MR. MURDER

Author: Laura Van Wormer ISBN: 0778321770 1/2006 FICTION/MYSTERY Publisher: MIRA

Life is taking some interesting turns as the fiercely bright and beautiful Sally Harrington starts her new job anchoring a newscast created just for her: DBS News America This Morning. For most people that would be enough excitement. But not for Sally. She has to be the last person to talk to a jet-setting millionaire who turns up dead shortly after their interview. Murder isn't the only distraction in Sally's world, though. Her sexual liaison deepens with Paul Fitzwilliam, the twentysomething police officer who followed Sally east from California. And there's still unfinished business with David Waring, the fortysomething married man she sent back to California. And then suddenly the feds show up when an old acquaintance is left for dead at Sally's home in Castleford, Connecticut. They've connected this attempted murder to the death of Sally's infamous millionaire. And by the time anyone realizes that Sally herself might be the primary target, it may be too late to stop a killer from achieving his ultimate goal.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

MR. MURDER, the sixth mystery featuring reporter Sally Harrington, begins with Sally's transition to a new job at DBS as co-anchor of the morning program. She's busy wooing the affiliates and playing office politics, when she's distracted—People from Sally's past start turning up dead.

Immersing myself into the story was very easy to do. The story was fast-paced and featured a very likable character in Sally. Not having read the previous five books, I was a bit lost at times, especially in sorting out the complex relationships (prior and current) of all the characters. I felt like I should have taken notes in order to keep me from being too confused. I was a bit put off when reading the blurb to know that Sally had been involved with a married man in her past, but she redeemed herself and I came away satisfied.

Readers need to be aware that this story is more general fiction with a hint of mystery, rather than the other way around. The mystery is rather simplistic and really not the focus of this novel; instead, it's the relationships between the characters. Fans of Van Wormer's other Harrington stories will want read this next installment, but those that haven't read the others need to start with the first book.

Kendra Patterson