Reviewed By Liz

ISBN 0-312-20598-8

Looking at the cover, you might mistake this book for a food-themed mystery, but you would be wrong. The mystery centers around a restaurant jointly owned by the murder victim and several of the suspects, but not much food is involved. But don’t let that deter you…

To Die For is a mystery that will keep you guessing. There are several suspects who all look very good for the murder at different times as they vie for control of the restaurant and all try to stay afloat financially. There are complicated relationships, legal machinations, and lots of jockeying back and forth between the players and you become immersed in the situation. I found myself wishing that I knew more about contract law in one moment, and frantically trying to figure out who knew what when the next.

The part of the book that I found awkward was the introduction of the police detective, John McLeish, and his amateur detective wife, Francesca Wilson, into the story. Wilson works at the school that one of the restaurant partners attended and this character initially asks her for some advice on the restaurant situation and then gloms on to her in an unbelievably intimate fashion (to me at least). The McLeish/Wilson side of the story and the restaurant crowd never truly meshed.

However, we did get to meet some of Francesca Wilson’s interesting family who are mostly involved in the music business and keep having dinner parties at the troubled restaurant. The relationship between Wilson and McLeish is also interesting, but I found his character more deeply developed than hers in this book.

Favorite character? A minor but intriguing character named Peter Graebner, but there are lots of good ones. Did I guess it? No. Will I read another? Absolutely.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

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