Overkill: An Emma Streat Mystery

By Eugenia Lovett West

Emma Streat is rebuilding her shattered life in Boston when she receives an SOS from Venice. She must come at once to intervene in a disastrous affair between her opera singer niece, Vanessa, and a notorious playboy. But the night Emma and Vanessa return home, Vanessa is struck down by what appears to be the first case of avian flu in the United States. Suddenly Emma is forced to cope with the medical world. As the case assumes a larger, international aspect, she finds herself working again with a charismatic British peer. Will their unusual relationship survive Emma's new interest in a brilliant doctor? After two shocking murders, Emma has to rev up her now-established talent for making unlikely connections, in order to smoke out a lethal global network that sells stolen viruses-and save herself from a painful and horrifying death. Eugenia Lovett West's sequel to Without Warning is a fast-moving, thrilling ride, featuring a resourceful, mature woman, a unique character in crime fiction today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312371144
• ISBN13: 9780312371142
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 1.1" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

A stylish, upscale mystery

An opera singer, race car driver, and an English lord--author Eugenia Lovett West creates a compelling stew with her upscale characters and locations. The action moves from Vienna to Boston, London, and Ireland as heroine Emma Streat tries to solve two murders--and stop an international ring of traffickers in deadly viruses. I found Emma Streat a compelling heroine: an elegant, resourceful mature woman with courage and wit. I found myself thinking of another Emma, Emma Peel of the original Avengers serial, who also broke stereotypes as she tracked criminals. I can't wait to read the next book in the Emma Streat series.

engaging amateur sleuthcozy

In Boston, Widow Emma Streat tries to start anew as she grieves the death of her husband Lewis, the destruction of their house, and the loss of her singing voice. The former Diva suddenly receives an SOS from Cathy Riordan in Venice, Italy to intervene before her opera singing niece Vanessa Metcalf makes a terrible miscue; Vanessa's assistant insists Emma's relative is risking her career to run away with a racing driving wealthy womanizer. Mark Dykstra, Vanessa's accompanist, hangs himself to the shock and horror of the three women. Emma's lover British espionage agent Lord Rodale quietly investigates the death as he also arranges for the aunt and niece to fly to Massachusetts. As a second murder occurs, Vanessa becomes ill from what is apparently the avian flu. The second Emma Streat amateur sleuth tale (see Without Warning) is an engaging cozy as the fortyish heroine connects the seemingly unlinked dots. The story line is fun to follow though somewhat passive as Mrs. Streat works the case from a distance. Fans of cerebral couch potatoes whodunits will enjoy the efforts of Mrs. Streat to identify who the killer is and why. Harriet Klausner