Accidental Murder

Claire McNab writes two different series of mysteries: the Carol Ashton mysteries, Accidental Murder occupies spot number fourteen in the series, and the Denise Cleever Thriller series. With seventeen books to her credit, McNab has established herself as one of today's premier mystery writers.Captain John Trelawney fatally falls off of Sydney, Australia's North Head, a big tourist location. When the insurance company is notified to make payment, they also note one other fact. There have been a series of odd accidents in a relatively short period of time, all with big insurance payouts. Could it be just a coincidence? That is the problem presented to Detective Inspector Carol Ashton. Oh yes, and she is also ordered to solve the crime quickly so her supervisor can take all the credit. Ashton is more than up to the challenge, even as she deals with her cherished Aunt Sarah's cancer and the question of "commitment" with her current flame. Fortunately, she has the assistance of her friend and colleague, Detective Sergeant Mark Bourke:"Bourke's fingers tapped the keys. He frowned at the screen, made a correction, then said, 'I'm thinking there might be some sort of connection to the insurance companies. How about an employee who's assessing possible clients and passing the information on to X?' 'That's possible, although that would be a security risk for X. The more people involved, the more dangerous it becomes. Okay, the next question is how X approaches the potential client. How would you go about that?'"Accidental Murder is a well scripted, and very well written mystery. Claire McNab deftly takes the reader through an insurance quagmire, replete with interesting characters, personal side trips of Carol Ashton's, and a general whodunit atmosphere. She gives up the killer just a little before the end of the story, but adds spice with an excellent denouement. All in all, Carol Ashton is an attractive character who gets the job done using police skills that are admirable. She is, at the heart of things, a decent human being who cares about the important people in her life. We want to know how she is going to handle the challenges that come her way, and cheer for her when she solves the puzzle and overcomes the bad guys. An entertaining read.Shelley GlodowskiReviewer