Engineered for Murder

I found this book very enjoyable. The mix of engineering and mystery is well-done, and the plot moves quickly. The main characters and the New Mexico setting are carefully described, and come across as real, not as caricatures. It's a first novel, and that shows at times; but the intricate plot and engaging characters make that easy to forget. If you enjoy mysteries with a technical twist, you'll like this.

Tory Travers is a no-nonsense head of a small New Mexico engineering firm, whose business and personal life are threatened by exposure when a quality control technician, freelancing as an investigative journalist informs her that he has uncovered a scandal in Tory's past. When the technician is murdered, Tory becomes the object of professional and personal interest of the equally no-nonsense Detective David Alvarez who finds himself puzzled, frequently irritated and ultimately captivated by the widowed Tory. The well-plotted tale has just enough technical information to give dimension to the story, yet not so much that we are overburdened with exposition. In fact, Schumacher handles this balance of exposition with sound plotting better than any of the recent writer-specialists. In Tory Travers, Schumacher has developed an intriguiging heroine whose often chaotic personal life is contrasted with an astute professional one. There is a problem-solving aspect to her profession that makes her an ideal amateur sleuth, and a curiosity that spills over into rashness that generates some interesting sparks in the relationship with Alvarez. The romantic antagonism between Travers and Alvarez sizzles in this highly entertaining, well-plotted, suspenseful first mystery. Very highly recommended.

Well-paced, the snappy dialog, and terrific interactions between characters make this a fun and involving read. Not only the murder mystery, but the mystery in the heroine's past, kept me wondering, and surprised, to the end.

Aileen Schumacher is a civil/environmental engineer, and her career and expertise, is reflected in ENGINEERED FOR MURDER (Write Way, Aurora, CO, 1996.) In this first mystery, protagonist Tory Travers shows intelligence, feistiness and a good heart. She runs a small engineering firm in New Mexico and in this story, her firm is responsible for testing the construction for a new sports stadium for a university. This wonderful set-up for intrigue involves questionable business practices, some old boys with attitudes about women in the trades, and a caring heroine who is not perfect, but who works hard, has a great relationship with her son, and respects her co-workers. The engineering in this book is not overwhelming; it is described clearly without making the reader feel ignorant. Building inspection may not strike you as an interesting issue, but as someone with a background in disability access, I found it fascinating. I remember those arguments with inspectors and contractors as everyone tried to lay blame on someone else. Safety, speed, public appearances and funding are just a few of the issues involved in building a facility that will bring in money to a school, and attract huge crowds (who weigh a lot). ENGINEERED FOR MURDER was reviewed favorably in publications ranging from "Deadly Pleasures" and "Small Press Magazine" to "Public Works" and "Civil Engineering News". The story moves quickly, involving Travers and a police detective named David Alvarez. The somewhat predictable romance does not develop between these two stubborn, rather intense characters, but you can tell they're not finished with each other. Aileen Schumacher's second book FRAMEWORK FOR DEATH is due out in August, 1998. Alvarez and Schumacher take on a most interesting case, involving the death of an intriguing, and not very pleasant woman, and dealing with a very volatile issue - that of the "underground railroad" of parents on the run with their children. In the interest of "full disclosure", you need to know that I am working with the author on her publicity. However, I am not a publisher1s representative, nor is this just a job. It1s more a labor of love - promoting writers who don1t get a lot of publicity (although I expect to work mostly for folks who come to tour in the Pacific NW, where I live). I could never, and would never, work for any author whose work I did not like. I truly liked EFM (I read it before Aileen and I ever agreed to work together). My background is that of a reader and mystery convention fan. One reason that Aileen and I are working together is that Write Way Publishing is not a major name in publishing, but is a small, independent house in Colorado. Their books should not be overlooked. ENGINEERED FOR MURDER is available in both hardcover and paperback; FRAMEWORK FOR DEATH will be out in hardcover this summer. Andi Shechter

Meet Tory Travers, widow, mother of a teenage son, and owner of Travers Testing and Engineering Company. Tory's company has been hired to oversee the construction of a new sport stadium, on a local university campus. Trouble begins when when a discrepancy, involving the pouring of concrete columns, is discovered. Tory is forced to travel to El Paso, to meet with the quality control technician, and to review the documentation, on the column pours. The technician is murdered, the records are stolen, and Tory becomes a prime suspect Enter David Alvarez, the detective in charge of the murder investigation. Brash, and self-assured, he and Tory soon lock horns, each determined not to cooperate with each other. Many other things happen to involve Tory, in the mystery: the disappearance of the concrete company's owner's, son-in-law; the threatening letters; the attempt to murder Jazz, (Tory's friend, and foreman); the threats from Emmet Delgado, who wants to take over Tory's company; the revelation that Tory once had an affair with Mason Barkley, a born-again Christian politician; and an attempt on Tory's life, all add to the intrigue. The plot flows smoothly, with all questions neatly summed up, by the end of the novel. For me, the interactions between the characters, is the high point of the novel. Tory's relationship with her son is amazing. (I want more); with David, watch those sparks fly!; with Jazz and Sylvia, both humorous, and heartwarming; with Lonnie, could there be more than just friendship; with her parents, sad and disconcerting. An excellant read, highly recommended!