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The Avid Reader
, February 05, 2023
(view all comments by The Avid Reader)
A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren is the debut of A New Orleans Mystery series. I thought the author captured New Orleans. I like that she included the history of the city and events. We get to learn about krewes and their origins as well. Valerie Cooper is a widow of five years. Her twin boys are enjoying their first year of college. My feelings about Valerie are mixed. I want to like her, but she got on my nerves at times. I wanted her to be less wishy washy. The one time she was brave was when she should not have been. Her friend, Lorna, is a force of nature. I am amazed that the two are friends, especially after learning how they met. I found the story to be a slow starter. The mystery did not take place until slightly past the halfway mark. By the time the murder occurs, it was obvious who would die and how. The solution to the whodunit was easy to figure out. The mystery is wrapped up at the end, so I was not left with any lingering questions. I did feel that there was too much repetition in the story. I lost track of how many times we are told Valerie is a widow, that the family does not know why Arthur was estranged from the family, and that Lorna writes romance novels. The pacing was slow. There is some humor courtesy of Lorna. A Streetcar Named Murder is a Southern cozy mystery with an enigmatic inheritance, a rude realtor, an unusual knife, a krewe party, a dying declaration, a disheveled detective, and a surprising revelation.
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