Review and Giveaway: FM for Murder

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Random.org picked Lu to win a copy of Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent. Thanks for the copy Gayle and, if you enjoy mysteries, keep reading since I’m announcing another mystery book contest today!

FM for Murder: A Pamela Barnes Acoustic Mystery

Author: Patricia Rockwell

Paperback:218 pages(also available in Kindle)

Publisher:Cozy Cat Press(March 1, 2011)

Synposis:

Patricia Barnes spends 99% of her life doing the normal things: teaching psychology classes, trying not to destroy the kitchen with her disastrous attempts at cooking, promising herself that today she WILL go to the gym. But every once in a while a murder is committed that cries out for her help. Because Patricia’s specialty is sound and ever once in a while a murder is recorded while it happens!

The murder of Black Vulture, a.k.a. Ted Ballard, a popular radio personality with the alternative music crowd is murdered while on air and the entire event is witnessed by all his fans. When the murderer slips away from the radio station without leaving a single clue the police hope Patricia can find an audible clue on the recording of the radio show–and murder.

Review:

FM for Murder is really two stories. First, there’s the story of the murder of a radio personality and the police investigation. Simultaneously, there’s the age old story of a dying father, a rebellious son, and the search to bring the prodigal son home before it’s too late. FM for Murder bounces back and forth between these two plotlines, with alternating chapters for each plot. Because the stories and characters are so different there’s no chance the many characters will get muddled in your mind. But there is a bit of frustration early on when you’re asking yourself. “Why do we keep going back to the dying carpet maker?” I wish the link between the two stories had been clearer earlier in the book.

Rockwell takes care to make even her secondary characters interesting, with lives of their own beyond helping the heroine solve the mystery. Detective Shoop seems a bit cardboard but he only appears in a few scenes. The acoustic forensics is an interesting twist. Who knew? And Rockwell balances the scenes of Barnes fiddling with dials as she listens to the recording over and over again with a bit of excitement when she does some investigating outside the laboratory.

FM for Murder is a straightforward murder. You aren’t faced with several possible suspects. It’s all about the investigation and putting together those clues to understand who the only possible murderer could be. If you enjoy closed room puzzles, you’ll enjoy FM for Murder.

Patricia Rockwell has generously agreed to give away a copy of FM for Murder. Get your comments in and meet an amateur detective who solves murders in a most unusual way.