Posed for Murder

By Meredith Cole

Lydia McKenzie is a photographer about to have her first one-woman show. On the night of her showing, however, two plain clothes policemen close down the event and take Lydia in for questioning: a young woman who was the model in one of her photographs has been murdered.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312378564
• ISBN13: 9780312378561
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

An Artful, Skillful Mystery

When I first heard about the concept for this book, I admit that I thought of the '70s movie "The Eyes of Laura Mars." So, I'm happy to report that this book is nothing like the movie. It has a lot more heart. This has been one of my favorite reads this year. I didn't guess the identity of the murderer. Usually, my guesses get close - but not this time. I had trouble putting the book down to get on with life. I enjoyed the look into the life of an emerging New York arts photographer, along with her circle of artsy friends. It made me want to go to Williamsburg just for a gallery crawl. Lydia's life also includes elements that make her capabilities needed later in the book feasible. I also liked watching how Lydia matured and grew in the course of the book. I hope we see her in future installments.

Great debut mystery!

Meredith Cole won the St. Martin's Press "Malice Domestic" writing competition with her debut novel POSED FOR MURDER, and small wonder. Meredith knows New York City, photography, fashion, and the art world--all of which play prominent roles in this fast-paced whodunnit. When aspiring artist Lydia McKenzie's models start geting murdered (posed exactly as they were in Lydia's gallery photos) she swings into action to protect her remaining friends. With the aid of the handsome Detective Romero, her vivacious gal pal Georgia, and a host of other engaging characters, Lydia launches an investigation of her own--and hopefully a long-lasting book series. As Georgia says of Lydia's art work, "Sugar, they can't help but be intrigued."

Exciting murder mystery with style

Rating: 4.5 stars "She had never killed so many people in so many ways". That is exactly how "Posed for Murder" begins with Lydia McKenzie relishing in her photographic genius. Her hauntingly brilliant photographs are being displayed in her first art show and Lydia is trying to take it all in. Lydia dressed her friends up as her models and recreated scenes of real murders she had read about described in great detail. Though she is worried that people might misunderstand her intentions of recreating unsolved murders of the past, she hopes that people can recognize them for their beauty and perhaps even help in the identification of the victims, who have yet to be recognized. However, nothing could have prepared her for what happens next. When one of her models and friend is found dead in the same pose as in Lydia's photo, the police begin a close investigation that leaves Lydia paranoid and in desperate need of answers. Being the independent woman that she is, Lydia decides to conduct her own investigation and becomes personally involved in a shocking murder mystery. From the very first sentence, I was intrigued by the book and its compelling and unique plot. Although Lydia's photographs are creepy in some ways, I think her intentions to create beauty and honor the dead are commendable. Lately I've been reading a lot more mysteries and thrillers, but I'm always a little wary that I'll solve the case too soon and spoil the surprise. I'm happy to say that "Posed for Murder" kept me guessing until the very end and concluded with a satisfying twist. It comes as no surprise that "Posed for Murder" is the winner of Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition! I loved that the main character was a strong woman and a great role model, not relying on others to seek out answers. She has her own funky fashion sense and stays true to herself. In the face of danger, Lydia rises to the challenge. She is the ultimate heroine and I loved following her to very end of the story. Though this is Meredith Cole's first novel, she already shows much talent with her creative and well-crafted writing. I loved how modern and fresh the story was and the way it differs from traditional mystery books. I look forward to reading more from Meredith in the future! http://bookopolis.blogspot.com

Great read

I usually read non-fiction but I have been known to pick up a mystery novel or two. I am a big fan of Sue Grafton and Cole's book Posed For Murder was along the same vein. Unlike other reviewers, I don't want to give anything away in the story except to say that I did not anticipate the ending and I enjoyed the book. I think Cole did a great job with character development and I feel that the main character, Lydia is someone I would want to know. She's strong, but not without flaws. Her passion for vintage clothing is a little quirky but fun. If Cole writes another book in this series, I will definitely buy it!

From S. Krishna's Books

Meredith Cole is one of the 2009 Debs at The Debutante Ball. If you haven't heard of The Debutante Ball, it's a group blog which features debut authors. I've either read or plan to read all the books they have featured or recommended and they have never once steered me wrong. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already! Posed for Murder is the first mystery I've read in some time. I do enjoy mysteries, but I hate it when I figure out the ending halfway through the book, which is something that happens all too often. Posed for Murder, however, was a completely different story. In my arrogance, I thought I had the murders solved multiple times throughout the novel; however, Cole always threw me for a loop and moved in an entirely different direction. The ending was definitely a surprise, and a well-written one at that. Cole's storytelling ability and imagination should be commended; the entire book is a delight to read! I also loved the main character, Lydia. She was so strong and resilient, but the best part is that she didn't even realize it. She felt weak in her situation and decided to do something about it by asking questions and finding out as much as she could about the murders. She didn't intend to become an amateur detective, but she couldn't imagine doing nothing and just waiting for the murderer to strike again. I think Lydia is a testament to the power within us; she is dealt an incredible blow in life but she doesn't let it stop her. She is strong because she has to be, because to her being anything else just isn't an option. I feel like if I were to meet Lydia one day and tell her "I admire you because you were so strong in the face of such horrible occurrences," she would say, "I'm not strong, I just did what I had to do!" Meredith Cole is a great writer, and I hope we'll be seeing more from her soon. Posed for Murder was definitely left with some loose ends, and I hope that means this is the start to a series. I would love to read more about Lydia, and with Meredith Cole's imagination and writing ability, any sequels are sure to be just as great as the original! Edit: After writing this review, I happened upon a post at the Debutante Ball in which Meredith Cole discusses the second book in the SERIES - so it will be a series! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 http://www.skrishnasbooks.com/2009/02/posed-for-murder-meredith-cole.html