Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Milwaukee Winters Can Be Murder by Kathleen Anne Barrett

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Emotions always get the better of Beth Hartley, a writer of legal briefs and a former lawyer. Twice married, once divorced and once widowed, Beth likes working out of her home, setting her own hours, and still surrounding herself with law books; plus, she happily no longer has to argue in a courtroom. What could be better? When her secretary Janice's brother Dave is found dead in his apartment, Janice asks Beth to prove that Dave was murdered. Written in the first person, Beth takes the reader through her mis-steps, deductions and conclusions. As Beth gets closer to finding the truth, she faces her greatest challenge: survival. Published in 1996 by Avalon Books, this is the first in the Milwaukee mystery series.

This book may be a little hard to find - it is out of print according to Amazon.com, and Adams County Library System does not have it on the shelves, but it is a treat to read (asking to get it from another library is always an option!). Those who like the "cozy" mysteries or the amateur sleuth mysteries will enjoy this book. Predicting the end of the book, or at least who had a hand in Dave's death, may be a little easy for some readers, but the overall storyline makes up for it. Rich in detail, Barrett describes the Milwaukee landscape very well - I have never been to Milwaukee, but I felt like I was there driving downtown or taking the highway to one of the malls. And, Beth's house! Trust me, when you read this book, you will want a house just like hers!! I am looking forward to reading the next in the series, Milwaukee Summers Can Be Deadly.

Reviewed by Jessica

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