Book Review Challenge – Review from Elizabeth

Today we have a book review from Book Review Challenger Elizabeth Lloyd.

She chose to read and review “Death In A Red Canvas Chair” by N.A. Granger

Here is her review.

Death in a Red Canvas chair by N A Granger

The eye catching title page of this murder mystery exactly reflects the prologue where the victim is deposited in full sight of a group of mother’s watching their sons’ soccer match, but the scene has been set specifically for Rhe Brewster, our heroine and narrator. Rhe is a part-time emergency nurse, wife and mother whose stubborn, determined character make her an ideal investigator with a penchant for putting herself in danger, which adds to the drama.

Gradually, Rhe’s life growing up in the small Maine coastal town help her to unravel both the reason for the victim’s death and a conspiracy involving many significant people in the community. The back story of communication problems within her marriage and valued relationships with others ensure that the reader will want to return to Rhe’s life in future mysteries.

Characterisation is well developed, especially in the case of Sam, the police chief and some, apparently minor characters, tease the reader. Are they only a small part of the plot or will they prove to be part of the major criminal activity?

As a British reader I had trouble with some of the vocabulary. I had to look up Mirandized (read your rights) and had no idea what a “red slicker” was but generally Ms Granger has a fluent, clear style of writing which advances the storyline while enabling us to understand Rhe’s feelings. Some of the quotes she makes from literature and songs are unfortunately misquotes which are difficult to ignore, but Rhe’s original comments such as her, “peculiar sense of ownership of this crime,” enhance the narrative.

The balance of problem solving, “edge of seat” events and a heroine who is likeable and real, make this an enjoyable read and I shall certainly look forward to her next venture into the precarious world of crime.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com