Kindle Freebie through March 12: 52 Steps to Murder by Steve Demaree

An elderly woman is found poisoned in the upstairs bedroom of her home whose from door stands 52 steps above the street in an old-fashioned whodunit that blends clues, red herrings, suspects, and humor.

File Size: 847 KB
Print Length: 221 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CJK8LIW


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Steve Demaree's third grade teacher wired him in his desk. In his sophomore year of high school, he climbed out the window to escape detention. Today, he sits in front of his computer murdering people, while his wife of forty-three years tries to raise him without much success. His daughter repeated her mother's mistake and is currently trying to raise another mother's son and two dogs.

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First Chapter Review: Murder in the Library (Book 3 Dekker Cozy Mystery Series) by Steve Demaree

I downloaded this cozy mystery back in February when it was free. The cover drew me in, but what I really liked is that this mystery is set in a library.

BLURB: A man is found murdered in the locked library in his home. Surveillance cameras show that no one other than the deceased entered the library. The deceased left a clue for the police, only they cannot figure out what the clue means.

COVER: Like I already mentioned, the cover is what drew my attention to the book. It's nicely done with the library bookshelves in the background and the blood dripping through the word "Murder."

FIRST CHAPTER: The reader is introduced to Lieutenant Cy Dekker, Sergeant Lou Murdock, and their mentor Colonel James Buckham Hardesty. Dekker and Murdock are semi-retired cops who work homicide investigations. When Cy receives an odd phone call from the Colonel, he decides it's time he and Lou pay their mentor a visit...but not before stopping for lunch at the Blue Moon.

KEEP READING: This opening chapter does nothing more than set the stage for what is to come. A distressed call from a friend, which one can assume leads to murder somewhere down the line. There is no real hook except the anticipation of a murder. It's a good deal of backstory; which is unfortunate, because it doesn't encourage the reader to move forward unless you just have to know who has been murdered.

I enjoyed the first person narration. Cy has his own style that clearly comes through. I'm not sure it's enough to make me want to go on. I'll probably stick with it for another chapter to see if the pace picks up.


File Size: 557 KB
Print Length: 246 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CMV4N7Q

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.