What do you think?
Rate this book
Eliza Gordon Mystery #1
Killing Time
Welcome to Goodship, New York. The sleepy suburban hamlet harbors a terrible secret. A secret that may be at the heart of two murders.Twenty-five years after the “big game” and the requisite homecoming party, Goodship's secret begins to haunt its otherwise comfortable residents. When the first murder is reported, the townsfolk are warned, but take no action. When town landmarks are vandalized, residents are aghast. And, when an attempt is made on a local hero's life, the town mobilizes, especially former soap star(and now proprietor of the favorite lunch spot) Eliza Gordon and her pal and local radio personality Midge Sumner. When the prime suspect turns up dead, Eliza and Midge mobilize to solve the murders and catch the real perpetrator.The clues are all there. Fans of "Murder She Wrote," Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone mysteries and Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan series will enjoy following the clues and taking their best shot at helping Eliza Gordon figure out: “Who is doing more in Goodship than just Killing Time?”
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
228 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2011
10 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Amy Beth Arkawy
5 books25 followersAuthor of the Eliza Gordon Mystery Series: Killing Time, Dead Silent; 2014 Mystery & Mayhem Award Winner, Murder, She Tweets (Cozy Cat Press); featured in Chasing The Codex, the Cozy Cat Press Group Mystery, Short Story "Dangerous Appetites" featured in Hen House collection "Fiction Noir." Author several plays including: "Psychic Chicken Soup" (McClaren Comedy Award nominee); "Full Moon, Saturday Night;" "The Lost Mertz;" "The Postman Always Writes Twice;" "Rage Amongst Yourselves;" Plays have been produced in festivals in NYC & across the country; several published in anthologies.
Host popular radio talk show featuring compelling conversations with authors & other storytellers.And help others find their voices as a creativity coach/writing teacher.
B.A. Sarah Lawrence College; M.F.A. Fellow University of Massachusetts; M.S./Counseling; Long Island University
Host popular radio talk show featuring compelling conversations with authors & other storytellers.And help others find their voices as a creativity coach/writing teacher.
B.A. Sarah Lawrence College; M.F.A. Fellow University of Massachusetts; M.S./Counseling; Long Island University
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 13, 2014
Hey there Guys and Dolls,
Goodship, New York is the place to be if you want to have a delicious bowl of soup, meet some famous and not so famous people, as well as solve a murder or two.
Eliza Gordon, who left behind the glamorous show biz life as a former child and soap opera star, is now the owner of a little place where she cooks up fabulous recipes and hangs out with her best pal Midge Sumner, local radio personality. Now headlining in her own little hotspot, Soup Opera, you can catch up on all the local gossip, be a lady who lunches and keep an eye on Eliza and Midge as they work to solve the mysteries they are not supposed be sticking their noses into. There’s plenty of ways to kill time in the little town including being involved in the local Community Theatre’s production of Double Indemnity the musical (featuring the smash hit ‘Love You to Death Walter Neff’).
With a marvelous cast of characters, a sense of humour making this a small-town cozy well worth reading. Yours truly has already booked a return trip back to Goodship!
Goodship, New York is the place to be if you want to have a delicious bowl of soup, meet some famous and not so famous people, as well as solve a murder or two.
Eliza Gordon, who left behind the glamorous show biz life as a former child and soap opera star, is now the owner of a little place where she cooks up fabulous recipes and hangs out with her best pal Midge Sumner, local radio personality. Now headlining in her own little hotspot, Soup Opera, you can catch up on all the local gossip, be a lady who lunches and keep an eye on Eliza and Midge as they work to solve the mysteries they are not supposed be sticking their noses into. There’s plenty of ways to kill time in the little town including being involved in the local Community Theatre’s production of Double Indemnity the musical (featuring the smash hit ‘Love You to Death Walter Neff’).
With a marvelous cast of characters, a sense of humour making this a small-town cozy well worth reading. Yours truly has already booked a return trip back to Goodship!
June 30, 2015
This was my first book by author Amy Beth Arkawy, but certainly will not be my last. Book 2 in the series is already waiting for me as I write this review. ;-)
From the prologue to chapter one, the story jumps ahead twenty-five years where we meet series lead Eliza Gordon, who soon finds herself in the middle of decades old secrets and very real murders of present day, which sets out to solve with the help of her friend Midge. Both of these ladies were a lot of fun to read. Eliza is former actress, who did a stint in a soap opera and now lives in the small town of Goodship, New York and owns a restaurant called Soup Opera (great name), that sells, yes, wonderful soup. And Midge is a radio personality.
Author Arkawy is a wonderful writer who drew me into, and made me feel a part of the story. Her talent for writing a skillful mystery and entertaining story is evident, and her characters and setting were well thought about and presented is such a way as to keep you turning the pages.
Make KILLING TIME a part of your summer reading list. You won’t be disappointed.
And check out the back of the book for some yummy recipes!
NOTE: To readers who read very traditional mysteries, there is moderate cussing in this story, and for those sensitive to the subject (like myself), a rape is mentioned, but not acted out or talked about descriptively. Neither took away from my enjoyment of the story, but I know many readers like myself don’t expect to find these mentioned in cozies.
From the prologue to chapter one, the story jumps ahead twenty-five years where we meet series lead Eliza Gordon, who soon finds herself in the middle of decades old secrets and very real murders of present day, which sets out to solve with the help of her friend Midge. Both of these ladies were a lot of fun to read. Eliza is former actress, who did a stint in a soap opera and now lives in the small town of Goodship, New York and owns a restaurant called Soup Opera (great name), that sells, yes, wonderful soup. And Midge is a radio personality.
Author Arkawy is a wonderful writer who drew me into, and made me feel a part of the story. Her talent for writing a skillful mystery and entertaining story is evident, and her characters and setting were well thought about and presented is such a way as to keep you turning the pages.
Make KILLING TIME a part of your summer reading list. You won’t be disappointed.
And check out the back of the book for some yummy recipes!
NOTE: To readers who read very traditional mysteries, there is moderate cussing in this story, and for those sensitive to the subject (like myself), a rape is mentioned, but not acted out or talked about descriptively. Neither took away from my enjoyment of the story, but I know many readers like myself don’t expect to find these mentioned in cozies.
February 22, 2012
I will be reviewing this title on my blog in a week or so. I enjoyed this cute mystery....a bit like Murder She Wrote and Rosemary and Thyme. I give it a solid 4 stars and hope the next one is even better.
I enjoyed this mystery and meeting the quirky characters that live in the little town of Goodship. Eliza is likeable and you really feel for her with the loss of her husband of only 3 years. The business they built is going strong and she is really finding her home and where she belongs in this little town. Her friends and acquaintances are a good mix of strange yet quite real in their personalities and idiosyncrasies. You know you have met people just like the ones in this book; you may even be one of them.
The book felt a bit like Murder She Wrote, I Love Lucy, and Rosemary and Thyme(BBC). Solving a crime with just a bit of information and a mind that wouldn’t let Eliza rest, all the while pulling in a good friend or two to help her. If you enjoy light mysteries (like a cozy) with a bit of comedy and hopefully in the next few a bit more romance then I think you will find this book to your likein’.
I look forward to the next one in this series.
I enjoyed this mystery and meeting the quirky characters that live in the little town of Goodship. Eliza is likeable and you really feel for her with the loss of her husband of only 3 years. The business they built is going strong and she is really finding her home and where she belongs in this little town. Her friends and acquaintances are a good mix of strange yet quite real in their personalities and idiosyncrasies. You know you have met people just like the ones in this book; you may even be one of them.
The book felt a bit like Murder She Wrote, I Love Lucy, and Rosemary and Thyme(BBC). Solving a crime with just a bit of information and a mind that wouldn’t let Eliza rest, all the while pulling in a good friend or two to help her. If you enjoy light mysteries (like a cozy) with a bit of comedy and hopefully in the next few a bit more romance then I think you will find this book to your likein’.
I look forward to the next one in this series.
May 1, 2015
A bustling, busy mystery with a great cast of characters:
Killing Time is a bustling, busy mystery filled with a great cast of characters, all of whom bring the story and town of Goodship, NY, to vibrant life. In fact, the "cast" is so big it's challenging at the onset to keep them all straight, but eventually their individual quirks and personalities help define and differentiate. Arkawy peppers her narrative with fun cultural references that most readers will get, and get a chuckle over, and her breezy style makes even the twists and turns of her mystery crackle with energy and interest. The heroine, Eliza Gordon, is a smart, many-skilled woman looking to reinvent her life and in the process, finds herself investigating a surprising murder with historical ties to the community. The story keeps you guessing and the dialogue sharp and engaging... it's a great read mystery lovers will enjoy!
Killing Time is a bustling, busy mystery filled with a great cast of characters, all of whom bring the story and town of Goodship, NY, to vibrant life. In fact, the "cast" is so big it's challenging at the onset to keep them all straight, but eventually their individual quirks and personalities help define and differentiate. Arkawy peppers her narrative with fun cultural references that most readers will get, and get a chuckle over, and her breezy style makes even the twists and turns of her mystery crackle with energy and interest. The heroine, Eliza Gordon, is a smart, many-skilled woman looking to reinvent her life and in the process, finds herself investigating a surprising murder with historical ties to the community. The story keeps you guessing and the dialogue sharp and engaging... it's a great read mystery lovers will enjoy!
November 10, 2011
This is a new Author of this genre and I found it to be a fast and fun read. The characters are terrific and it is a very pleasant read. I am looking forward to more of these characters in future editions of the Eliza Gordon Mysteries - this one is the first of a series. I think you will enjoy this mystery.
April 18, 2021
I don't do book reviews
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
January 10, 2021
Read a few chapters every day and didn't want to put it down.
July 6, 2015
Who doesn't love a diner by the name of Soup Opera? It is aptly named since the mystery is somewhat like a soap opera. And since I like the Soup Opera and want to eat their and try their delicious soup I soap opera's. A soap opera has many twists and turns, as does this mystery. Just when you think you have it figured out the author throws in another little curve. Intriguing characters, memories of high school and a high school reunion, and a secret that exists with this group of classmates makes us wonder if we shouldn't examine our own old high school days. It kept me reading, kept me smiling, and enjoying the entire book along with being surprised with the conclusion. Well done.
January 27, 2014
Yes, it's a mystery but what a fun read. Refreshingly witty and quite creative. Love the characters, although sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to keep them straight. A who's who list would come in handy. Can't wait to start the next one.
August 6, 2015
A pleasant book for a quiet night.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and trying to find my way through several twists in the storyline. A nicely fleshed out little mystery.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and trying to find my way through several twists in the storyline. A nicely fleshed out little mystery.
November 16, 2011
Learn more about it at: http://loveandpublishing.com/KillingT...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews