Book Review: Unforced Error

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

Unforced Error     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Michael Bowen
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Humorous   Amateur Sleuth   Legal Setting
Series: Rep and Melissa Pennyworth # 2
Poisoned Pen Press, 2004, 199 pps

Melissa Pennyworth and her husband Rep agree to go to Kansas City and participate in a re-enactment of a Civil War battle. This starts out as a fun trip because Melissa will be seeing her best girlhood friend Linda Damon and her husband Peter. Peter has a love of words and Melissa has a PhD in Literature. Rep is an attorney specializing in copyright and trademark law.

Rep also hopes to land a new client in Kansas City. Melissa’s boss at JackRabbit press is thinking of launching a project involving Civil War Enactment to promote the historical romances that he publishes.

The book features a number of quirky characters and when a corpse is found on the reenactment ground Peter is suspected and Rep and Melissa immediately begin playing amateur detective. Of course the fact that the corpse is an executive at JackRabbit as well as a coworker of Linda Damon and the person that Linda recently committed adultery with complicates matters immensely. Peter’s constant disappearing and reappearing doesn’t help matters much either.

The book is well written, humorous and the author has a good knowledge of the Kansas City area.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM