Anne K. Edwards Reviews

Added May 29, 2004

Death on Delivery

Author: Anne K. Edwards
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Available At: www.twilighttimesbooks.com/
Publishing Date: Available Now
Genre: Mystery
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML
Price: $4.50
ISBN: 1-931201-59-5
Author Email/Website: www.mysteryfiction.net
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo

Death on Delivery changes the meaning of C.O.D. to "corpse on demand".

Greedy Jania Yewbanks signed for a package that was meant to be a gift for her husband's secretary, and then decides to keep the lovely earrings for herself. In minutes, she's dead. The police close the case, but Hannah Clare, former private investigator and daily reader of the obituaries, wants to dig a little deeper. She returns to her former job with Cole Investigators and goes undercover as a housekeeper for the new widower, Ted Yewbanks. With her brilliant deduction abilities, she is able to clean up more than Ted's dirty kitchen!

Although the reader learns early on in the book who killed Jania Yewbanks, it's the downward spiral of the murderer that becomes the story. The death may have been delivered quickly and efficiently, but the aftermath is a slow process. This reviewer likens it to a domino effect, where the first murder is followed by a couple more, as the person tries to cover their tracks.

One thing that stands out in this book is the characters! A good murder needs a good motive, and the author has created characters that provide just that. There's selfish and arrogant Ted, his nosy neighbor, Freda, and her oaf of a cousin, Clarence. After the first murder, the reader can practically feel the tension that develops between the characters, and will wonder when the next death will occur. Actually, a couple of these characters are so vile, that the reader may actually hope the next murder happens soon!

At the top of the character list, is grandma-turned-private investigator, Hannah Clare. She is one shrewd sweetheart! Slightly overweight, but always on top of things, she's a huggable version of Agatha Christie. Tooling around town in a pint-sized VW, Hannah makes some big discoveries in these murders, and puts herself in danger. This book is the first in the Hannah Clare series, and this reviewer can't wait to read about the next case with this savvy senior!

Death on Delivery is first-class!

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