Room For Doubt
The Carol Childs Mysteries, Book #4
By Nancy Cole Silverman
ISBN13: 9781635112351
Author’s website: http://www.nancycolesilverman.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jerjen
Synopsis:
“Grips a reader from the first page, offering an addictive mix of wit and suspense. Silverman is a master at crafting ripped-from-the-headlines storylines that feature a smart, appealing protagonist. Room for Doubt leaves no doubt that this is one of the strongest contemporary mystery series out there.” – Ellen Byron, Award-winning Author of Plantation Shudders
When radio reporter Carol Childs is called to a crime scene in the Hollywood Hills at five thirty in the morning, she’s convinced it must be a publicity stunt to promote a new movie. That is, until she sees the body hanging from the center of the Hollywood sign. The police are quick to rule it a suicide, but something doesn’t add up for Carol. Particularly after a mysterious caller named Mustang Sally confesses to the murder on the air and threatens to kill again.
With the help of an incorrigible PI, her best friend, and a kooky psychic, Carol is drawn into the world of contract killers and women scorned. As she races to find the real killer, she finds herself faced with a decision that will challenge everything she thought she knew.
Related subjects include: women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth mysteries, book club recommendations, suspense, noir.
Books in the Carol Childs Mystery Series:
SHADOW OF DOUBT (#1)
BEYOND A DOUBT (#2)
WITHOUT A DOUBT (#3)
ROOM FOR DOUBT (#4)
Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you’ll probably like them all…
Review:
Carol Childs is a radio reporter who is looking forward to taking time off for her son’s sixteenth birthday party. She should have known it was too good to be true. She receives a call early in the morning to get to the Hollywood sign for a news story. When she gets there she finds a man hanging from the sign, wearing a red clown nose, deader than dead. When the detective in charge rules it a suicide, Carol does not agree. Too many things do not add up: why would someone kill themselves in such a public place, why would they be naked, why would they be wearing the clown nose? She is not buying the suicide theory. And when a call comes in at the late night radio show and the caller takes credit for the murder, Carol know she has to solve the murder herself or let a killer get away scott free.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Carol was a strong, smart independent woman who is not afraid to face a challenge head on. I liked the fact that Carol had a family. To me that made her more realistic, reading about her trying to balance her family, her work and her personal life. These are real struggles that many women face every day. I also liked Misty, I thought she was quirky and interesting. And Chase, a private investigator, makes Carol’s life more interesting, in more than one way.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place around me. I really liked that the author took a very serious social problem and wrote about it with humor and respect and it is thought provoking. I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished reading it.
We know early on in the book who the killer is and the why of the killing. That did not leave much room for suspense to build. But it was still fun to follow the clues that Carol unearthed and to try to put the puzzle pieces together.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is the first book that I have read in this series, and although at times I had trouble keeping the characters straight, there was enough of a backstory that I was not completely lost. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
