Reviews By Charline

“The Coach House”

Author: Florence Osmund

Having just finished reading “The Coach House” I can tell you it was a captivating story. “The Coach House” is set in Chicago circa 1945. That’s a different world from what we know today, and I always enjoy being able to “go back in time” and experience pieces of the past; hence my desire to read it.

We first glimpse Marie Andrea Costa, one of the main characters in “The Coach House,” as she is decorating a window display for the Marshall Field’s department store where she works. We view her through the eyes of Richard Marchetti as he gazes at her in dumbstruck wonder. Richard is suave, witty and charming and he finally convinces Maria to step out of the display and…out to dinner with him.

Theirs is a whirlwind courtship and almost before she realizes it Marie is juggling her full time work schedule with a full blown romance. Richard seems to be the perfect man and he showers Marie with devoted attention, lavish gifts and impromptu getaways. How can she not fall madly in love with him? She does, they marry and together they start down the road of “happily ever after.”

Unfortunately, things are not always what they seem and Marie begins to notice an abundance of odd happenings. Phone calls late at night, strange receipts, a gun hidden in Richard’s desk drawer and discomfiting men showing up at her home. Whenever she asks Richard for an explanation he always becomes evasive and then angry with her if she doesn’t immediately drop it. She eventually stops questioning him but she can’t return to her previous days of innocent naiveté so she finally realizes she must put together a plan to move out and divorce him.

As we all know, life rarely happens according to plan and Marie’s life is no different. I don’t want to give away any more of the story but I will say “The Coach House” was a captivating read. Author Florence Osmund writes with impeccable style and I appreciated the little touches of the era that she consistently added to her novel. The characters seemed like real people and the storyline is definitely true to life.

In closing, “The Coach House” is a great book for anyone who likes reading triumph over adversity type stories.

“Too Much Blood”

Author: Jane Bennett Munro

“Too Much Blood” was an engrossing read, although it was most definitely written by someone with an extensive knowledge of human anatomy and conditions. Author Jane Bennett Munro (MD) is a semi-retired pathologist with over thirty years in the field, which gives her writing the exceptional realism that only comes from personal, hands on, experience. Don’t be worried though, Munro has written “Too Much Blood” in a very tasteful manner so while it’s extremely realistic it’s not over the top for those who, like me, are squeamish when it comes to reading murder mysteries.

Toni Day, the main character in “Too Much Blood” receives a call in the wee hours of the morning because Jay Braithwaite Burke, the local (and sleazy) attorney has been found deceased. Burke’s car was discovered in a small snow bank in the middle of a freeway and wouldn’t you know it, when the police opened the car up, there was Jay Braithwaite Burke, dead as a door nail, in the driver’s seat. Toni is required to perform an autopsy and the question of the day? Was Burke’s death due to natural causes or…was it a homicide?

A man died in his car in the middle of the night during a snow storm? Why wouldn’t his death be from natural causes?? Probably because nothing in life is ever quite that simple… I think I used the word “sleazy” when previously making reference to Burke and it’s an apt description. Apparently Mr. Burke was promoting a pretty impressive hedge fund and almost every single doctor who worked at Perrine Memorial Hospital invested in it. Unfortunately, when the economy tanked, so did his hedge fund and it was revealed shortly afterward to be a massive Ponzi scheme. Needless to say, after losing their shirts and then some, most of the town had reason to want Burke dead. Now it’s just a question of “who done it?”

I don’t want to give away any more of Munro’s tale – suffice it to say it was a great book. Munro writes with captivating flair and her storyline is believable and realistic. “Too Much Blood” reads like front page news and I’m certain that murder mystery fans of all ages will enjoy this title.