Signature Murder

By Patricia Frieder

Book Overview

When rich and eccentric Isadora Stanton is found brutally murdered in her Santa Fe home, attorney Matty Donahue has more than one reason to mourn. For one thing, Matty had come to love the cranky,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553576127
• ISBN13: 9780553576122
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Crimeline
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

mixed plus

Medium read overall, but nice complex ending

A New Mexico mystery at its best

Frieder gives you a feel for New Mexico, the law, the life, and the personalities of the people who settle here. I was delighted to read a book that had wit, wisdom, and insight. There are no paper characters to be found in this book. Each person is developed. But the best part, as with any good mystery, is the way the plot unfolds. Every twist and turn is a new revelation. We are there to discover what Matty feels and the freshness of each new moment, each new sceen is true to life. It is not only about the mystery but about the mystery solver. Get to know Matty and how she fights to survive.

A new talent on the mystery scene

In New Mexico, attorney Matty Donahue struggles to straighten her life out after a devastating case that almost led to her being disbarred. To survive, Matty handles the dregs assigned to her by the Frederick and Danforth law firm. However, history has a tendency to repeat itself and Matty may find herself trying to dig herself out from a new disaster. Isadora Stanton has been found murdered in her bed with her hand chopped off. The prime suspect is her new chauffeur Teddy Bellasando, who once killed his mother in an identical "signature murder". Matty, who thinks Teddy is innocent, was the person who got Teddy the job with Isadora. It is up to her to prove he did not do it in order to save her own tattered career. SIGNATURE MURDER is a brilliant mixing of elements from the amateur sleuth sub-genre with the legal thriller. The novel is fast-paced and the sub-plots move the tale forward while adding interesting moments. Matty is a great character, who hopefully will appear in future novels by a wonderful new talent, Pat Frieder. Harriet Klausner