The SENTENCE is DEATH: a Novel by Anthony Horowitz...

The Sentence is Death: a Novel by Anthony Horowitz was published in 2019 by Harper Publishing. It is a classic yet modern-day whodunit with two main characters that couldn't be more different. Horowitz has again done a great job inserting himself into the second book of the Hawthorne and Horowitz Series as both narrator and one of the two protagonists in the story. This well-crafted novel has two storylines at work. 

The main plot centers on investigating the murder of a high-priced divorce attorney, Richard Pryce, in his home. A bottle of wine is used as a murder weapon. The catch...Richard doesn't drink, so where did the bottle come from, and why was this the weapon of choice? 

The subplot focuses on the slightly contentious relationship between the two men for whom the series is named. 

The storylines intersect when the police struggle to solve the case and call Daniel Hawthorne, a former detective and now a private investigator, to assist. Hawthorne, in turn, calls on Anthony Horowitz to follow him around, take notes, keep his mouth shut, and at the end of the day...write a book about him and the case he's currently working on...even though their first joint venture has yet to be published. Unfortunately, Hawthorne isn't very forthcoming with many, or any details for that matter, about his personal life to provide Horowitz with any background color to enhance the story. In addition, the two men aren't particularly fond of each other, or Horowitz, like most people, isn't that fond of Hawthorne. However, Anthony is interested in the case and again agrees to partner with Daniel on this latest venture. 

The book has all of the bells, whistles, and red herrings necessary to keep the story moving forward, one of which I could have done without. You must read the book to discover which one and whether you agree. You will definitely form an opinion. How does it all play out in the end? Again, you must read the book. But, overall, I think you will be satisfied.

My Personal Rating is ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The CHESTER CREEK MURDERS by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

The Chester Creek Murders by Nathan Dylan Goodwin was independently published in 2021 and is the first book in the Venator Cold Case Series, with the story centering on the murders of three young women whose bodies were dumped in Chester Creek. 

Detective Clayton Tyler is a police officer assigned to review and solve cold cases for the local police department. The file he chose to start with is the Chester Creek Murders. The problem? The murders were committed around 40 years ago, and no new clues or information has been revealed since the original investigation. 

With justice long overdue, Detective Tyler contacts Venator, a Utah-based company specializing in cutting-edge genetic genealogy investigations. Can this small team of investigators, using their expertise in forensic genealogy assisted by 21st-century technology, analyze the DNA evidence and find the identity of the person responsible for the three murders?

Goodwin’s novel explores the lives of the three victims to determine whether there is a shared connection between them and or the killer. It also delves into the personal lives of the Venator investigators and Detective Tyler and what drives them, adding a human element to the characters and keeping the story from becoming overly science-driven and dry. 

Genealogy-buffs will appreciate and recognize the research techniques and types of records searched for by the Venator team, making this book an excellent reference manual for their own research pursuits. 

So if you enjoy a good mystery and have a passion for genealogy, this book is for you.

My Personal Rating is: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

STILL LIFE: (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) by Louise Penny

Still Life: (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1) by Louise Penny was published in 2005 by Macmillan Publishers. The story is set in the fictitious small Canadian village of Three Pines near Montreal. When a body is discovered in the woods, Chief Inspector Gamache of the Surete du Quebec and his homicide team are called in to investigate.

Jane Neal, a 76-year-old retired school teacher, has been found dead. While reviewing the scene, Chief Inspector Gamache finds a small puncture wound in her chest. He determines that Jane's demise came from the most unnatural cause. It seems that Jane was shot with a wooden arrow. Was it a hunting accident? After all, Three Pines is a popular spot for hunting. 

Ben Hadley found the body; according to him, Jane was well-liked and respected by everyone in the community. Jane's neighbor and best friend, Clara Morrow, informs Gamache that Jane entered a painting called Fair Day as her submission to a local art gallery opening just before she died. Gamache finds it odd that Jane has never shown her art to anyone before. He also finds it curious that another of Jane's friends, Timmer, died just a few weeks earlier of cancer and that Fair Day was painted at the same time as Timmer's death. What makes things even more curious to Gamache is that during Jane's lifetime, she never let anyone into her house beyond her kitchen. Now that she's dead, Jane's niece Yolande Fontaine will not allow Gamache to go into Jane's house... at all.

What goes on here in this small village? What's happening in Jane's house that seems such a well-guarded secret? Who is Timmer, and how is her death connected to Jane and her painting? Most importantly, who killed Jane... and why?

Still Life is the first novel in the Chief Inspector Gamache Series. Penny's descriptive writing and character development make this book a page-turner. I did not figure out 'whodunit' until the end. It was also the first Louise Penny book that I've read. Fortunately, it won't be the last!

My Personal Review Rating...⭐⭐⭐⭐