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autumnmhassett 's review for:
The summer of love and death
by Marcy McCreary
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best novel yet from Marcy McCreary! I was hooked from the beginning of this Agatha Christie-Woodstock-inspired whodunit!
"The Summer of Love and Death" is the third mystery in the "Ford Family Mystery series." While this can be a standalone, I recommend picking up "The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon" and "The Murder of Madison Garcia" because there are a few references in this book where a backstory will add richness. Anyway, Detective Susan Ford has a new partner, Jack - an investigation into the murder of a summer theatre director ensues. The murder is gruesome and it was on the set of "Murder on the Orient Express." Susan shares the case details with her father, retired Detective Will Ford, who has flashbacks to a similar string of serial killings in 1969, right when Woodstock was in full swing.
This is the first time we get Will's POV and Marcy does an excellent job of balancing the dual timeline and multiple POVs. The long chapters provided depth and context and made me feel more immersed in the story. (Truthfully, I'm a sucker for long chapters because I just like to read, people!).
After reading three of Marcy's novels, she has a signature writing style that includes some wild characters. There are just enough characters to keep you on the edge of your seat and I felt like I was solving this case right alongside Susan. I even needed to go back and re-read a few times, which I loved because it meant I did not see something coming.
I don't want to give anything away, of course, but Marcy includes a heartfelt author's note in the back of her book, detailing the inspiration behind one of the characters. I worked with Marcy a few years back and to share this intimate detail, well, thank you, Marcy, for letting us in.
And thank you to Marcy and CamCat Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Summer of Love and Death" is the third mystery in the "Ford Family Mystery series." While this can be a standalone, I recommend picking up "The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon" and "The Murder of Madison Garcia" because there are a few references in this book where a backstory will add richness. Anyway, Detective Susan Ford has a new partner, Jack - an investigation into the murder of a summer theatre director ensues. The murder is gruesome and it was on the set of "Murder on the Orient Express." Susan shares the case details with her father, retired Detective Will Ford, who has flashbacks to a similar string of serial killings in 1969, right when Woodstock was in full swing.
This is the first time we get Will's POV and Marcy does an excellent job of balancing the dual timeline and multiple POVs. The long chapters provided depth and context and made me feel more immersed in the story. (Truthfully, I'm a sucker for long chapters because I just like to read, people!).
After reading three of Marcy's novels, she has a signature writing style that includes some wild characters. There are just enough characters to keep you on the edge of your seat and I felt like I was solving this case right alongside Susan. I even needed to go back and re-read a few times, which I loved because it meant I did not see something coming.
I don't want to give anything away, of course, but Marcy includes a heartfelt author's note in the back of her book, detailing the inspiration behind one of the characters. I worked with Marcy a few years back and to share this intimate detail, well, thank you, Marcy, for letting us in.
And thank you to Marcy and CamCat Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.