Review: Definition Murder

Definition Murder introduces Meg McCafferty, San Francisco Police Department Inspector. She is nearing 40, an alcoholic with no relationships personal or otherwise. She gets an early morning call to the San Francisco State University where a freshman, Sarah Sinclair has been strangled. Soon there is a second victim, another freshman at the university and the murders are dubbed the Coed Murders.

Right from the start the book is totally unbelievable. They have only one person they consider a suspect, which is a professor at the university, who happened to be having sex with these coeds along with as many others as he seemed to be able to keep up with. After interviewing the Professor’s soon to be ex-wife, Marilyn Monroe, Meg becomes almost best friends with her immediately and they go right out for drinks and hang out socially together.

I do not believe I have ever heard of or read about a police precinct that appears to do so little work. The main thing that appears to be happening there is that it is a place to meet people for sex or relationships. Not a lot of work seemed to be going on there at all. Meg had a one night stand with one of the younger and dumber cops on the force that they have not let her forget. Her partner, Mitch Harris, is in his fifties and the only thing he seems to be doing throughout the book is popping Viagra, screwing the receptionist behind his long time wife’s back or just at the receptionist’s desk flirting with her when she isn’t busy reading her paperback novel or spritzing her hair with fresh Aqua Net. And we have to read about Mitch’s Viagra and the receptionist more frequently than you read about the murders as he feels a need to share his encounters with his partner. When he isn’t busy with the receptionist, he is eating some awful sounding food. Then their female police captain pretty much has a breakdown and comes out of the closet to admit that she has been having a lesbian affair with another gal on the force for years and admits herself to Betty Ford to try to kick her Xanax addiction.

To finish it off, the crime nearly solves itself and Meg winds up in a romantic relationship with a really rich guy after having cheap sex a couple of times including the first date and they are now in love. The ending was more like a harlequin romance. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this to any serious mystery reader. The book has no depth and seemed to have way too much crap just thrown in. And one thing that I have hardly ever noticed in a book was glaringly obvious in this one was that it needed a lot more editing. I could not believe the amount of typos or missing words, etc.

Someone wanting a quick easy read that requires paying very little attention might enjoy this book but as for myself, I will not be looking for future installments to what appears to be the start of a series.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Gina Metz - RAM

Book Review: Definition Murder