A Model Murder

Jack Prester Mysteries #2

by Sandy Dengler

The vista is four captivating models working against the dramatic backdrop of the rocky shores of Acadia National Park. But tragedy strikes when one of the women is found murdered. Jack Prester, national park investigator, must find the killer before another woman dies. So his partner goes undercover as the fourth model -- and a potential target.

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction

318 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ranger detective Jack Prester is back, and so is his partner, Evelyn, on the track of a murderer in Acadia National Park. The whole thing is connected to a modelling photo shoot, so Evelyn is sent undercover among the models. Jack falls for a crazed Australian model, because she reminds him of his sainted dead wife.

Not great.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave this 2 stars, but the finale picked up some serious speed for a, mostly, satisfying ending.

The author created a pretty interesting character and a more interesting premise that allows Jack to travel "from sea to shining sea" for an adventure in the lower 48 states. A short description might be 'the cozy that goes around the country'. The plot in this second entry, was pretty thin and relied on a final twist that was telegraphed in the first half.

Despite that, Jack Prester has a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading the other title I have in this series. What made the decision for me was Dengler's use of Jack's faith. In so many of the Christian oriented fiction from the last 20 years, the author tends to beat the reader over the head with excessive use of scripture and dogma. Dengler instead detailed how Jack's faith was a factor in his relationships and how he conducted his work. Nicely done.

Find it. Buy it. Read it!

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the author's writing style in this series. She has a witty, but realistic, way of describing things. You might call it "wry" humor in some instances. So while the mystery is serious, and she doesn't make light of it, it's also a very enjoyable read.

There were a couple negatives for me in this book. One being that Jack, the main character, and a Christian, frequently lies, and also is too drawn to a "pretty face," especially when the object of his interest is not a Christian.

Another negative was that I felt in the end, the person that committed the crime was a bit unbelievable due to certain factors, which I won't say why, so I don't give too much away. :-D

Still, an enjoyable read.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandy Dengler has a way with words and descriptions which made the book quite enjoyable. My wife and I read this book out loud together and enjoyed it. I found one part of the story quite unbelievable and that detracted from the whole book and actually put me off guessing who the real culprit was. Overall it was a good book.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Park problem solver at large heads to Acadia in Maine when a modeling shoot turns deadly. With his partner Ev going under cover to help find the killer, he has to act fact before one of them becomes the next target.

I first read this book when it came out 20 years ago, but I enjoyed revisiting the characters and the action again. The story is strong with some good distractions along the way to finding the killer. Jack and the rest of the characters are just as intriguing as I remembered. Even though I remembered who done it, I was still caught up in the story all over again.

NOTE: The book has been rereleased for Kindle as Acadia.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a Christian mystery but is full of so many bad things that it isn't enjoyable.

[Susan]

Abandoned at 100 pages