By Hook or by Book

In the 2nd book in the Murder by the Yard Mystery series, mystery reader and group discussion leader, Megan Clark, decides to host a string figure convention in her hometown of Amarillo, Texas. The International String Figure Association quickly accepts her offer, and Megan swiftly invites some of the more prominent members of the group to the convention. With the help of her longtime, seemingly platonic friend, Ryan Stevens, Megan recruits all of the members of Murder by the Yard to help with the convention. On the first day, one of the attendees, Clyde Brownleigh, announces to the group that he has found the missing manuscript of famous string figure author, Caroline Furness Jayne. He tells the assemblage of string figure enthusiasts that he will be accepting sealed bids for the coveted manuscript, and allows each person to set-up a 15-minute appointment to view the unpublished pages. When he is found murdered after the last viewing, all eyes turn to the final person to see the manuscript. But when she is cleared, and another murder occurs, Megan puts her life on the line to clear her good name, and that of the other members of her mystery reading group. I enjoy this series, and the chemistry between both Megan and Ryan. I also liked the way the perspective shifted between a third-person narrator, and between first-person as told by Ryan. The book had an interesting premise with the string figure characters, and the choice of murder weapons was fresh and innovative. I like the fact that this series is different from many other cozies on the market today, and look forward to reading many more books in this series. The first book in the series is called "Murder in Volume". Enjoy!

Being a real, living, card carrying member of the International String Figure Association, the premise for this mystery is a natural hook for me. Maybe the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, but that dimension is a hoot. As several of the characters point out in the book, only a true enthusiast of the art form would see the value of a lost manuscript by Caroline Furness Jayne as worthy of crime. These characters display all the necessary obsessions to make the plot work. The plot may not have been highly intricate--certainly not nearly as intricate as the Inuit figure "Polar Bear Caught in a Fisherman's Net," which I have yet to master. Nonetheless, it was engaging enough to string me along, and though I'd had my guesses about the identity of the murderer, that really isn't the point. This book is a fine example of the adage, "It's not the destination, but the journey that matters."

This is the second in D.R. Meredith's series about a group of mystery readers that has a propensity for getting involved in real murder cases. The action takes place in Texas at a convention of the International String Figure Association. A valuable old manuscript on string figures (Cat's Cradle, etc.) in various cultures is stolen and its owner strangled by means of a string figure called Cheating the Hangman. The amateur sleuth is the young paleopathologist and reference librarian Megan Clark, and her friend Ryan Stevens, a museum curator and professor of American history, is the Watson. The real fun of the book is in the mystery lore, references to authors from Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers to Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone's name is even spelled correctly!). I guessed whodunit (though I wasn't quite sure), but the culprit wasn't nearly as obvious as in the first book, "Murder in Volume," which is also a good read for mystery fans.

In Amarillo, Texas, there is not much call to autopsy a mummy. Thus, Ph.D. Dr. Megan Clarke earns her living as a reference librarian rather than as a physical anthropologist specializing in paleopathology. Megan also belongs to the local reading group, Murder by the Yard. The member's meet to discuss mystery books but usually become involved in homicide investigations when one of Megan's ideas goes awry.Megan's excitement in discovering string figures leads her to hosting the annual conference of the International String Figures Association. She inveigles her reading group to assist her with the logistics supporting the conference. At the conference, someone sets up a private auction where individuals can bid on a long lost manuscript of Caroline Furness Jayne, the person recognized by hobbyists and the ISFA as the definitive writer on string figures. However, an unknown culprit kills antique collector Clyde Brownleigh, the greedy and unpleasant who found the missing document. Megan and her literary cronies begin to investigate the murder.Mystery fans who enjoy a combination cozy and amateur sleuth tale will gain much pleasure from the entertaining BY HOOK OR BY BOOK. The likable heroine is a fresh character enjoying life. The reading group serves as her support element, yet are fully developed so they come across as individuals with specific eccentricities. Their little subplots add a cozy-like depth to the tale. They also provide insight into Megan and this part of Texas without slowing down her amateur sleuth investigation. The difficult mix of blending the minor subplots of the secondary cast into the main story line showcases the talent of D.R Meredith.Harriet Klausner