Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of One Deadly Sister by Rod Hoisington. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
One Deadly Sister by Rod Hoisington
A Raymond and Sandy Reid Mystery
EnteraBooks (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-615-29852-4 (0615298524)
ISBN-13: 978-0-615-29852-8 (9780615298528)
Publication Date: September 2009
List Price: $16.99
Review: Rod Hoisington introduces Raymond and Sandy Reid, estranged brother and sister who now need each other when Ray is arrested for murder, in One Deadly Sister.
Sandy hasn't forgiven her brother for neglecting her as a teenager after the death of their parents. Working for a criminal law firm in Philadelphia until she can earn enough money to go to law school, she hasn't spoken to Ray even though he lives in the same city. But then Ray calls her, in part to apologize but mostly because he needs her help: he's in jail, in Florida, arrested for murder.
Following his divorce, Ray moved to Florida to work as a securities broker. While attending a party for the local gubernatorial candidate, Ray is seduced by an elderly femme fatale. He subsequently gets involved with other prominent women, all of whom support the political candidate. When the candidate is murdered, Ray was placed in his apartment by one of the women. Arrested and jailed without bail, Ray has no one else to turn to but his sister Sandy. At first she ignores his plea, but finally agrees to go to Florida for a few days to see what she can do -- if anything. She has no authority to question anyone, or see any of the official police documents, so she takes on the role of private investigator for Ray's defense attorney. She quickly zeroes in on the women Ray was involved with, not sure what their motive might have been, but certain that though her brother may be guilty of poor judgment, he is innocent of murder.
One Deadly Sister is a light murder mystery, full of comedic elements. It's hard to believe, for example, that anyone could characterize a 75-year-old woman in a thong bikini as a femme fatale; just the mental image brings on a chuckle. The contrast between Ray and Sandy, brother and sister, is nicely characterized; they see the same situation differently, bicker and disagree, but are unified in proving Ray innocent and freed from prison (even though Sandy, who was once left in a detention center because Ray didn't show up to release her, might want to see him left there for a while). The mystery plot is well developed, there are an ample number of colorfully drawn suspects, and the secondary characters are delightful. No doubt the first in a series, One Deadly Sister is a terrific opening chapter for this pair of amateur sleuths.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of One Deadly Sister and to Rod Hoisington 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 One Deadly Sister from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. One Deadly Sister (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.
Synopsis (from the publisher): Ray Reid doesn't come looking for trouble, he simply wants to get past his Philadelphia divorce and start a new life, but woman-trouble comes looking for him.
Unfortunately, he arrives in the small Florida oceanside town just as someone decides to murder the local gubernatorial candidate. Reid doesn’t have a clue about women and gets seduced and framed—by a 70-year-old in a thong. He’s the perfect target for the local prosecutor who figures he has the ideal trial that’ll propel him to the US Senate.
Ray hasn’t bothered with his estranged sister up north for years but now, as a stranger in a hostile town, she’s his only hope. She holds an old grudge and resents having her life interrupted. After first telling him to go to hell, she reluctantly decides to at least check out her brother’s predicament.
This small step leads to an ever-increasing entanglement of deceit, double-cross, and danger, as she can’t leave well-enough alone and goes after the real killer
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