Murder of the Month: A Jane Serrano Mystery

By Elizabeth C. Main

Book Overview

Murder of the Month combines one struggling independent bookstore, two mysterious deaths, a book club of amateur sleuths, and a one-eyed dog named Wendell. Stirred into a lethal mix, they prove to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615484999
• ISBN13: 9780615484990
• Release Date: May 2011
• Publisher: Lava River Press
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Good Read

This book after a slow start was an entertaining, well written mystery. The characters were real, might even remind you of someone you know. "Murder of the Month" prompted good discussions for book club.

Just a few more pages....

Murder of the Month is the kind of book you think about at work and then can't wait to get home so that you can read just a little bit more. (Or maybe you've tucked it into your purse hoping for heavy traffic on the way home..prime reading time). The book's protagonist, Jane, unravels the clues of a crime while at the same time sharing her everyday life frustrations regarding the colorful characters in her mystery book group. Each character in the book group is well-developed enough for us as readers to get exasperated with them, as Jane does. But our preconceived notions about each character are challenged right along with Jane's as the plot unfolds piece by piece. Elizabeth Main writes in a warm and inviting style. Her undeniable wit and excellent writing ability clearly come through the pages of this book; she somehow manages to write in a way and combines humor, suspense, and a sense of irony (dogs that solve crimes in their spare time???) while allowing the reader to completely sympathize with her main character. The premise is so clever (a book group that solves a mystery, each with their own favorite type of mystery novel) is so clever that it begs for more...a series perhaps??? Yes please!!! This is a must-read, but be forewarned. If you are the kind of reader who reads the last few minutes of your day before going to sleep, this one will keep you up....maybe just a few more pages....

terrific amateur sleuth

In Russell County, Oregon, forty-two years old grandma Jane Serrano lived a fairy tale life until her beloved spouse of over twenty years died. Her three daughters worry about Jane, but the older two reside out of state and the nineteen year old youngest Bianca has frustrated Jane who studies the book Making Peace with Your Adult Child. Jane works at Thornton Books and hosts the Murder of the Month Book Club. Bianca, a club member, insists that Russell County DA Gil Fortune killed his wife Vanessa though the police insist it was an unfortunate accident when she fell into the Crooked River Gorge. Bianca bases her belief on her Wendell, a club member who is a dog more interested in the food than the books. He barked at Gil just like that classic mystery novel Prove It, Puppy!. The teen sells the idea to the other members (Minnie the senior citizen, Ty the teen and Alex the female cynic) that they need to investigate the crime while Jane ponders how to escape from these lunatics. As the amateur sleuths make inquiries the culprit plans to kill anyone who learns the truth. MURDER OF THE MONTH is a terrific amateur sleuth that lightly satirizes the sub-genre and animal detective tales. The story line blends the right amount of serious family conflict with an engaging investigation by a group who follow the book (albeit a puppy detective fiction). Jane is the wonderful center that keeps the main plot together as she considers murdering her youngest offspring and trying to stop the club members from behaving stupidly. Hopefully the audience will have more inquiries by this snoop of the month club. Harriet Klausner