Murder Misread

Review for Murder Misread: P.M. Carlson
Maggie Ryan is back and ready to solve another murder. Asked to help with research for a specific reading program that will be used to define how skill readers read and process language, she hopes to use her skills as a statistician to work along with Professor Charles Fielding to uncover the mystery.
Things take on a different tone when Tal Chandler comes into the office and invites everyone including his secretary Cindy to lunch at a place called Plato’s. He is a retired Professor with his privileges in tact, his prestige well known but before anyone can sit down to lunch someone screams, finds him dead before getting to the restaurant. At first glance the death is deemed a suicide but Anne Chandler his wife and Maggie Ryan tend to differ and an unusual alliance and bond is formed.
Two separate law enforcement agencies take on this case. The first is the campus police and the second the regular police headed by Sergeant Hines a no nonsense, no sense of humor and hardnosed cop who just wants to solve the case and questions at times in a tough and cold manner. Next Walensky the campus police who seems low-keyed, less threatening and hates dealing with Hines, and the Laconia Police. But, the investigation goes full speed ahead as both officers question each staff member, each professor and Cindy the secretary, Maggie Ryan and Anne Chandler, Professor Brad Bickford and another one named Nora.
There are secrets that will be revealed and lies and betrayals that will surprise readers as someone who appears to be concerned is only worried about covering his tracks and trails but who took the life of Tal? Cindy is one suspect and when Maggie and Anne uncover her secret just wait until you realize what Tal was doing for her? Charlie had Maggie as an alibi as he was with her o the trail when the body was found but was he there the entire time?
Talking to Bart he reveals information about Charlie, seeing Cindy in her office, Bernie too busy and then Tal and checking the Piaget reference with Nora. When all of the pieces are put into place you won’t believe who was behind the murder as you learn more about the goals of teaching comprehension and you hope that at the end of it all you won’t find out that you are a victim too of MURDER MISREAD! One man’s secrets will unfold and the explanation given a pipe, an explanation and the sad truth as Detective Hines might be a professional who plods through cases and would not stop until the answers were found and the real killer brought to justice. Let’s hope author P.M. Carlson brings Maggie back real soon as she is equal to Jessica Fletcher and even Hattie Wintrop.
Fran Lewis: Just reviews/MJ magazine