite. During the trial, Claudia learned about one particular student, named Annabelle who had attempted suicide and was the daughter of Dominic Giordano, a very wealthy and successful film producer, head of Sunmark Studios. Rumors swarmed around about him regarding his female consort choices and mob connections. Claudia seldom got involved in the personal life of a client but when she heard about Annabelle and met her, her heart went out to this confused teenager and she made an exception. Claudia also learned Paige was not the grieving widow she appeared to be but led an active love life, with one of the teachers at the Academy, Cruz Montenegro, a handsome muscular athletically built guy with a mysterious past. The author does a phenomenal job of weaving together the complex problems of these characters, with surprising twists and turns which connect the plot together in unimaginable ways. There is mystery, there is romance and there is murder within this most engaging and enjoyable novel. I managed to read it in one sitting and could not put it down. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

If you're looking for a quick read that's entertaining as well as informative, then Written In Blood: A Forensic Handwriting Mystery (Forensic Handwriting Mysteries)is definitely the book for you.

This well written little tome is not your "run of the mill" murder mystery. True is has the requisite amounts of jealousy, avarice, and revenge, but author Shelia Lowe has gone the extra mile in character development by giving the reader a smart and likable protagonist (Claudia Rose) with an interesting and unusual occupation (forensic handwriting analysis) and a multiple mystery with plenty of suspects, each harboring a plethora of secrets.

By integrating several aspects of the science of graphology, from personality analysis to signature authentication, to a therapy involving handwriting exercises performed to music, into her storyline Lowe has managed to produce an uncommon, illuminating and fascinating yarn with more twists and turns than a mountain road.

Written in Blood is guaranteed to captivate even the most jaded mystery aficionado.

In this page-turning novel we meet, Claudia Rose, who is a forensic handwriting specialist.
Claudia is asked to verify the signature of a well to do deceased man for his widow, Paige.
Unfortunately Paige's step-children are going to fight her tooth and nail for their father's money.
Their hatred for Claudia and the part she played in this drama will run deep.
Torg, the deceased, owned Sorenson Academy, a well to do school for girls, and one that Paige wanted to see continue although the step-children did not.
It is at this school that we meet a very troubled daughter, Annabelle, of Dominic Giordano, a wealthy film producer. He is also rumored to be involved with the mob. Claudia meets Annabelle and is immediately touched by the girl and feels she can help her manage her anger with handwriting therapy. This draws Claudia into the world of Paige, her step-children, the school, Dominic and the drama about to be played out. Not a good thing for her own safety as someone is found dead, Annabelle is missing and Claudia finds herself facing sure death. What a ride.

I don't want to give away any of the mystery of this read so I will leave my explanation of the storyline as is.
Our author does an exceptional job of wrapping around the work of a forensic handwriting specialist into a fast paced novel. The characters are at times dark and seedy, with hidden agendas and unscrupulous actions. Who you think is sweet and innocent, isn't. Who ends up dead is not so much as a surprise, but who the killer ends up being is.

I enjoyed this read, loved the way the author worked Claudia into the story and kept her there.
I liked the personal life part of Claudia that was well weaved into the entire theme of the book, it made her more personable, and I enjoyed a read with characters both young and old playing a major part. All in all I give this book a thumbs-up. Well done - story, characters, and local. Well worth you time.

Claudia Rose, protagonist of Sheila Lowe's latest mystery,WRITTEN IN BLOOD, is a handwriting analyst and forensic document examiner, skills that lead her into adventures involving who signed or wrote what, and what kind of personality set pen to paper.

In her latest case, Claudia must determine the legitimacy of a will, but in the process, gets involved with a touchingly tough little character named Annabelle, a teenager at a dangerous crossroad in life. Claudia, through her skills, works through sinister situations that threaten both her and Annabelle, while helping the girl, with graphotherapy, to a place of greater freedom and self-understanding.

The characters in WRITTEN IN BLOOD are full-bodied; Annabelle, especially, is successfully drawn as a complex person, full of the ambivalence, anger, and pure feelings of a teenage girl. Claudia, as in Lowe's previous work, POISON PEN, is equally interesting because of her unusual calling and thoughtful yet tough nature.

A fun read.

Claudia Rose, a Southern California graphologist, is hired by Paige Sorensen to authenticate the signature on her late husband's will. He was many years her senior, and had died of a stroke six months ago. Paige is described by Claudia as, variously, a trophy wife, wounded widow, wronged stepmother and lonely woman seeking a confidante. Her stepchildren, all older than Claudia herself, have challenged the signature as a forgery, and his fortune as well as the Sorensen Academy, the private school his family had owned for generations and of which Claudia is the headmistress, are at stake. In the course of the relationship Claudia meets Annabelle Giordano, the sullen 14-year-old daughter of a movie producer with mob associations, still recovering from the tragic loss of her mother, an actress, eight years previously, who is a full-time resident of the school. The Academy is a residential and day school for wealthy young girls with special emotional needs.

With some assistance from her best friends, Kelly, a family law attorney, Zebediah, a forensic psychologist, and Joel Jovanic, an LAPD detective, Claudia tries to figure out how real are the threats made to Paige by the stepchildren whose hatred runs to virulence, and to Annabelle as well, with whom, against all she has been taught, she has forged a bond.

The author enlightens the reader on her somewhat unusual profession, one which she points out is an unlicensed one. At its most basic, she is a handwriting examiner, "always curious about personality and the way it revealed itself in the written word." This novel is the second in the series, and I was disappointed not to like it as much as I had the first, "Poison Pen," finding it weakly plotted and not as well-written and perhaps less engrossing and suspenseful than its predecessor. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read, and the profession shared by Claudia Rose and her creator certainly captures one's attention. I will look forward to seeing what the author has in store for her in her next adventure.

Claudia Rose is a realistic forensic handwriting analyst. Sheila Lowe uses her knowledge and ability to describe a courtroom drama scene with true to life accuracy. A fascinating read which made me wish to learn more about graphology. I look forward to the next in the series!

Sheila Lowe's second novel is a can't-put-it-down mystery that will hold the reader's interest to the very last page. Claudia Rose may be the heroine of each book, but this is not your typical formula series. "Written in Blood" is interesting, intelligent, and never boring.

Sheila's writing draws the reader in... her character development is superlative. I feel as if I know our heroine and her associates as if they were my own family. I just picked up the book today and am halfway through... (had to have dinner with my husband...) and will continue reading tonight!!

I'm a sucker for a good mystery novel. When I saw the read the synopsis of Sheila Lowe's Written in Blood, I was definitely intrigued. The main character is a graphologist, as known as a handwriting expert. A novel that focuses on forensic handwriting analysis as one of the keys to solving a mystery could be really interesting or really boring. Fortunately, Written in Blood fits in the former category.

Written in Blood is actually Sheila Lowe's second entry in the Claudia Rose forensic handwriting mystery series. Her protagonist, Claudia Rose, is a forensic handwriting expert. By analyzing handwriting samples, she can determine elements of a subject's personality. She can even tell if the subject has a tendency to become violent. This sounds like it could be terribly boring, but Lowe has a knack for creating suspense and moving the plot along.

The novel opens with the appearance of Claudia's latest client, Paige Sorensen. Paige is a vivacious young widow who is facing a huge legal battle. Her stepchildren claim that their father's final will is a forgery. Claudia quickly determines the legitimacy of the will, but that is not the end of her involvement with Paige. Part of the battle over the will involves the Sorensen Academy, a private girls school. The Sorensen children want to close the school and sell the land, but Paige serves as headmistress and wants to keep it going. This seems like it would be the main storyline, but it is actually just the tip of the iceberg.

Claudia becomes attached to a troubled student at the school, Annabelle Giardano. Her urge to help Annabelle draws Claudia deeper into the twisted world of Sorensen Academy. When Paige is suddenly murdered, Claudia has to find the killer and Annabelle. The mystery surrounding Paige's death is complex, so I won't reveal any more details. I have to say that the plot twists are great as the novel progresses. It is definitely a solid mystery.

The characters in this are fascinating. Claudia is a complex character that you want to follow. She seems like an adult version of Nancy Drew. (I definitely mean this as a compliment. When I was eight years old, I wanted to be Nancy Drew.) Annabelle is also an intriguing character. At first glance she appears to be a troubled little rich girl, but her problems are much deeper. Part of her problem with her father actually stems from the actions of her deceased mother. The rest of the cast of characters is populated by disgruntled stepchildren, spoiled students, mysterious faculty, human traffickers, and one sexy cop. It's an interesting mix to say the least.

Written in Blood is a fascinating mystery. The plot is well-crafted, and the characters are definitely intriguing. Sheila Lowe keeps readers guessing throughout most of the novel. It is a great escape on a dreary winter day.