The Student Body

Susan Henshaw decides to go back to college after her children leave home. She is nervous about the prospect of returning to the academic life and trying to relate to 18-22-year-olds. She goes through the usual pangs of attending class and taking tests, but the real problems begin when her lab partner is murdered with Susan's backpack. Of course, suspicion centers on Susan, so she has to investigate the murder in self defense. She discovers that the murder victim had meddled in many people's lives and that several people might have a motive to murder her. Her semester of work parallels her investigation, and as finals approach, Susan zeroes in on the murderer. This book is recommended reading for "cozy" fans.

When Susan Henshaw suburban mom goes back to school, she finds murder instead.Every Valerie Wolzien novel is fun to read and the plots easy to follow. For long time fans the addition of two new characters will be something to cheer for. New readers to the series will want to go back to the beginning and follow Susan through her adventures from PTA soccer mom to Mother of the Bride and now college student.

I could not wait for this new Susan Henshaw mystery to be released and was not at all disappointed. Susan seems like a dear friend of mine and her experiences going back to school were very believable and endearing. I was also suprised at the final conclusion to the murder solving. Once again Valerie Wolzien came through. I can't wait for the next one!

Not only is this a good mystery and a good read but those of us who have read the entire series have seen the heroine and her family grow along with our families. This is just another step in that growth and we get a good mystery besides.

Susan Henshaw suffers from empty nest syndrome since her daughter got married and her son is away at college. Swearing not to vegetate, Susan enrolls at a nearby college. She figures all that studying will keep this fifty year old from investigating homicides as she has in the past. A few weeks into the semester, her astronomy partner dies and Susan's backpack is the murder weapon. The police officers feel Susan is the prime suspect. Adding to Susan's woes is the fact that the detective assigned to the case is prejudice against suburban housewives entering college ever since he was personally burned by one. Susan knows that to clear her name she must make her own inquiries. Valerie Wolzien writes both the Josie Pigeon and Susan Henshaw tales, but both are so good, who makes the better sleuth is a mystery unto itself. In THE STUDENT BODY, the female protagonist is changing her life even though she fears the outcome. That personal insight adds much to an interesting who-done-it story line loaded with red herrings. Still, the characters turn this novel into a first class reading experience.Harriet Klausner