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Thea Kozak #4
An Educated Death
In An Educated Death, the fourth Thea Kozak novel, Thea faces what may be her most tragic mystery yet, which begins when a young girl drowns at a private New England high school. The death rocks the quiet world of privileged academia, and Thea is called in to provide counseling for the students and faculty, and to work on a much needed evaluation of the school's safety procedures. When it is discovered that the girl was pregnant, Thea becomes suspicious of the circumstances of her death, and all hell breaks loose as she tries to uncover what really happened. As Thea digs deeper, the facade of gentility and old-world charm crumbles in the face of all those nasty little secrets that "perfect" people can't admit to.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
152 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Kate Flora
54 books125 followersKate Flora grew up on a chicken farm in Maine where the Friday afternoon trip to the library was the high point of her week. She dreamed of being able to create the kind of compelling, enchanting worlds of the books she disappeared into every week, but growing up in the era when “help wanted” ads were still sex-segregated, she felt her calling was to go to law school and get the job they told her she couldn’t have.
After law school, Kate worked in the Maine attorney general’s office, protecting battered kids, chasing deadbeat dads, and representing the Human Rights Commission. Those years taught her all a crime writer needs to know about the human propensity to commit horrible acts. After some years in private practice, she decided to give writing a serious try when she quit the law to stay at home for a few years with her young sons. That ‘serious try’ led to ten tenacious and hellacious years in the unpublished writer’s corner, followed, finally, by the sale of her Thea Kozak series.
Kate’s eighteen books will include eight Thea Kozak mysteries, five gritty Joe Burgess police procedurals, a suspense thriller (written under the name Katharine Clark), two true crime books, Death Dealer and Finding Amy (co-written with Joseph Loughlin, a Portland, Maine Deputy Police Chief), a Maine game warden's memoir, A Good Man with a Dog, co-written with Roger Guay, and a book about police shootings from the police point of view, Shots Fired: The misunderstandings, misconceptions, and myths about police shootings, co-written with Joseph K. Loughlin. Finding Amy was a 2007 Edgar nominee as well as a Maine Literary Award finalist, and has been optioned for a movie. Kate’s award-winning short stories have been widely anthologized and Redemption and And Grant You Peace, her third and fourth Joe Burgess mysteries, won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
Flora's fiction, nonfiction, and short fiction have been finalists for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer Awards.
She is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake, the region's annual mystery conference, and the Maine Crime Wave. With two other crime writers, she started founded Level Best Books, where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years. She served a term as international president of Sisters in Crime, an organization founded to promote awareness of women writers’ contributions to the mystery field. Currently, she teaches writing and does manuscript critiques for Grub Street in Boston.
She has two sons (one into film and the other into photovoltaics) two lovely daughters-in-law, an adorable eight-year-old grandson and five granddogs, Frances, Otis, Harvey, Oscar, and Daisy. When not conducting research for her novels and nonfiction—research that includes riding an ATV through the Canadian woods or hiding in a tick-infested field waiting to be found by search and rescue dogs—Kate can often be found in her garden, waging war against the woodchucks and her husband’s lawnmower, or in the kitchen, devising clever and devious ways to get the men in her life to eat their vegetables.
After law school, Kate worked in the Maine attorney general’s office, protecting battered kids, chasing deadbeat dads, and representing the Human Rights Commission. Those years taught her all a crime writer needs to know about the human propensity to commit horrible acts. After some years in private practice, she decided to give writing a serious try when she quit the law to stay at home for a few years with her young sons. That ‘serious try’ led to ten tenacious and hellacious years in the unpublished writer’s corner, followed, finally, by the sale of her Thea Kozak series.
Kate’s eighteen books will include eight Thea Kozak mysteries, five gritty Joe Burgess police procedurals, a suspense thriller (written under the name Katharine Clark), two true crime books, Death Dealer and Finding Amy (co-written with Joseph Loughlin, a Portland, Maine Deputy Police Chief), a Maine game warden's memoir, A Good Man with a Dog, co-written with Roger Guay, and a book about police shootings from the police point of view, Shots Fired: The misunderstandings, misconceptions, and myths about police shootings, co-written with Joseph K. Loughlin. Finding Amy was a 2007 Edgar nominee as well as a Maine Literary Award finalist, and has been optioned for a movie. Kate’s award-winning short stories have been widely anthologized and Redemption and And Grant You Peace, her third and fourth Joe Burgess mysteries, won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
Flora's fiction, nonfiction, and short fiction have been finalists for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer Awards.
She is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake, the region's annual mystery conference, and the Maine Crime Wave. With two other crime writers, she started founded Level Best Books, where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years. She served a term as international president of Sisters in Crime, an organization founded to promote awareness of women writers’ contributions to the mystery field. Currently, she teaches writing and does manuscript critiques for Grub Street in Boston.
She has two sons (one into film and the other into photovoltaics) two lovely daughters-in-law, an adorable eight-year-old grandson and five granddogs, Frances, Otis, Harvey, Oscar, and Daisy. When not conducting research for her novels and nonfiction—research that includes riding an ATV through the Canadian woods or hiding in a tick-infested field waiting to be found by search and rescue dogs—Kate can often be found in her garden, waging war against the woodchucks and her husband’s lawnmower, or in the kitchen, devising clever and devious ways to get the men in her life to eat their vegetables.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 16, 2017
I read late and was up early to finish Kate Flora's AN EDUCATED DEATH -- twisty and compelling, part MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and part PEYTON PLACE with much that I did not see coming. I slept when Thea did, made coffee when Thea did, had for breakfast at the conclusion and then de-stressed with an aqua class. (Thea had more energetic options ;-)
Thea’s personal life has to take a back seat to deal with a suspicious drowning death at a private school. While studying procedures for keeping students safe, she finds ever-widening circles of neglect of duty, cover-ups, and predatory relationships . . . and danger, always danger, despite honest attempts to be careful and stay safe.
I love Thea, her principles, her refusal to give up, and even her Christmas plans.
Some wise words:
“Three C’s?” “Closemouthed, cautious, and caring.”
Join Chocolates Anonymous or perhaps “just eat the stuff?”
Trouble comes from “trying to please people who can’t be pleased.”
Perhaps not wise to “lose oneself in work” and sometimes indulge in “a lumberjill breakfast.”
Thea’s personal life has to take a back seat to deal with a suspicious drowning death at a private school. While studying procedures for keeping students safe, she finds ever-widening circles of neglect of duty, cover-ups, and predatory relationships . . . and danger, always danger, despite honest attempts to be careful and stay safe.
I love Thea, her principles, her refusal to give up, and even her Christmas plans.
Some wise words:
“Three C’s?” “Closemouthed, cautious, and caring.”
Join Chocolates Anonymous or perhaps “just eat the stuff?”
Trouble comes from “trying to please people who can’t be pleased.”
Perhaps not wise to “lose oneself in work” and sometimes indulge in “a lumberjill breakfast.”
February 15, 2019
An Educated Death is the fourth book in the Thea Kozak mystery series. Thea, an educational consultant and the main character in the series, continuously finds herself right in the middle of someone’s mysterious death. This time it is the “accidental” drowning of a sixteen year old student at a private school which Thea is called in to help. The drowning victims death becomes more intriguing when her pregnancy is revealed.
I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series so far. I especially like how each book builds upon the previous one and greater insight into each character is revealed. The relationship Thea has with Andre, her detective boyfriend, is complicated but it works. Thea is strong, independent and clearly inquisitive.
If you like mysteries, this book will keep you guessing until the end. I recommend giving this series a try.
“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.”
I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series so far. I especially like how each book builds upon the previous one and greater insight into each character is revealed. The relationship Thea has with Andre, her detective boyfriend, is complicated but it works. Thea is strong, independent and clearly inquisitive.
If you like mysteries, this book will keep you guessing until the end. I recommend giving this series a try.
“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.”
January 18, 2019
Thea once again rushes into the fray with guns blazing!!!
This tough, independent, lovable fixer of all wrongs simply becomes more crabby when things do not go her way!
Good story line with characters that hold their own.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
This tough, independent, lovable fixer of all wrongs simply becomes more crabby when things do not go her way!
Good story line with characters that hold their own.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
January 21, 2019
Definitely the best I have read by Kate Flora. As always, very well written and great characters, but this story is moving along all the time with very little waste. Mysteries and thrilling action very well described.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
May 31, 2021
This was a nicely written and interesting thriller with strong characters and a good storyline. The author has done a great job writing this story with not a dull moment. The characters and situations are well thought out and the story moves at a good pace. The perpetrator was also quite difficult to guess! I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
July 3, 2022
Captivating Series!
All of the books in the series (up to and including "An Educated Death") have grabbed been wonderfully drawn stories, full of interesting characters, sympathetic victims, and surprising villains. Add to it a workaholic consultant who can't say no to anyone in trouble, you've got a "can't put down" read!
All of the books in the series (up to and including "An Educated Death") have grabbed been wonderfully drawn stories, full of interesting characters, sympathetic victims, and surprising villains. Add to it a workaholic consultant who can't say no to anyone in trouble, you've got a "can't put down" read!
September 7, 2019
Took a bit to get into the story & there were a lot of side channels but all-in-all a good tale. Pretty well plotted & except for the side channels, it moved along pretty well. Looking for other Flora books to read.
Read
May 28, 2021Really enjoyed this book. Some of the quirky characters were a pleasant distraction. Recommend.
Read
December 11, 2022Great again
The stories always have a twist at the end and this one didn't fail to please and there's more to read
The stories always have a twist at the end and this one didn't fail to please and there's more to read
May 8, 2024
good
did not predict killer correctly
did not predict killer correctly
May 24, 2024
Another great story
The author has created another fantastic tale of intrigue for Thea and the other group of characters making this hard to put down
The author has created another fantastic tale of intrigue for Thea and the other group of characters making this hard to put down
January 18, 2012
Surprisingly, I thought it was a very well written thriller, well-paced, full of twists and turns yet very readable and humane. This story deals with a troubled teenage girl who triggers powerful emotions in her wake and ends up destroyed by the adults who should be legally responsible for her welfare.
The author presents the death at the beginning and sets events in motion to unearth the reasons and details at the exclusive prep school.
The heroine is given the responsibility to review school procedures and she discovers adult caretakers who so caught up in their human failings that they are failing in their professional and moral responsibilities. A tangled web of personalities who may or may not be murderers swirl around Thea Kozak.
The description of her relationship with the law enforcement boyfriend - Andre Lemieux; the local police chief, Rocky?; and the police officer assigned as a bodyguard who spends an interesting night in her company: very human insights into men who have to deal with violence and evil on a daily basis.
I was not too sure about the relevancy of including the other consulting job at the black school and her checking into the sexual harrassment complaint: maybe just to highlight yet another social issue?
All in all, I very much enjoyed reading the story: it was well done and highly readable.
The author presents the death at the beginning and sets events in motion to unearth the reasons and details at the exclusive prep school.
The heroine is given the responsibility to review school procedures and she discovers adult caretakers who so caught up in their human failings that they are failing in their professional and moral responsibilities. A tangled web of personalities who may or may not be murderers swirl around Thea Kozak.
The description of her relationship with the law enforcement boyfriend - Andre Lemieux; the local police chief, Rocky?; and the police officer assigned as a bodyguard who spends an interesting night in her company: very human insights into men who have to deal with violence and evil on a daily basis.
I was not too sure about the relevancy of including the other consulting job at the black school and her checking into the sexual harrassment complaint: maybe just to highlight yet another social issue?
All in all, I very much enjoyed reading the story: it was well done and highly readable.
April 5, 2016
Really enjoyed this Kate Flora book. I had "abandoned" the Thea Kosak series in favor of some of her other writing, but certainly enjoyed this book about a student at a Mass. prep school who drowns in a pond at the school. Liked the personal relationship treatment along with the snarled plot. A promo compared Flora to Evanovich, but I definitely prefer Flora who is less manic in her writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2012
Being a sucker for any mystery having to do with a school or educational institution, this fast-paced saga by Kate Flora hit the mark for summer reading. The heroine is tough, and a little larger than life---but all in all, the book kept my interest.
May 20, 2020
This book (Book #4 of the Thea Kozak Mystery Series) may be interrupted due to due date at the library. Finally finished ... Good book; Kate Flora's getting very creative with her Consultant (Character) so that she can get her wrapped up in another dangerous investigation.
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May 16, 2011Thea Kozak
November 22, 2012
Book #67 read in 2012
This one dragged a bit. Thea was not especially likable or endearing as a heroine. I missed some of my favorite characters, too.
This one dragged a bit. Thea was not especially likable or endearing as a heroine. I missed some of my favorite characters, too.
September 29, 2013
One of the few books where I didn't figure out who the killer was before the main character. That, and the short blurb about Massachusetts' drivers, really made this book enjoyable.
August 2, 2016
The mystery itself was fine, but all these supposedly intelligent and well-educated people just act like idiots so that the plot can reach 380 pages.
February 3, 2024
Great story!
February 12, 2019
An edge of your seat thriller! I am so in love with this series! Thea is strong willed, determined and doesn’t give up until justice is served. No matter the cost be it emotional or physical. The drowning death of a teen who happens to be pregnant draws Thea into her latest mystery. Thea digs through the quagmire of information or lack to try and piece together what really happened at that lake. A poisoning, morally lacking faculty, some possible trouble in paradise with Andre none of it stops her from finding out the surprising truth. This one will keep you guessing til the end. A definite must read!
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews