Book Review: Slippery Slopes and Other Deadly Things

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

[5 stars]

Slippery Slopes and Other Deadly Things
Nancy Tesler
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth Humorous Woman Main Character
Series: Carrie Carlin
Perseverance Press, April 2003, $13.95, 264 pp.

This year the annual International Association of Biofeedback Practitioners is being held at the Snowridge ski resort in Sunnyville Vermont. The attendees include Carrie Carlin, who has a small practice in Bergen, New Jersey. She is particularly excited about this conference because the guest speaker, Dr. Hubert Freundlich, has made a significant breakthrough in the field, one that Carrie can use in her own practice.

At her first meeting with Hubert, he makes a pass at her in a hot tub filled with people, one of whom is his wife. At lunch the next day his assistant, Charlie Anders drunkenly hints that he has something on the good doctor. Shortly after that, he is murdered and Carrie gets involved when it’s is discovered he was wearing her scarf. It turns out that her friend Dr. Joe Golden had the scarf in his possession and was going to give it back to her before it mysteriously disappeared. Joe also got into a fight with the victim one hour before he was killed but Carrie is sure he is innocent and intends to prove it over the objections of her significant other because he doesn’t want her to be used as bait by an overzealous policeman.

This amateurs sleuth tale showcases a heroine who is prone to take risks even when she is only indirectly involved in a homicide investigation. She is exasperatingly stubborn and so good hearted that readers find themselves rooting for her and wanting her to back off while also feeling sorry for her lover who has to put up with her. Nancy Tesler knows how to write an extremely exciting who-done- it that can’t be put down.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner