Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Shedding Light on Murder-Patricia Driscoll

Shedding Light on Murder


Patricia Driscoll

Five Star, Feb 8 2012, $25.95

ISBN 9781432825539



Former probation officer Grace Tolliver owns Pearl’s Antique Lamps and Shades in Barnstable Village on Cape Cod. Client Danielle Whitney calls asking Grace to pick up a lamp the picky socialite wants cleaned and rewired. Grace sends employee Duane Kerbey to complete the chore.



Soon afterward, the police arrest the Pinewood halfway house parolee Duane on a charge of murdering Whitney. Grace knows she must mind her business, but wonders what motive her employee had and besides she feels she owes Duane for sending him over to the Whitney home. With help from store employees (Michael Shipworth and Bella Benson), she investigates finding a motley crew who had motive and opportunity to kill the nasty victim. However Grace wonders whether Danielle’s angry acrimonious brother Howard, Valerie the offender realtor, or Father Murrey caught searching for the deceased’s diary murdered the obnoxious Danielle.



Readers will feel they are on the Cape during a series of blizzards “as the weather outside is frightful”, but to the victim and the accused not very delightful. Grace knows she already has flak from villagers who resent her hiring Duane so she has another motive to uncover the truth. This is a strong wintry suspense amateur sleuth.



Harriet Klausner

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