Ask the Cards a Question

In this second installment of the series, Investigator Sharon McCone has taken in her friend Linnea, who has just gone through a traumatic divorce. Added to this, one of Sharon's favorite neighbors, Molly Antonio, has been found murdered. Sharon is asked to investigate the murder, and she finds a group of suspects including a neighborhood grocer, a neighborhood fortune-teller and her husband, and the people who live in a nearby center for the blind. As always, Muller sketches out her characters and plot in an efficient manner and writes an interesting and coherant mystery.

"Ask the Cards a Question" is the second of the Sharon McCone novels by Marcia Muller following the groundbreaking "Edwin of the Iron Shoes" which introduced McCone as the first hard-boiled female private investigator. Molly Antonio, a tenant in Sharon's building is found dead by her husband, Gus. She had been strangled. With things slow at the All Soul's Legal Cooperative where Sharon works, she is able to work on the case. She finds quite a few suspects along the way. The ending is sure to surprise. "Ask the Cards a Question" is a fine addition to this long-running series.

Sharon McCone, the unassuming detective, is having trouble in her own building.When she finds one of her neighbors dead, Sharon realizes she really hasn't noticed the people in the building. She's been too busy with her romantic life and solving crimes all over the city. While reading this fascinating mystery by Muller, we are continually amazed at the background information, locale description and vivid characters. I feel as if I know the whole staff at All Soul's (where Sharon is the detective). Muller has a gift for making characters come to life. It's an entertaining, spellbinding book.

Marcia Muller is a great writer of mysteries. Sharon McCone is a great private eye. She's sharp, witty and gets the job done. I'm collecting all her books. I love her!