Deadly Quiet

Blurb

Eliza Fox must be smarter than the police and a step ahead of the killer.

When an exchange student is found dead in the music practice rooms of Wexford College, there are few suspects and no clear answers. Martina Noto's parents will fly into California from Rome as soon as they can, but until then the nearest relatives are Martina's cousins: Private Investigator Eliza Fox and her mother, Francesca Noto-Fox.

As detectives Byron Comstock and Jessica Fonseca get familiar with the case, Eliza is determined to help catch Martina's killer. She quickly begins her own investigation and is soon caught up in the twists and turns of finding the murderer, a far cry from her usual work as a paralegal. Often out of her depth, Eliza must overcome her own inexperience and learn to trust her instincts as she fumbles through her first high-stakes case.

Filled with both humor and suspense, this is one traditional mystery novel you don't want to miss.

 

Thoughts

This book by Cathleen Watkins was supposed to be a quick, easy, relaxing read. However, the unexpected heat wave in my part of the world and a few health issues made it slightly laborious.

The story lacked depth because it was told from multiple perspectives, and the back stories of the characters were not well-developed. Although touted as an Eliza Fox mystery, the police seem to have a prominent role in the investigation.

The locale and campus life were described well. Eliza’s methods of gathering information and using a journalist to pressure the police were interesting.

As I was in the middle of reading the V. I. Warshawski mystery series by Sara Paretsky, I couldn’t help comparing the two. But it is early days, and this is just book one in the Eliza Fox series.

So, overall, I would rate this an okay read.

Note: I received an advance copy from BookSirens in return for an honest review.