A Picture of Guilt (Ellie Foreman Mysteries) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "THE RAFT PLUNGED straight down and slammed into a wall of water..." (more)
Key Phrases: Dale Reedy, Calumet Park, Miss Foreman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Hellman's fast-paced second Ellie Foreman mystery (after 2002's An Eye for Murder), the divorced mother and producer of documentaries and training films belatedly realizes that outtakes on one of her features may furnish an alibi for a Chicago dock worker about to go on trial for the brutal murder of his girlfriend. To her credit, her decision to come forward is reflexive, though she's unprepared for the battering she takes on the witness stand-or for the jury's rejection of her evidence. Ellie's good deed results in even more punishment when she begins to lose clients concerned that her disclosure of the footage evinces scruples in possible conflict with her duties to them. These professional difficulties prove to be secondary when she realizes that the bodies piling up are all connected with the murder trial. Ellie's detective skills consist of little more than intelligent persistence, coupled with luck. While the struggles with such people as her rebellious teenage daughter, her aging father and her dependable but overprotective boyfriend humanize her, their resolutions are all too predictable. The book's near-apocalyptic climax, yet another disaster averted by chance, reinforces the feeling that the well-meaning Ellie is out of her depth. The author might better serve her heroine by matching Ellie's limited abilities with a mystery of similar scope.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Hellmann has surpassed herself. Well-crafted, intense and exciting, right up to the last page…a must read!" --Midwest Book Review -- Review

"In her second mystery, Hellmann demonstrates significant growth as a writer. This plot, with considerable current relevance, has major surprises and twists and a nicely developing protagonist. It is an enjoyable book, logical and well-plotted. The peripheral characters are carefully drawn and the subplot involving Foreman's relationships with her daughter and her male friends is engaging and logical. A Picture of Guilt is a fine novel, requiring very little suspension of disbelief, and it comes to a satisfying and surprising solution. Ellie Foreman is a woman of strong beliefs; she has an interesting teenage daughter, and is worth spending time with. Hellmann is an author to watch." Mystery Scene Magazine

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 325 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (May 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590580737
• ISBN-13: 978-1590580738
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,290,233 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid characterization makes this a winner, September 15, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Chicago filmmaker Ellie finds herself involved in the murder trial of a dock worker whose girlfriend has been killed in A Picture Of Guilt, a story of a video project gone awry. Her discovery of evidence which could acquit him involves her in a dangerous plot in this fast-paced investigative piece which tells of a young filmmaker's eye for clues. Solid characterization makes this a winner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midwest Book Revie- engaging and exciting read, August 2, 2003

By	Laurel Johnson (Kansas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this follow up to her award winning first novel, An Eye for Murder, Ms. Hellmann has surpassed herself. A Picture of Guilt was a fast, engaging, and exciting read. If you enjoyed the author's first novel, you will love this one.

Ellie Foreman is back, along with daughter Rachel and attentive lover David Linden. This time, the honest and uncompromising Ellie gets dragged into a botched murder investigation. As the plot unfolds, and potential witnesses turn up dead, Ellie's world goes haywire. She's stalked by thugs with Mafia and Tong connections, dogged by police and FBI. And that is the least of her worries. The more information she uncovers, the more dangerous her life becomes. The full picture, once it is revealed, goes beyond dangerous and frightening.

I don't want to give this plot away. The story was well-crafted and intense, exciting and enticing right up to the last page. Murder-mystery-suspense readers will love this one. It's a must read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I was disappointed because..., January 27, 2007

By	Susan "loverofbooks" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Picture of Guilt (Ellie Foreman Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had just finished reading the first Ellie, loved it and got right into this one, only to feel "What happened here?" at the end of this book.
For a character like Ellie, who began with such a strong feeling of "doing the right thing", which was maintained throughout to the detriment of her relationship with David, to not even breath the name Santoro at the end of this book, left me speechless, left me looking to see if I inadvertently skipped a page, and ultimately I had to give it the three star rating above.

I'll try one more of these (only thru the library) and see if Ms. Hellmann picks up the ball and gets to the goal line...sorry about this.