Murder in a Coastal Town & Other Stories

I am a big fan of mystery stories and really liked this book. This book is dominated by the 130 page story “Murder at Buckley Liquors”. Although I like the other shorter stories in this book, I really enjoyed this longer story. The author has time to fully develop an intricate, interwoven plot and feature a bunch of really interesting characters that I grow to know and like/dislike. I had trouble putting this particular story down, wanting to know how the story would end. It features a senator’s husband on trial for his life, accused of murder. The private eye narrator and juror struggles to break down the evidence and attempts to influence others on the jury. The detailed jury deliberation after the trial was my favorite part. If you like mystery stories that make you think, this is a definite must read.

I’m not a big reader, but I bought this book on the advice of a friend who said I would like it. I was skeptical because murder mystery didn’t sound like something that would interest me. Was I surprised! The author really kept my interest, and had me guessing (incorrectly) as to what the end results of his stories would be. I’ve already ordered two more of Mr. Lee’s books…can’t wait to read them!

I had a doctor’s appointment, and was expecting a long wait, so a friend lent me this book. When they called my name at the hospital, I thought, “wow, that was quick.” Turned out it was about a half hour, but I guess I was completely caught up in Mr. Lee’s stories, and didn’t notice. I highly recommend the book, and plan to buy more by this author.

A few of this author’s books were lent to me by a friend. I’ve found the characters to be well-developed and the author paints a vivid scene. The stories are thought provoking, and make the reader read closely to try to speculate on the ending. I’m often led down a road with lots of twist and turns, and lots of surprises. Well done!

I took this with me on a long plane flight, and it was perfect reading–not too heavy, but challenging enough to stimulate my thinking. I liked all the stories, especially “Murder at Buckley Liquors”, which drew me into the drama and kept me wondering right to the end.