A Rare Murder In Princeton

I'm writing this review in hopes that the author will take note and write another book in this series. I discovered the "Princeton Murders" by chance at a used book sale at our local library. Having visited Princeton once and remembering what a charming place it is, I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the story. And I admire the main character, a visiting writing instructor at Princeton, and her interaction with all the "university types" there. This particular story takes place in the Rare Books department of Princeton, and turns into a real murder mystery puzzle with some unusual suspects.

I borrowed this one from the public library on impulse and when I sat down to begin reading, I was temporarily disheartened to see at the bottom of the front cover, "recipes included!" My initial thought was, "[Deleted expletive], another worthless 'culinary mystery'!" Thankfully, this fear did not materialize and, in fact, the reverse turned out to be true. So many of these so-called "culinary mysteries" have become a mystery-marketing dumping ground, promoting authorship by anyone who can pick up a pencil and scribe witless prose about their mostly crummy recipes and then going back and vainly attempting to devise a mystery around this hackneyed device. Just a few of the early ones were pretty good but this sub-genre has radically deteriorated and my own little peer-band of mystery readers has universally abandoned this sort of "mystery goofy" altogether. (By the way, the few recipes in here are presented after the conclusion of the story, in the back of the book, so the reader is not distracted from this fine mystery story.) But here, author Ann Waldron wrote a first class mystery and, quite honestly, there's not much "culinary mystery" to this one at all. The focus is on the story and not on food fluff. Many of my favorite stereotypes are shrewdly introduced here, a mysterious old house, lots of snow, a letter-opener murder weapon, and so on. The wallpaper and character development are much enhanced which heartily supports the dark underlying ambiance of this otherwise fun story. This book is a perfect blend of light escapism and "noir." THE STORY: A talented lady writer is invited to Princeton to teach a seminar on writing non-fiction. She lodges with a Princeton friend in the local "murder house." Once there she ultimately discovers the cadaver of one of the University's major patrons -- of course, he's been murdered. More death and close calls follow. As I mention in the title of my review, this tale is intelligently written and, as a huge Christie, Rinehart, Sayers, and Tey fan, this mystery really appealed to me. Here we have a "cozy murder" which does not come off as silly or stupid in any way as many of the current works do. This one stands out among contemporary mystery writing as a superior read. It's not the very best mystery ever but it's pretty darn good and certainly worthwhile genre reading. I'll be reading more of this author very soon. Highly recommended.

McLeod Dulaney is a Florida journalist who has landed a great gig: teaching writing at Princeton University one semester a year. Coincidentally, every time she's up in New Jersey, she's involved in a murder investigation on campus. Inquisitive by nature, McLeod makes every attempt to solve the murder. She gets close to the truth but often comes to a slightly incorrect conclusion. In this fourth installment in the series, McLeod becomes fascinated with the research possibilities in the Rare Books and Special Collections department of the Princeton libraries. After a major benefactor and Special Collections figurehead is murdered, McLeod tries to figure out who could have killed him. At the same time, her housemate George asks her to clean out the garage, and she discovers an old book and two rare artifacts that someone is evidently quite interested in. A second murder unfortunately takes place before McLeod can put two and two together. Will she figure everything out before she's next? And what's the status of her relationship with police investigator Nick Perry? What's up with her housemate and host, George Bridges? The episodes in this series are like bags of potato chips: you can't stop at just one. Though the general writing style and the unraveling of each mystery won't set the world on fire, the books are entertaining enough -- especially for folks who are connected to Princeton or to any academic atmosphere where similar circumstances could certainly arise.

Very enjoyable mystery...from the perspective of one who rarely reads mystery novels. Protagonist is quite likable and meets interesting, sometimes quirky but believable characters during her teaching stint at the NJ Ivy. The many references to food preparation and dining reminded me of reading Nancy Drew many (30?!) years ago. For anyone who studied at P.U. and/or lived in Princeton, the references to familiar environs offer pleasant nostalgia. A good gift for alumni, students or new admits.

A Rare Murder in Princeton is the fourth book written by Ann Waldron about MacLeod Dulaney. MacLeod is a newspaperwoman from Tallahassee Floriday who is asked to give semester length classes at Princeton University in New Jersey. While in New Jersey, she manages to get involved in various murder mysteries and solve them. In this book, the title tells you that the murder takes place in the Rare Books and Manuscripts section of the Princeton Library. The book is vintage Waldron in that we are treated to somewhat faithful descriptions of actual places in and around the Princeton campus while weaving a fanciful story of mystery and mayhem. There are the normal comments on the differences between Florida and New Jersey weather and how it affects this woman who lived in the South her whole life, etc. Also making this a typical Waldron story is that her Dulaney character talks to everyone associated with or connected to the muder in some way and manages to get information from them that the local police cannot unmask. As a matter of course, MacLeod figures out who the murderer is just about too late. Actually, she is being targeted and only a fluky sequence of events allows her to escape being killed at the end of the story. Along the way, we learn about a World War 2 theft of valuable manuscripts, why some people begin to collect first editions, who is drinking on the job at the Library, and the foibles of various other characters. Of the main characters in the previous volumes, only George Bridges is mentioned in this one - which is somewhat of a shame. So, Whodunnit? Reading along in the book, seeing things from MacLeod's perspective, you do not really figure out what is going on until just about the time that MacLeod does. Waldron does a good job of tossing one red herring after another at the reader so you are left guessing. For instance, a young worker who is a key part in the story comes to MacLeod and George's house and manages to drink a lot of alcohol - mixing his liquor as well! one would have expected that to become a key element of the story, but it's not. It is never mentioned again. The character has no ill effects, not even a hangover! This book is the perfect kind of mindless entertainment that is sometimes called for and is a fun way to spend some hours lost in a different world. Those who have knolwedge of Princeton and its institutions and inhabitants will probably be more entertained by the descriptions of places and shops than those who know nothing of it, but it is still an entertaining read, regardless.