A Grand Murder

Catherine O'Brien Mystery #1

by Stacy Verdick Case

When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Saint Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon discover their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress’s husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim’s letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

224 pages, Nook

First published August 8, 2011

About the author

Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter.

Stacy is also the hosts of The Not Boring Book Show for MyTalk 107.1 FM.

Reviews

[Ronnie McGhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a Columbo meets Cagney and Lacey mystery written by Agatha Christie and you get a glimpse into the latest gumshoe novel by Stacy Verdick Case. With an emphasis placed on character development and detecting, A Grand Murder quickly settles into easy and fun reading. This ‘whodunit’ manages to keep a healthy pace of intrigue throughout a corporate multiple-murder case. Betrayal, cooked books, and cooked gooses will no doubt make this an armchair detective’s favorite.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are..."

Received through goodreads.com giveaways program.


*Donated to the Lee County Library, Leesburg, GA upon completion*

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grand Murder is an exciting and quick read. Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise had me in stitches many times. They obviously know one another well, and their imperfections really make them human. When a judge is stabbed and killed on a front lawn, Catherine and Louise are on the case. The only drawback is that they only have forty-eight hours before their boss blows a gasket. Then their prime suspect is murdered and they have to start from scratch. The whole investigation is filled with cursing, humor, in-your-face clues and coffee.

While I really enjoyed Case's debut and first installment in the Catherine O'Brien mysteries, I found some of the language distasteful. I don't speak it and I don't want to read it, but I just glossed over it and kept turning the pages because I found myself invested in Catherine and Louise's investigation and their lives. Will I read the next in the series? Sure. I'd love to re-visit these wonderful characters. Case has a knack for pulling the reader in and keeping them guessing. If you like cozy mysteries, pick this one up!

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying read.
The writing is decent and the plot engaging. It's got all the elements I like to see in a good murder mystery: a weird murder, lots of suspects with suspicious behaviour, red herrings, clues that are open to interpretation, and to top it all off, a quirky investigator who has to make sense of it all to catch the killer.
Catherine is a tough, but very likeable, lead character and her dry sense of humor makes this book not just a suspenseful read, but a funny one as well. Although the focus is mainly on solving the murder, Verdick Case manages to put in a small storyline that's about Catherine's personal life and that makes you root for her even more. All in all I really enjoyed this book and I'll certainly read more books in this series once released and if I can get my hands on them.

[Beckie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have gotten more stars if there had been any proofreading/editing for grammar, punctuation, spelling, context. The story line was pretty good but needed the support of better writing and presentation.

[Literary Chanteuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cameron's Audiobook Review from What the Cat Read

When Stacy asked me to review the audio edition of this book for her virtual book tour I will admit to a bit of hesitancy on accepting the task, mostly because it is really easy for me to zone out while listening to an audiobook. However, upon starting the book, I found myself getting wrapped up in both the storyline and the reader herself. Justine Huxley does a fantastic job of grabbing the listener’s attention, giving each character their own tone in the reading, and is the perfect complement to Stacy’s writing!

I loved the sound of Justine’s voice as she was reading. She gave each character a different voice, whether it was through tone, accent, or pitch, and as a result, there was no mistaking who was speaking during each scene. I particularly loved the voices she used for O’Brien and Mel. These two characters were my favorites out of the mix. Though I will admit to having a soft spot for Gavin and Louise as well. Justine brought Stacy’s characters to life for me in a way that I never could if I was reading the book on my own.

I also really enjoyed Justine’s ability to convey the humor and sarcasm within the story. I’ve always felt that it takes a skilled reader to successfully convey humor in a novel and for me Justine is perfect. There were several moments where I had to go back and replay bits of the audio because I could not stop laughing.

As far as pacing goes, again, Justine does a great job. As I said, I got caught up in the story and could not stop listening. There were times where I found myself muttering under my breath at various characters, and yes, at one point I strung a litany of “Put it together O’Brian” towards the end as she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Normally I don’t do this while listening to an audiobook, so the fact that I was talking back to my mp3 playing is a testament to Justine’s skills.

I sincerely hope that when the next O’Brien mystery hits shelves, the folks at Before the Falls Books consider having Justine read for the audio again! There’s no question that I would buy it once it was available. =^-^=

[J.L. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-connected businessman is murdered on his doorstep and the police investigation reveals that the victim has more enemies than one person should have in a lifetime. Someone murders the dead man’s business partner, and the police have little to go on in a case where the command chief demands that everything be wrapped up within two days.

PLAYERS: Catherine O’Brien is a smart, but abrasive cop, who has little patience and a huge caffeine habit. She has a softer side that’s reserved for her husband, Gavin, and lots of internal conflict over her job and how it’s eating away at her marriage.

Louise Montgomery is the opposite of her partner. Where Catherine is disheveled, rude and forceful, Louise is smooth, urbane and polite. She also knows how to get her own back for Catherine’s digs.

I like how the author makes the relationship between these two women—who are polar opposites—work. They provide a good foil for each other, although at times Catherine prods Louise to the point of throttling her, just because. Catherine has a streak of mischief that makes her push people—including the forensic guy—to their limit.

I could have lived without a couple of not-so-smart things the killer did. I don’t want to add any spoilers here, but I had to wonder about the brain power of someone who lugs incriminating evidence around with them.

OVERALL COMMENTS: A Grand Murder is a fast, light read, which takes the reader through a list of connected suspects whose motives are not always clear. The exchanges between the characters, along with a few mishaps, kept me amused and entertained. This isn’t easy to pull off when you’re dealing with not one, but two murders. The writer has another book in the series and I’m sure Louise will have her hands full trying not to do Catherine some physical harm.

COVER NOTE: I’m not crazy about graphic covers, however, the items depicted on the cover speaks to the contents of the book.

SOURCE: Before the Fall Books and Partners in Crime Book Tours.

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review:

A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case is a first book in Catherine O'Brien mystery series. I know that it must sound weird, but it was a fun book to read, even though it's about murders. It was smoothly written and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the characters and the humor in the book.

Regarding the plot:

Catherine and her partner Louise are getting a murder case of a prominent businessman and they have only two days to solve the case. It does not help that the murdered businessman was a close friend of their chief. There are not many clues to go after and since one of the the main suspects is also killed, the whole case gets more complicated.

I have read many mystery stories lately and I have to say that even though I think the plot was little obvious, then the book still surprised me with many suspects, interesting twists and turns in the story. I liked the writing style of Stacy Verdick Case, the book was easy to read, but could definitely have more thorough editing done.

Regarding the characters:

Before anything, I would love to tell, that I simply loved reading mystery story, where both detectives were women. It's a very rare combination. usually partners are either man and man or man and woman, but almost never two female detectives. I really liked that! Both Catherine and Louise really supported each other because they were so different from each other. Both of them made the plot stronger with their characters and they also balanced each other.


Generally:

I really liked A Grand Murder and I think that the author has done a good job with the first book in the series. She introduced the main characters very detailed way and it gave a good basis for other stories to come. The only weakness I can point out is the editing of the book. Otherwise I definitely recommend A Grand Murder Case to all mystery lovers! It's a great story!

4 stars.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine O’Brien is a petite St. Paul Detective whose hair is never right, wears clothes that are more masculine than feminine, lives on Starbucks coffee, thinks laundry, cooking and housework are punishments to be avoided at all times, and has a husband who loves her just the way she is.

Louise Montgomery is her partner who never goes home yet her hair and clothes are always perfect. She is tech savvy and hell on wheels literally. Every time Catherine gets in the car with Louise behind the wheel she braces herself against the dash and says a prayer.

Their current case is that of Nathan Stanley, a prominent businessman, who was found dead on the front steps leading into his home. He is also a friend of the police chief so he wants the crime solved yesterday. They have very few clues but find that he wasn’t the most liked man around so they have plenty of suspects. Who would have actually killed the man? Catherine and Louise need to sort through the clues to get a clear picture and track down the perp that planned this grand murder.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Catherine and Louise are like the Lucy and Ethel of police detectives. This book had my laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. These characters are priceless.

The story is faced paced and the clues are well laid out with several twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The police procedures were good but need some tightening. The humor is spot-on, these crime fighters show much promise going forward.

I am really looking forward to the next books in the series as each character develops and the author gets more comfortable with them and the setting. I hope she takes a few risks and steps a little farther out of her comfort zone. She has a unique voice but needs to be careful not to go overboard on the description of the places and things, for example fluorescent lighting. She has a great start with this delightful debut.

[Books Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine O'Brien, described as vertically-challenged and perpetually disheveled, is partnered with Louise Montgomery, a tall black woman who is always impeccably dressed—even after being up all night. This first book in a new series about this unlikely pairing begins when they have already been partnered for three years and have grown into friends. Catherine is short, but feisty; and as the first-person POV character in this story, we see all the action through her eyes. She's also very grumpy when she hasn't had enough sleep or coffee—which is how we first meet her. She's snarky and funny at the same time.

I don't want to give away an spoilers, but the mystery unfortunately was the weakest part of the book for me. The relationship of the characters was the strongest, and they were well-developed and interesting. That was the draw for me -- I really liked them and wanted to really like the book.

The big issue was one of editing. There were many places where phrases were repeated multiple times in the same paragraph, apostrophe s used for plural, misspelling, areas where the secondary characters' actions were not consistent, etc. The basic problems a professional editing should have picked up are the biggest reason I can only give this book only a three.

For a first book, it holds promise. This author is skilled and certainly creates memorable characters. As I said, I enjoyed the relationship between the characters; the story itself reads like a show you would see on television—I could see this plot carried out a la Cagney and Lacey. I'm certainly not sorry I read it, and look forward to seeing more from this author.

Originally posted at http://its-raining-books.blogspot.com...

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I don't remember a whole lot about Cagney and Lacey, but they were the first ones I thought of when I met Detectives (Catherine) O'Brien and (Louise) Montgomery. Catherine is married to a saint of a man (Gavin) who puts up with her crazy hours and dangerous jobs with understanding and foot rubs, though he does admit it is not what he imagined marriage to be. Louise is single and always seems to be put together, with not a hair out of place, regardless of how much sleep she has or hasn't had.

The book starts out with them being thrown head first into the murder investigation of Nathan Stanley. Even with a list of suspects they don't seem to be able to come up with an immediate motive. While investigating, they do uncover lots of trysts among the executives and their wives of Stanley and Forster -- but now they have to prove that someone was upset enough about them to commit murder.

I liked both Catherine and Louise. They were both good cops and lived and breathed their jobs. Catherine was typically the "bad" cop and has a hard time filtering what comes out of her mouth. Louise was generally unruffled and was able to handle most situations with poise and tact. You are also introduced to "Digs" - the forensics guy who was usually assigned to their cases and who was smitten with Louise and their Chief, who seems gruff but was usually understanding if you were doing your job.

While this who-done-it's ending wasn't a complete shocker, I did enjoy reading it and it moved along at a good pace. I will definitely look for more O'Brien and Montgomery books.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case is a murder mystery with an unlikely pair of detectives, as opposite as they can be. A man is murdered on his doorstep and the clues left make it seem like a robbery gone bad but with further investigation it is anything but a robbery. The police chief wants the murder to be solved within 48 hours, which does not leave a lot of time but the victim is a friend of his so he wants the case solved fast. All the time spent on investigating keeps Catherine from her husband which makes her feel guilty and hopes it does not harm her marriage. Louise does not have that issue but she is extremely tired, in spite of the exhaustion from both women they do a remarkable job in investigating all the suspects involved and with the host of suspects involved, that is not an easy or speedy task. The characters are believable and a bit of humor thrown in makes this an easy read. Do they get their man or woman??? Not telling, you just have to get a copy and find out for yourself.
A Grand Murder is the first novel in the Catherine O'Brien Mysteries. I enjoyed the novel and it kept my attention until the end and I look forward to reading more by this author and watch the relationship between these two women grow and for the crimes that they solve. I recommend this book for the mystery lover.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first book of the Catherine O’Brien mystery series, the detective finds herself involved in investigating a high profile murder. A prominent business man is found dead at his Grand Avenue Hill home and the chief of police want Catherine and her partner Louise to quickly solve this case.

As Catherine and Louise get deeper into the investigation, they find the victim had quite a few enemies and the suspect list keeps getting longer. They don’t have much to go on, but it’s not long before they discover infidelity, blackmail and the loss of money are all motives in this case.

The murder isn’t the only thing on Catherine’s mind lately. Her husband is having a difficult time with the long hours she puts in on the job and desperately wants her to take a vacation, but vacations and Catherine don’t get along well. She fears she might have to decide between the man she loves and the job she loves.

This story has everything – a mystery filled with clues and red herrings, a likeable cast of characters, and some humor to make this an enjoyable and quick read. It becomes a real guessing game for the readers and they join Catherine and her partner in figuring out who the killer is. I’m definitely looking forward to more books in this series.

[Gigi Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read a book by this author. I want to say thank you to Stacy Verdick Case for providing this book for me to give an honest review for a book tour.


I enjoyed the storyline and it was a good mystery about two lady detectives, Catherine and Louise, out to catch the killers. Catherine was good at her job, but capricious enough to be interesting.


The book had some laugh-out-loud moments, which made it a fun and funny book to read. I wasn't sure who the guilty person was right up until the case was solved. So I was kind of surprised just as the detectives were surprised also.


I would have enjoyed the book much more if the swearing had been left out. I always feel that people who use swear words have a limited vocabulary, and authors who use them are just using them for filler. The book would have been a far better book if all the bad language had been left out. Like I said, 'I enjoyed the storyline.'


I won't be recommending this book because of the language. And I doubt I will read anymore of her books, unless she cleans up the language in the books.


Because of the language I am only awarding it 3***

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a Goodreads giveaway. The first of what promises to be a really good series. Detective Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise Montgomery pick up the murder of a company director who just happens to be a good friend of their chief. He insists on a quick arrest but they're left with little to go on. The business partner is found dead soon after and suddenly it seems like everyone could have been the murderer.

The rapport between untidy Catherine and elegant Louise was very good, often humourous in many ways and reminded me of a young Cagney and Lacey. Set in St Paul, Minnesota it made a nice change from the usual New York/Los Angeles cop stories.

I look forward to seeking out the next in the series.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.6 actually.
I enjoyed the book. It was about 2 female detectives in St. Paul, Minnesota solving a double murder. The two main characters are polar opposites and I really enjoyed their interactions - quite humorous. The plot was pretty good and there were some sub-plots that I am sure will be developed further in books to come. The thing that kept me from rating it higher is the fact it did not seem to make it to an editor's desk. I guess because I am a bit anal I got stuck on typos, dialog that was difficult to follow because I could not tell who was talking, and phonetic word swaps (innocents instead of innocence).

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. Two female detectives from St Paul have 2 days to solve the murder of a judge. They are easy to like and you want to see them do well from tje start of the book. It made for a fast read trying to figure out what was going to happen. I had a feeling early on who the murder might be. There were some laugh out loud moments which made it over all a decent book.

There were two things that held me back a bit ,a lot of swearing which I can deal with some but it came across as it being used for filler. The editing should have been done better. There were too many typos among other things.

[Nancy]

Catherine O'Brian and Louise Montgomery, St Paul Mn police detectives, must solve a case in two days. Two men from the same company are murdered. One seems to be a good guy, the other not. The bad guy was blackmailing many people some from his work and the wives of some from his work. He was not killed by any of them, rather a personal assistant in the business. The bad guy was siphoning off money the assistant found out and knew the company would fold, including her pension, and killed the bad guy. The detectives solve the case.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One might call A Grand Murder a cozy mystery as it certainly is an easy book to curl up with and read in one sitting. If ever you want something light and highly entertaining in a mystery, I definitely recommend A Grand Murder! I'm happy to inform you that it is but the first in what will be here-to-fore known as the "Catherine O'Brien Mysteries". The next in the series to be released soon is Murder is a Family Affair, and Stacy is currently working on the third.

Warning to sensitive readers: some language

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two homicide detectives are sent out on a priority killing. Catherine O'Brien and partner, Louise have two days to solve the crime or make their Chief unhappy.

This was a fast-moving, humorous, and interesting murder mystery. It is hard to find humor with the subject of death, but in this case it was handled by descriptions of various interviews with possible suspects and witnesses.

I expect this series will continue to be even sharper with time.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. The characters were believable and you quickly became involved and cared for them. The story was fun to try and figure out. I had an idea early on as to who the killer would be but as, the detectives worked the case, it made me wonder. The language was realistic but I could have done without all the swearing. I will probably not recommend it because of the language.

[International Cat Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this last night. Definitely a quick read. It wasn't bad, but nothing particularly memorable.

I just started this book last night (Kindle tells me I'm 13% in) - anyway, short comment for the author and editor: at 7% in, "Leather sofa's flanked two of the walls" - sofas, people. No apostrophe.

[Anthoney Jaworski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a great weekend getaway read and it captured some good Minnesota humor! Looking forward to the next book to see where she goes.... Catherine reminds me of Beckett from Castle keep the books coming! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrOSSr...

[Jon Bjorkstrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book that was fun to read. A 4 star book for sure! It will leave you wanting to read more about its main characters. If you like John Sandford and Robert Crais you will like this book. A definate must read for Murder Mystery junkies.

[Stacy]

This is my first book so I love it like a child. I will not give it a star rating because I hate when authors do that to pump up their reviews. I will let actual readers rate it so you get the true measure of the book.

[Jennifer Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great rainy weekend read. Loved the characters.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my take here.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mystery, lots happening and the plot line kept the reader wondering what would happen next. And to top that off, it is a book based in Minnesota.

[Kevin Wilhelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A predictable murder mystery but I enjoyed the characters and the pace.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed....kept interest