Review
THE MEDUSA MURDERS by Joy Ann Ribar
The First Bay Browning Mystery
The First Bay Browning Mystery
It wasn't bad enough that Professor L. L. "Bay" Browning's ex-con sister unexpectedly shows up. Or that her "always hides from a problem" father says it's good that the sisters live together. But when a mix-up with her dry cleaning turns out to be an intentional switch involving her with a serial killer it's worse than not being prepared for a new semester. As an English professor and a potential next victim of the Medusa Killer, Bay begins to work with the police. Will Bay be able to discover her connection to the killer before becoming the killer's next target?
I really enjoyed my introduction to Bay Browning and her first mystery! Bay is not a sweet or soft protagonist. She's a bit brusque, not overtly friendly, and doesn't suffer fools gladly. She's whip smart, interesting, and genuinely cares for the well being of her students. Her sister, Cassandra, was starting to grow on me...until I read what she planned to do at work and did while she was in prison. To me, that's unconscionable. I love the concept of the Pig Squeal and really like Mandy. It was also fun seeing how Bay and Downing interacted. I'd love to see more of the Fabulous Fiona!
My favorite aspect of THE MEDUSA MURDERS was how mythology and art were combined. I appreciated the way in which Art History Chair and Bay's friend, Jennifer Yoo, helped by introducing several works of art and also discovering a major clue. She made me want to go down that same rabbit hole and search these paintings out, if only online.
The mystery was compelling. Why on earth was Bay targeted? It was fascinating to see the reasons slowly unraveled with an exciting culmination and confrontation as well.
Smart writing and a unique story captivated me from the get-go making THE MEDUSA MURDERS a captivating start to a new series.
