The Hard Way: A Rachel Alexander Mystery

This is, to me, the best to date, even though I fell in love with Dash and his partner in book One. Her social commentary is right on, and the description of "Eunice's" daily treks were so engrossing I thought I was back in NYC. Time just flew, and there I was feeling seeing and grateful, that I have a roof over my head, food to eat, health insurance!!! and my family. Ms. Benjamin's stories are well done, packed move quickly, but even in the midst of the primary story line, she gives us a social commentary to "worry" on - that is a wonderful way to have an interesting story and remember others around us. I lived in NYC (as a consultant for the software firm I was employed by)for 6 months - June to Dec 23rd 1994 - I had the most difficult time ignoring the homeless and when we encountered a woman panhandling I always gave money - especially to those that I was close to in age, because, there but by the Grace of God, go I.

Ms. Benjamin does it again, another wonderful read, an engaging mystery that gives glimpses into worlds most of us never see. I felt cold when reading about the homeless out in the snow and ice and felt a different kind of cold watching the very rich waste their oh so disposable income. A thoughful and thought provoking read, I highly recommend it.

When Eleanor Redstone hires Private Investigation Rachel Alexander to find the man who pushed her father into the path of on oncoming subway train, little does she know how the case is going to effect her life. The police have no clues and after questioning the witnesses, who all seem to have just a different take on the situation, Rachel doesn't either. So she decides to go undercover as a homeless person. While in disguise she meets and befriends Eddie Perkins, an Iraqi War vet who can't remember his real name. He has trouble remembering other stuff too. Eddie is homeless and living on New York's mean streets. With Eddie's help, Rachel is able to find the man who supposedly pushed Gardner Redstone in front of that train, but after talking to him, Rachel doesn't believe he did it, so she keeps looking and what she finds will not only surprise her, but you as well. I like Carol Lea Benjamin's stories. She has a way of writing that makes Rachel seem human. I almost feel as if I know her. Ms. Benjamin also has a way of not only drawing you into her stories, but of making you think. In this book she does an excellent job of showing the readers, by virtue of Rachel's undercover jobs, the vast difference between the way the homeless and the wealthy live. I know it should be obvious to most, but I have to admit, until reading this, I hadn't given much thought as to how the homeless survive, especially in winter. Ms. Benjamin opened my mind to this without being even the least bit preachy. She did it in the context of a superb mystery, one I just know you're going to love as much as I did. Reviewed by Vesta Irene

Successful Owner of GR Leather on Fourteenth Street in Manhattan, designer Gardner Redstone is in the subway when he falls onto the tracks just as a train arrived. Seven witnesses inform the police he was pushed. However, they do not agree on much more than that the culprit was a tall homeless male. The cops fail to find the killer who they assume is a maniac. Gardner's daughter Eleanor hires dog trainer and private investigator Rachel Alexander to uncover the truth and identify her dad's killer. To do so Rachel goes undercover as Eunice a bag lady. However, at first she learns how to survive being homeless when a veteran mentors her. That does not help solve the case nor does interviewing the seven though their eyewitness accounts begin to unravel. At GR Leather she learns two employees recently died, which makes the sleuth and her canine partner Dashiell wonder if the killer's motive was not a loose maniacal frenzy, but a disguised cleverly handled homicide related to the upscale leather business. The whodunit and why takes a back seat to the comparisons between the two Manhattans; that of the wealthy vs. that of the street poor though a forced application of Thomas Carlisle's theory on the clothing of man takes somewhat away from the urinated formalwear compared with high quality leather. Rachel and Dashiell are at their very best when she meets the homeless Vet who though a bit off center teaches her the ropes of street survival. The murder mystery is fun to follow, but the interrogation of seven witnesses to the same event becomes a bit weary even if each sees things different. Still overall this is a fascinating tale as Rachel and the reader learns first hand what its like to walk in the ripped sneakers of a homeless person. Harriet Klausner

The daughter of Gardner Redstone hires Rachel Alexander to find the person who pushed her father into the path of an oncoming subway train. The police are stymied and the daughter wants answers. Of course there are a few witnesses and Rachel begins interviewing them all. Rachel must listen and study the varied stories told to her by a little boy, a ditsy lady, an ornery little store owner, and a grandmother. Rachel does not seem to be doing any better than the police did, so she decides to go undercover as a homeless woman. Her disguise is not very good though, so she asks Eddie Perkins, a war veteran who is living on the New York streets, to help her. **** Author Carol Lea Benjamin has another winner on her hands with this, the ninth novel in the Rachel Alexander mystery series. This book is aptly named too. I found myself more interested in the lives of the homeless and how they cope than anything else, especially during the winter. An extremely well written story that will open the eyes of many readers to the homeless situation, while challenging their intellect. **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.