A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren
A Streetcar Named Murder is the debut in T.G. Herren’s New Orleans Mystery series. After reading the first few pages, I knew this was going to be a smooth and rewarding cozy mystery. The author is a long-time resident of New Orleans and it certainly shows.
It’s almost Halloween in the Big Easy. Valerie Cooper, mom of 2 twin boys and widowed for 5 years is doing ok…not great, but ok. The twins are now off to college and that “empty nest” thing is beginning to sink in.
But just as she’s starting to really take a hard look at her life (and what she’s going to do with the rest of it), along comes a letter – delivered by a courier – and it’s about to change her life, forever.
In this tale, secrets from the past and the future are unfolded, just like the unexpected letter, and Valerie is eventually drawn into a local murder. But not just any murder – a murder that may be somehow tied in to her house, maybe even her family.
It starts with uppity Collette Monaghan, a brash, snobby real estate agent who seems to have set her sights on Valerie’s home. But Valerie makes it clear: her home “is” home. It’s where she started a new life with her now deceased husband, Tony. It’s where the twins grew up with and without their father. The house is her heart, her memories – it’s everything. And she’s not going anywhere.
But Collette is sneaky, underhanded and persistent. She even gloats to her business partner that she will be listing Valerie’s house, earning them a tidy profit. Unfortunately for Collette, she may be a tough businesswoman, but behind the scenes her cement foundation is starting to show cracks.
While Valerie blows off Collette’s unwanted real estate advances, she finds herself dealing with a long-lost great uncle who is now firmly entangled in her life. Add an unexpected inheritance that would surely blow anyone’s mind. Mix in authentic sentiments and emotions, heart string tugs, and a mystery of the past quietly leading up to a real-time murder. Top it off with the smell of danger – danger from getting much to close to a cold-blooded killer and you’ve got A Streetcar Named Murder.
The author, T.G. Herren, gives us plenty to think about. He’s got a solid mystery going on – he’s got a murder victim dangling in front of us and plenty of suspects dangling behind us – and if you think this is going to be a tricky one to figure out, you’d be correct!
So grab an iced tea or lemonade and settle into your favorite lounge chair with A Streetcar Named Murder, the perfect mystery for a lazy weekend. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment of this engaging cozy from Crooked Lane Books.
Book and cover photo were provided by Crooked Lane Books.