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    An Act of Murder
    An Act of Murder
    An Act of Murder
    Ebook259 pages3 hours

    An Act of Murder

    By Mary Angela

    4.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    When one of Professor Emmeline Prather’s students dies while working on the fall musical, Em has reason to suspect foul play. She teams up with fellow English professor Lenny Jenkins to comb the campus and vicinity for clues, a venture that puts their reputations, their jobs, and even their lives at risk. Book 1 of a new cozy mystery series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCoffeetown Press
    Release dateFeb 17, 2015
    ISBN9781603813761
    An Act of Murder
    Author

    Mary Angela

    Mary Angela is the author of the Professor Prather academic mystery series, which has been called “enjoyable” and “clever” by Publishers Weekly. She is also an educator and has taught English and humanities at South Dakota’s public and private universities for over ten years. When Mary isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. For more information about Mary or the series, go to MaryAngelaBooks.com.

    Read more from Mary Angela

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    Reviews for An Act of Murder

    4.5/5

    7 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved the setting where the story took place. The author takes us to a little college town nestled in Copper Bluff, South Dakota. I could picture an older university with elegant architecture with the campus filled with young adults eagerly rushing to class. Emmeline Prather is an English professor who loves her job. As the new semester starts she welcomes the students to her class. What a treat it was to read a cozy mystery with such vivid descriptions that place you in the center of the story. There were times I felt like I was sitting in the student hangout and listened in on their conversations. I loved everything about Emmeline, from her directness, attention to details and a never give up attitude. When someone is murdered in the theater everyone is shocked. I must say I was shocked as well. I never saw it coming and it took me completely by surprise. The author really knows how to write with twists that shake up the story with surprise and excellent snippets of intrigue. Lenny, who is Emmeline's friend and co worker at the university is someone I would instantly want to be around. He is funny, smart and has a sense of loyalty. I don't know how Emmeline does it, but she talks Lenny into helping her solve the murder. They find themselves deep in the investigation with suspects that range from students to well anyone. The story flowed with ease and I loved how I was so sure I knew who did it, when the brilliant writing gave me a reason to suspect someone else. Why is it so important to Emmeline to solve this mystery? Will she and Lenny find themselves in danger? The ending was explosive with secrets that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat . When the reason for the murder is brought to light, readers will be in for a big surprise. I loved everything about this book and thought the author captured my attention right away. It is definitely a page turner and I'm excited for the next installment in the series. I received a copy of the book from The Great Escape Book Tour. The review was my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
    • 5/5
      I loved the descriptions of campus life, and Emmaline and Lenny's relationship. I found the banter between them genuinely funny.
    • 4/5
      I just read a really good book, y'all — An Act of Murder. An Act of Murder is the debut novel by Mary Angela, and the first book in her Professor Prather Mystery series. Let me tell you a little about this cozy mystery.

      An Act of Murder stars Emmeline Prather, assistant professor of English at Copper Bluff University in Copper Bluff, South Dakota. She is "one of the younger faculty members at twenty-eight years old." She is "always searching for ways to look professional," and tries to keep her focus on getting published and receiving tenure. With her youth comes much enthusiasm for her students and her classes. Prof. Prather expects more of her students than do the other professors of the mandatory freshman courses of Composition 101. By requiring them to recite poetry and perform community service, she is ensuring they receive a true liberal arts education and are better prepared for the real world.

      Author Mary Angela paints beautiful word pictures of Copper Bluff — the town and the campus. I can clearly picture both of them in my mind. As I read about the fall semester starting at Copper Bluff in An Act of Murder, I could imagine the years rolling back to my college days because of Ms Angela's evocative prose.

      Author Mary Angela has created a cast of memorable characters, headed up by the quirky Emmeline Prather the Instigator, and her stalwart sidekick Lenny Jenkins. I love their witty repartee, as demonstrated here."Are you crazy?" he continued. "I'm pretty sure they call that ... something I could be arrested for."

      I grabbed his arm and resumed walking. "Keep your voice down. It's called 'interfering with an investigation,' and you won't be. It's just Dan Fox calling about his gloves; that's all."

      "Unless they find out I'm not Dan Fox. Then it's called 'Lenny Jenkins is out of a job.' "

      "Oh, don't be so dramatic," I said. "It's not as if we don't have good intentions. When we find out what really happened, you'll be a local hero. They might even name a classroom after you."

      "Yeah, Jenkins's Jail Cell," Lenny mumbled. "This is what happens, kids, when you interfere with an official police investigation." I look forward to reading more about the Adventures of Em and Lenny in future books. I was quite surprised by whodunit in An Act of Murder, and also by the reason for the murder. Can you figure it out before Emmeline does?

      I recommend An Act of Murder to all fans of cozy mysteries, particularly fans of academic mysteries. I think it will have special appeal to fans of Frankie Bow's Professor Molly Mysteries.

      I really enjoyed An Act of Murder, and bestow upon it Four Stars!


      Note: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of An Act of Murder. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

      Originally published on my blog at Jane Reads.

    Book preview

    An Act of Murder - Mary Angela

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