Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Missing Mark by Julie Kramer. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Missing Mark by Julie Kramer
A Riley Spartz Mystery
Doubleday (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-385-52477-3 (0385524773)
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-52477-3 (9780385524773)
Publication Date: July 2009
List Price: $25.00
Review: Minneapolis television investigative reporter Riley Spartz is looking for a story that will capture viewers and increase ratings when she happens upon a most unusual want ad that piques her interest in Missing Mark, the second mystery in this series by Julie Kramer.
"For Sale: Wedding Dress, Never Worn" reads the ad. Riley sees a story here, but her editor tries to steer her in other directions: "Big Mouth Billy", a large mouth bass, has been stolen from an aquarium at the Mall of America; a K-9 unit is being targeted by a meth cartel; a serial killer is at large. Riley agrees these are all newsworthy but she still wants to learn more about that wedding dress.
It turns out the dress belongs to Madeline Post, a wealthy young woman engaged to Mark Lefevre. The groom-to-be attended the rehearsal dinner and then vanished ... six months ago. His mother was embarrassed by his action and didn't report him missing for quite some time, and when she did, the police didn't take her seriously. The man got cold feet, that's all. But there's a twist here for Riley the reporter: the presumed bride, Madeline, suffers from prosopagnosia, a disorder that prevents her from recognizing or remembering facial features. And the case turns deadly when just days after Riley interviews Mark's mother, she apparently kills herself. This may be the story that makes Riley's career.
Riley Spartz is a smart, likeable character who makes the story in Missing Mark shine. She also enjoys a delightful repartee with her co-workers, which keeps the dialog amusing and witty. The plot has just enough twists and turns to capture the one's attention, and keeps it as the Riley's investigation moves along at a brisk pace. Readers will be looking forward to more breaking news stories from this reporter.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Missing Mark and to Knopf Doubleday for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
If you are interested in purchasing Missing Mark from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. Missing Mark (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.
Synopsis (from the publisher): When Riley Spartz sees a want ad reading "Wedding Dress for Sale: Never Worn," her news instincts tell her the backstory might make an intriguing television sweeps piece.
The groom, Mark, last seen at the rehearsal dinner, never showed up for the wedding, humiliating his bride, Madeline—and her high-strung, high-society mother—in front of 300 guests. His own mother, eager to spare him further embarrassment, waited weeks before filing a missing-person report, and then learned how difficult it is to get police, or the media, interested in missing men.
Now Riley is up against a boss who thinks finding a famed missing fish will net the station higher ratings, a meth cartel trying to assassinate a K-9 dog because of his powerful nose for drugs, and a neighbor who holds perpetual garage sales that attract traffic at odd hours.
When her missing-person case leads to a murder investigation, Riley discovers a startling motive for Mark's disappearance—and a TV exclusive guaranteed to win the ratings ... if she lives to report it.
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