"Murder in the Master" By Judy L. Murray: Review/Giveaway

Review by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

 “I am a bit of a mystery addict, that is until Al’s murder. That’s way too close to home. I’m beginning to realize there’s a huge difference between reading mysteries and living them. I may have to rethink my interest.”—Helen Morrisey in Murder in the Master, A Chesapeake Bay Mystery

 Fifty-three-year-old Helen Morrisey is a recent widow having lost her husband Andy in a tragic accident at a construction site. She’s a mother of twins Lizzie and Shawn, and, as they are now adults, she’s living life as an empty nester. She’s an enthusiastic mystery fan of many iconic literary heroines from Nancy and Trixie in her youth to Mrs-es. Charles, Raisin, and Fletcher, and Miss Marple, and when confronted with varying problematic situations, she may quote them or use their style, methods, and personality to find a solution. She loves Twizzlers and her cats Trixie Beldon and Watson, is comfortable, active, and well respected by colleagues in the real estate community for which she’s worked for twenty-three years. She is also involved in selling homes in the newest luxury development from Capelli Builders. A great opportunity!


➡ switch to KingsRiverLife.com for more articles ⬅

Image Source Level Best Books
Murder in the Master Earns 5/5 Open Houses…Engaging & Entertaining!

Helen owns Safe Harbor Realtors in Port Anne, Maryland, and is not shy to say she’s seen it all…until today. While showing a luxury home to potential buyers, she finds a naked, dead body in the master bedroom. In her efforts to channel childhood heroine Nancy Drew’s spunky courage she carefully checks the body…definitely dead! The victim is friend Al Capelli, the owner of Capelli Builders and a man of wealth and influence, and whether you liked him or not, his death is bound to be page one headlines. The lead investigator, Detective Joe McAlister, is originally from Baltimore, and although Helen notices he’s handsome and learns he’s single, she says she’s not in the market…yet. He has learned from colleagues at the department that Helen is quite clever, and since she’s an insider with knowledge of the real estate community, he may find her insights valuable. But, her channeling literary heroines, many he doesn’t recognize, is a quirk he is trying to understand. Together they focus on the usual suspects—a wife, a girlfriend, a couple of brothers, friends and foe in and outside business—but the details, secrets, a friend’s arrest, and another murder make it very complicated. Helen thinks, What would Agatha Raisin do? Joe replies, Who?

Sold! Judy L. Murray’s first book in her Chesapeake Bay Mystery is a “couldn’t put it down” mystery with an entertaining writing style, diverse characters, and a complex investigation to challenge my own inner Miss Marple. The investigation entangles many close to both victims which offers a large suspect pool and avenues to explore for Helen and Detective McAlister. With dead ends, wrong ends, and loose ends the drama gets ramped up, and as no good deed goes unpunished, Helen’s business is in jeopardy along with her personal safety as well as friends’ and family’s. The final perilous reveal is an intense chase to stay alive with an added shocking twist. Whew! Brilliant! Helen Morrisey is a mature character with whom many cozy fans, like me, can identify, and her cleverness rooted in the mysteries she’s read over her lifetime is a fun element. I thought how many times have I quoted a literary or television figure? Plenty! She has a loving connection with her children, enlisting their assistance, and is greatly effected when repercussions arise from her participation. She’s real, and I like that. Her relationship with Detective Joe has it all, too, from conflict to consensus, from private to plain-spoken, and from not now to maybe. I like that, too!

 Be a Big Judy L. Murray Fan!

Judy Murray uses her own knowledge of the real estate world, love of her home Chesapeake Bay, and her passion for mysteries and strong, intelligent detectives to create The Chesapeake Bay Mysteries. Great beginning to a series. I’m eager for more.

Facebook: Judy L. Murray Mysteries

Website: Judy L. Murray Mysteries

To enter to win an ebook copy of Murder in the Master, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "master,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 19, 2022. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter.  If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode just went up.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

Post a Comment