Hardcover, published Central park Publishing, (Hatchette) November 2012.
Another great murder mystery from Marcia Muller. Three years back a woman was acquitted of killing her best friend. But since then her family and friends don’t want to know her and that’s unlikely to change until or unless she can show that it really wasn’t her. It seems that most feel the verdict was actually “unproven” rather than “not guilty”, so Caro comes to Sharon McCone who is initially reluctant but ultimately decides to investigate. She’s starting to uncover some interesting things when she returns home to find her client dying on the doorstep. That only makes McCone more determined, and with all the enthusiasm of a terrier she digs harder. The ending is solid and satisfying, believable and a good tie-off. During the course of the book we meet most of Sharon’s family and friends, her nephew Mick gets involved, and Hy has an offer to make that could lead their relationship in new and interesting directions. I collect two series by female authors about female PIs. This is one, the other is the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. They’re different but each is a terrific read, and I heartily recommend both.