Review
MURDER, SHE ENCOUNTERED by Peg Cochran
The Third Murder, She Reported Mystery
It's 1939 and the World's Fair has come to New York City. Elizabeth "Biz" Adams and her newspaper partner, Ralph Kaminsky, take the train to Queens to report on a robbery at the Fair, but what they find is a murdered woman. As the pair work to get the scoop, Kaminsky's health takes a turn for the worse. Determined to make him proud, and to prove she can do things on her own, Biz continues the investigation while he recuperates. Surely, the hot dog vendor is innocent, especially when so many others look guilty. If the murder wasn't perplexing enough, Biz also has the conundrum of her relationship with Detective Sal Marino. One thing's for certain, Elizabeth Adams is ready to assert her independence and live her life on her own terms.
1939 was an amazing year, fantastic movies were released (THE WIZARD OF OZ and GONE WITH THE WIND are just two) and my dad was born. Needless to say I was pumped to read about Biz's 1939 adventures at the World's Fair. The descriptions of the Fair made me feel as if I was actually there, feeling the heat and venturing into the World of Tomorrow although I was eighty years in the past. This special setting made the mystery that much more intriguing. The mystery led Biz and Kaminsky into the lives of some very interesting characters, from the Dupont girls playing tug of war with nylon stockings to residents of Hell's Kitchen. 1939 was also a historic year in Europe as Hitler invaded Poland. Hints of what was to come can be found on the pages, from a co-worker's fear for his family to the comments made by Biz's brother's new girlfriend; hints that add authenticity along with a somber note for those of us who know the future.
I really like Elizabeth and would like to think we'd be good friends. She could have an easy life, but she eschews upper class convention and that gilded cage and instead makes a life for herself. Not only does she have a job, but she's good at it. Biz is everything you want in a protagonist. She's smart and resourceful as well as loyal and determined. She also has a few flaws. I like her developing relationship with Marino and, like her, wonder where it will lead. Times are changing and so is she.
MURDER, SHE ENCOUNTERED is an engaging mystery that captures the essence of the year 1939, from the optimism of tomorrow to the concerns in Europe, from sticking with tradition to striking out on one's own.
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1939 was an amazing year, fantastic movies were released (THE WIZARD OF OZ and GONE WITH THE WIND are just two) and my dad was born. Needless to say I was pumped to read about Biz's 1939 adventures at the World's Fair. The descriptions of the Fair made me feel as if I was actually there, feeling the heat and venturing into the World of Tomorrow although I was eighty years in the past. This special setting made the mystery that much more intriguing. The mystery led Biz and Kaminsky into the lives of some very interesting characters, from the Dupont girls playing tug of war with nylon stockings to residents of Hell's Kitchen. 1939 was also a historic year in Europe as Hitler invaded Poland. Hints of what was to come can be found on the pages, from a co-worker's fear for his family to the comments made by Biz's brother's new girlfriend; hints that add authenticity along with a somber note for those of us who know the future.
I really like Elizabeth and would like to think we'd be good friends. She could have an easy life, but she eschews upper class convention and that gilded cage and instead makes a life for herself. Not only does she have a job, but she's good at it. Biz is everything you want in a protagonist. She's smart and resourceful as well as loyal and determined. She also has a few flaws. I like her developing relationship with Marino and, like her, wonder where it will lead. Times are changing and so is she.
MURDER, SHE ENCOUNTERED is an engaging mystery that captures the essence of the year 1939, from the optimism of tomorrow to the concerns in Europe, from sticking with tradition to striking out on one's own.
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Murder, She Encountered (Murder, She Reported Series) by Peg Cochran
About Murder, She Encountered
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Alibi (December 3, 2019)
Print Length ~230 Pages
A gutsy Manhattan socialite encounters murder and corruption at the World’s Fair in this captivating historical cozy mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Susan Elia MacNeal, and Rhys Bowen.
New York City, 1939. A rising star at the Daily Trumpet, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams has been sent to the World’s Fair—billed as the “World of Tomorrow,” a look toward a brighter future even as the drumbeats of war grow louder—to cover a robbery. What she stumbles upon instead is a dead woman, dumped into the Aquacade’s pool with a nylon stocking wrapped around her neck.
Elizabeth snaps a photo as the police arrest Joey Dorman, a gentle young hot dog vendor who made no secret of his obsession with the murder victim. Even though she’s thrilled that her photo makes the front page, the fear and confusion evident on Joey’s face are haunting. So Elizabeth vows to prove his innocence—or his guilt—with her partner at the Daily Trumpet, Ralph Kaminsky. Meanwhile, her romance with Detective Sal Marino is heating up, and Elizabeth is more determined than ever to follow her heart.But when Kaminsky’s efforts to expose the real killer land him in the hospital, Elizabeth is forced to continue the investigation on her own. And as she tries to narrow down the long list of suspects, she discovers a dark secret running through the Fair—a secret some would kill to protect.
Look for all of Peg Cochran’s delightful mysteries featuring Elizabeth Adams, which can be read together or separately: MURDER, SHE REPORTED MURDER, SHE UNCOVERED MURDER, SHE ENCOUNTERED
About the Author
Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). As a kid, she read the entire set of children’s encyclopedias her parents gave her and has been known to read the dictionary. She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.
When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books’ stats on Amazon.
A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan with her husband and Westhighland white terrier, Reg. She is the author of the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series
(written as Meg London), the Gourmet De-Lite series
, the Lucille series
, the Cranberry Cove series, 
and the Farmer’s Daughter ser
ies.
(written as Meg London), the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, the Cranberry Cove series, and the Farmer’s Daughter series.Newsletter Sign Up – http://www.pegcochran.com/newsletter-signup.html
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Thank you for the chance this book looks amazing
ReplyDeleteI love this series!
DeleteThanks for the opportunity. I can hardly wait to read this series!
ReplyDeleteteddi1961(at)arcemont(dot)com
Sounds like a good mystery!
ReplyDelete