Book Review: How to Murder a Millionare

Reviewed By: Dawn Dowdle

How to Murder a Millionare     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Nancy Martin
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
Series: Blackbird Sisters
October 2002, 254 pages

Nora's parents left the country to evade their taxes. Her sister Emma got the family art collection. Her other sister Libby got the furniture. Nora got the land and a property tax bill for two million dollars.

To help pay this tax bill, Nora has gotten a job as a society page columnist for a Philadelphia paper. She knows many of the city's elite and fits right in at the parties. Then at her first party , she finds the host -- a millionaire art collector and old family friend, Rory, -- murdered.

Detective Bloom suspects Peach, Rory's longtime companion. Nora is determined to find out who the real killer is. She doesn't think it can be Peach.

Michael Abruzzo, son of a rumored New Jersey crime boss, has bought 5 acres Nora sold off to help pay her taxes. He built a car lot. This land is adjacent to her family farm. Her younger sister Libby shows up with her four children to protest at his grand opening. Nora is there to cover it for the paper.

As Nora begins to investigate, Libby is nowhere to be found. Emma begins to help Nora, then she goes missing. Nora is disgusted with her flighty sisters.

Michael, who is interested in Nora and lets her know, helps her look into the murder. He has friends that Nora isn't sure she wants to be acquainted with.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I look forward to reading more in this series. I believe this is the first book. The second one is coming out in June 2003.

I hope Michael will be in all of the upcoming books. The relationship of Nora and Michael is interesting. I also look forward to getting to know her two sisters better as well. Nancy has developed good characters and a great setting. Her plot was also very well written. This looks to be a great series.

Dawn Dowdle

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

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