Million Dollar Baby

It's been a few years since I picked up a mystery novel, but this book has restored my faith in the genre! Amy Patricia Meade is a captivating writer, and she sweeps you up in the era. Creighton and Marjorie carry the story forward and their relationship is the perfect backdrop for a great "whodunnit" that unfolds with twists and turns. Overall, a wonderful first novel in what should be a very promising series. Looking forward to the next Marjorie McClelland mysetery!

For a first time author, I could not put down "Million Dollar Baby". What a surprise! I can't wait for her next book!

Million Dollar Baby is a superbly-written whodunit set in the 1930's amid the small town charm of Ridgebury, Connecticut where Creighton Ashcroft purchased a mansion with a dark secret. There is murder, there is a cover up, and there is the unraveling of a mystery. All this is done in wonderfully-flowing character dialogue with pictorial descriptions of the scenes. Readers will feel as though they can hear the ting-a-ling of the bell on the book shop's door, the sound of the orchestra, and the dull roar of the crowd at one of Creighton Ashcroft's house parties. The lead detective, Jameson, is a very likeable lug, and he's got a crush on Marjorie, a sleuthy novelist who likes to solve crimes for fun and adventure. Creighton also likes Marjorie, but he's more of a Rolls Royce-driving rich guy who'd rather dance and party all night than solve a murder mystery. But he helps Marjorie, if for no other reason than to keep the handsome detective, for whom she seems to have a fancy, away from her. Clues and red herrings pop up in every chapter, and the reader won't have an idea whodunit until the final few pages, so don't jump ahead and cheat! You'll need the information in the earlier chapters to figure it out! I can't wait to read Ms. Meade's next installment!

Everytime I put the book down to do something, I couldn't wait to pick it up again to continue reading. I love murder mysteries and this is one of the best ones I have ever read!

During the Depression British expatriate millionaire Creighton Ashcroft arrives in Ridgebury, Connecticut, which would mean very little to New Englanders except he drove to town in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a vehicle no one ever saw before. He moves into the affluent Kensington House Mansion while the town is agog over the apparent affluent outsider. That is everyone except local mystery writer Marjorie McClelland who looks down upon Creighton even as he is attracted to her. Marjorie decides Creighton can prove handy because she would like to write a story about the suicide of a previous resident, Henry Van Allen. Seeing this as an opportunity to get on her better side, Creighton agrees to assist Marjorie starting with showing her the place. However, they quickly stumble upon the partially buried corpse of the gardener. While the local police investigate that murder, Marjorie with her loyal sidekick Creighton at her side begin to look into the death of Henry, as she theorizes he was murdered. The first Marjorie McClelland mystery uses the Depression to accentuate the class distinctions between the lead amateur sleuths even while an attraction and respect grow for one another. The whodunit is cleverly crafted to amplify the battles between Creighton and Marjorie as well as to compare their investigation to that of the cops. The fascinating lead couple relationship turns MILLION DOLLAR BABY into a fun historical mystery. Harriet Klausner