The Shape of Dread

Marcia Muller has developed a formulaic approach in presenting the tales of her famous private eye, Sharon McCone. It seems to fit the bill - no deep psychological dramas (Elizabeth George) or alphabet soup (A is for ....), no coroners or little old ladies - just the unflappable McCone going about her business, solving crimes and getting involved in things she never planned.This is a short read, a good whodunit where past sins have now stepped forward to claim their retribution. Interesting insight into the world of standup comedy.

A criminal lawyer at All Souls Legal Cooperative is troubled by a convicted criminal who is on Death Row and has confessed to a murder. The confession is full of holes and the lawyer does not believe that Bobby Foster is really guilty. When he shares his concerns with PI Sharon McCone, she agrees to do some investigating into the situation. She decides that the only way to get Bobby off the hook is to find the person who did commit the murder. The case is two years old and Sharon fears that the trail has grown cold, but she perseveres in her investigation and interviews anyone who had any connection to the victim, Tracy Kostakos. She turns up some disturbing information about Tracy and begins to understand why she was the target for murder. This is a good addition to this series, and continues to develop the characters that Muller's fans have read about in previous books.