Mr. Murder

I enjoy this series because I love the author's writing style and what she's done with the characters to move them along. However, this is the second straight installment where I've been left wondering why she bothered writing a book which it seemed could've been condensed and added on to the previous installment. There was supposed to be a mystery here, but it seemed to get lost in the shuffle of Sally's love life and the affiliate conferences, leaving me wondering why I was reading a mystery that didn't seem very mysterious. I also wish we could see some imperfection out of Sally, Alexandra, Will, etc. -- it seems the whole cast of characters are really far too perfect.

I love Sally's adventures. Van Wormer always writes wonderful characters. The mystery in this one wasn't her sharpest. I read her work for the richly drawn characters and locales. The news business is always written with great detail. These scenes especially are always exhilarating. Mr. Murder has one element that I was very happy about. Two characters get together that I have been waiting a long time for. I was elated! Luckily for me it has only been a year of waiting. I found Van Wormer's books a year ago. Others may have been waiting since 89! If you are new to Laura Van Wormer, I suggest you go back and start at Riverside Drive and read all her books featuring Cassy and Alexandra and Jessica and the indefatigable Sally in chronological order. It is a thoroughly enjoyable series.

The latest Sally Harrington novel is the best yet. The plot races from thrills to laugh out loud moments and back again. Sally seems settled in her new job with DBS news until the bodies start to pile up and Sally is a target of the killer. The secondary cast is key and it is great to revisit with well loved characters from past novels. I can't wait for Sally's next adventure

Sally Harrington starts her new job as the host of "DBS News America This Morning" at the same time her hometown paper Castleford, Connecticut's Daily Herald rips her up apparently because the editor is angry with her mother. However that is nothing compared to finding the corpse of Wilson Delafield, torched to death in his garden shed probably because the ace reporter exposed him as an animal arsonist. That follows up with the author of the nasty editorial beaten to death and left on the doorstep of Sally's Connecticut house. The police know Sally is the link between the two homicides, but how is impossible to fathom. Meanwhile Sally struggles in her personal life too. She enjoys her quality time with the much younger former California cop Paul Fitzwilliam. However at an affiliate convention, her other lover attorney David Waring arrives along with someone who plans to kill Sally. The key that keeps the Harrington tales fresh is the support cast; whether they are recurring or new, each is unique and brings fascinating perspectives to the story line. The villain is a mean individual seeking vengeance while Sally's lovers are as competitive towards her as ever. However Sally remains the center as her career continues to take off with a lot of homicides in her wake. Fans of the series will enjoy Laura Van Wormer's latest thriller. Harriet Klausner

Drama just seems to follow Sally Harrington everywhere she goes. No matter how she tries to avoid trouble, trouble finds her. Now the Mafia trial mess is behind her, she hopes. She has a relationship building with Paul Fitzwilliam, the police officer who followed her from California to the east, she hopes. There is still some unfinished business with David Waring that she will have to deal with later, she hopes not. And she is starting a new job with the DBS Network as a co-anchor of a morning show "DBS News America This Morning". Then the feds show up. One of Sally's former bosses is beaten severely and left for dead on the doorstep of Sally's Connecticut home. The police believe it to be somehow linked to the recent death of a millionaire that Sally has JUST finished interviewing. Since Sally is connected to both events, even though she could not possibly have anything to do with it herself, the police plan to keep close tabs. **** For those of us who watch the news, it all seems so easy. As long as you are presentable, in whatever way the Public currently considers "presentable", can enunciate well, and not let your personal feelings show on your face as you read distressing news, then being an anchor or reporter on TV is a glamorous job. Well, the Sally Harrington novels shows how difficult it really is. The author, Laura Van Wormer, clearly shows what goes on off the camera. (She certainly convinced me not to ever enter the field.) The author takes this difficult, hard hitting setting and adds in some dark, vindictive people. Then the main character, Sally, is surrounded by a variety of characters that differ from each other in every way, shape, and form. It all keeps the pace flowing at a steady clip while the reader takes it all in with ease. Expect some interesting tid bits from the secondary characters. A terrific read! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.