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An Anna Nolan Mystery #1
Framed for Murder
Anna Nolan is walking her dog outside her small home town one night when she discovers a body. And not just any body - her ex-husband, Jack. Suddenly, Anna is the police's favorite suspect, and even if the investigating officer is tall, blond, handsome, and has a cute British accent, she doesn't relish the attention. Trying to divert suspicion away from herself, Anna investigates the three different women her actor-husband had been romancing on a local movie set. But she'd better be careful; one of them could be a killer."
"Originally published as Road Kill.
"Originally published as Road Kill.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2012
136 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Spencer
10 books12 followersCanadian author Cathy Spencer writes the award-winning Anna Nolan mystery series, as well as regency and contemporary romance. She is also the author of 2 short-story collections.
Cathy has recently completed a new mystery set in 1927 in Nova Scotia. It features a young woman who's been living the high life at a Toronto nightclub after she completes a Bachelor of Music degree. Suddenly, she's left a large fortune, but she has to live in a small town in Nova Scotia to inherit it. A fish out of water, Evelyn, our heroine, becomes involved with a missing woman case which soon gives her plenty to do.
Connect with Cathy online:
Blog: http://cmspencer.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathySpencer...
Cathy has recently completed a new mystery set in 1927 in Nova Scotia. It features a young woman who's been living the high life at a Toronto nightclub after she completes a Bachelor of Music degree. Suddenly, she's left a large fortune, but she has to live in a small town in Nova Scotia to inherit it. A fish out of water, Evelyn, our heroine, becomes involved with a missing woman case which soon gives her plenty to do.
Connect with Cathy online:
Blog: http://cmspencer.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathySpencer...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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November 8, 2013I think "Framed for Murder" is a wonderful read, but then, I wrote it!
November 3, 2019
This was fun and different. For one thing, it took place in Canada where the RCMP was handling the murder case. I loved Anna's dog, Wendy. She wasn't trained for attack, but she protected her owner when she needed to. After being wrongly accused and framed for her ex-husband's murder, Anna was desperate to prove herself and her son Ben innocent. Anna knew that there was any number of people that Jack could have made mad enough to kill him, and she hadn't even realized he was in the next town over shooting a movie.
I liked Amy that Anna became friends with (odd enough as Amy had been one of Jack's lovers). The two made a pretty funny team when they went investigating. I thought what Anna did for the visiting detective was very sweet, although it almost cost them both their lives. Who knew that having a son and being good at hitting baseballs with him would ever come in handy, but it did for Anna! There were quite a few suspects to pick from, and I hadn't really guessed until it got obvious who the killer was. This was a cute little town with some interesting people that I might want to visit again!
I liked Amy that Anna became friends with (odd enough as Amy had been one of Jack's lovers). The two made a pretty funny team when they went investigating. I thought what Anna did for the visiting detective was very sweet, although it almost cost them both their lives. Who knew that having a son and being good at hitting baseballs with him would ever come in handy, but it did for Anna! There were quite a few suspects to pick from, and I hadn't really guessed until it got obvious who the killer was. This was a cute little town with some interesting people that I might want to visit again!
December 14, 2012
Beware of Walking Your Dog, You May Find a Body
Road Kill by CM Spencer is a cozy mystery set in Chinook (a small town in Canada). We follow the life of Anna Nolan, starting with (while out walking her dog) literally stumbling across the body of her estranged ex-husband (Jack)- and then immediately being found my a local cop over said body.
Evidence against her piles up and Anna has real reason to investigate his death. Which is to say, so she can prove her innocence. However- as she puts it- she's more of a liability to the police, bumbling around and damaging her case. Not only that, it puts her on Sergeant Charles Tremaine's (a British investigator brought in for the case) bad side. Constantly getting in his way and on his nerves.
As her life unravels and she struggles to find not only Jack's killer, but also peace after memories best left forgotten resurface. When she had been married to Jack, he had had a string of affairs. Anna's response had been to look the other way. Her reason was simple. She now had a son and no steady job or income. Without Jack to provide either, she would have to live of welfare. So instead she turned a blind eye until, years later, she finally draws the line and ends it. Now four years after that, her determination to find his killer leads her to meeting some of his past affairs. There are suspects galore and she's determined to find the guilty party.
Of course there are obstacles along the way. Meeting some of the women your husband cheated on you with is no small task, let alone trying to surreptitiously question them about his murder. Talk of Jack also brings to light his situation with Ben, Anna and Jack's 19 year old son. Having had no contact with his father for years, he is dealing with abandonment issues, hatred of the man his father had been and also love of the man who was the only father he had.
There are humorous attempts on Anna's part to ferret out the killer and prove herself to the police, especially Charles Tremaine. As a cozy mystery, it's a pretty light-hearted read. Though usually cozy mysteries have two points of interest- the murder and a subject the protagonist is passionate about. Generally, these will be tea rooms, flower shops or similar things to which the murder takes a back-seat. However, in this book the cozy mystery feel comes from the same writing style as with Agatha Christie books. They tell of grisly murders and yet somehow are pleasant to read, hence "cozy" mystery.
The ending is entertainingly Bond-ish. We have a dramatic villain who spouts all the usual cliches, even finishing off with an I'm-going-to-have-to-kill-you-now statement. Enjoyable to read nevertheless. The only criticism I have is that the story can be a little slow moving at times. Cozy mysteries often rely upon a second point of focus to help keep interest as the murder investigation takes place. As I said earlier, that doesn't happen here and the result is a missing second focus point. However, we do have some side-stories and entertaining events, so it's certainly not a reason not to read this book.
If you're looking for a good cozy mystery, a little bit of romance or just a nice read this is great for you.
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Road Kill by CM Spencer is a cozy mystery set in Chinook (a small town in Canada). We follow the life of Anna Nolan, starting with (while out walking her dog) literally stumbling across the body of her estranged ex-husband (Jack)- and then immediately being found my a local cop over said body.
Evidence against her piles up and Anna has real reason to investigate his death. Which is to say, so she can prove her innocence. However- as she puts it- she's more of a liability to the police, bumbling around and damaging her case. Not only that, it puts her on Sergeant Charles Tremaine's (a British investigator brought in for the case) bad side. Constantly getting in his way and on his nerves.
As her life unravels and she struggles to find not only Jack's killer, but also peace after memories best left forgotten resurface. When she had been married to Jack, he had had a string of affairs. Anna's response had been to look the other way. Her reason was simple. She now had a son and no steady job or income. Without Jack to provide either, she would have to live of welfare. So instead she turned a blind eye until, years later, she finally draws the line and ends it. Now four years after that, her determination to find his killer leads her to meeting some of his past affairs. There are suspects galore and she's determined to find the guilty party.
Of course there are obstacles along the way. Meeting some of the women your husband cheated on you with is no small task, let alone trying to surreptitiously question them about his murder. Talk of Jack also brings to light his situation with Ben, Anna and Jack's 19 year old son. Having had no contact with his father for years, he is dealing with abandonment issues, hatred of the man his father had been and also love of the man who was the only father he had.
There are humorous attempts on Anna's part to ferret out the killer and prove herself to the police, especially Charles Tremaine. As a cozy mystery, it's a pretty light-hearted read. Though usually cozy mysteries have two points of interest- the murder and a subject the protagonist is passionate about. Generally, these will be tea rooms, flower shops or similar things to which the murder takes a back-seat. However, in this book the cozy mystery feel comes from the same writing style as with Agatha Christie books. They tell of grisly murders and yet somehow are pleasant to read, hence "cozy" mystery.
The ending is entertainingly Bond-ish. We have a dramatic villain who spouts all the usual cliches, even finishing off with an I'm-going-to-have-to-kill-you-now statement. Enjoyable to read nevertheless. The only criticism I have is that the story can be a little slow moving at times. Cozy mysteries often rely upon a second point of focus to help keep interest as the murder investigation takes place. As I said earlier, that doesn't happen here and the result is a missing second focus point. However, we do have some side-stories and entertaining events, so it's certainly not a reason not to read this book.
If you're looking for a good cozy mystery, a little bit of romance or just a nice read this is great for you.
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
June 2, 2013
I seldom give five stars for a book but in this case I don't have another possibility. It's an absolutely brilliant story. I would put it into the category of cosy mysteries. It's a mixture between Miss Marpel and Murder she wrote only in a modern version and set out in Canada.
I got quickly familiar with all characters. CM Spencer described them, the actions and the surrounding so vivid that I've felt being into the plot on my own, being a part of them as a ghostly observer. I suffered with Anna Nolan when she was trying to track down her ex-husband's murder in her unorthodox ways. Sometimes I felt to give her support or held her back on the other hand I had to roll my eyes and and could laugh out loud.
It's marvellously written and I wasn't able to stop the reading. It kept me guessing up until the very end if Anna will get him or not and this made me all tingly.
I can strongly recommend this book.
I got quickly familiar with all characters. CM Spencer described them, the actions and the surrounding so vivid that I've felt being into the plot on my own, being a part of them as a ghostly observer. I suffered with Anna Nolan when she was trying to track down her ex-husband's murder in her unorthodox ways. Sometimes I felt to give her support or held her back on the other hand I had to roll my eyes and and could laugh out loud.
It's marvellously written and I wasn't able to stop the reading. It kept me guessing up until the very end if Anna will get him or not and this made me all tingly.
I can strongly recommend this book.
May 22, 2018
I suppose if I were a fan of "Anne of Green Gables" or "Little House On the Prairie" I might have enjoyed this book. But I'm not, so I didn't. Boring characters, boring plot, boring setting. The reveal of the killer was anticlimactic and the 'big reveal' about the restaurant at the end was obvious from the get-go.
February 3, 2019
"An entertaining thriller"
This was an entertaining, quick read that kept me guessing throughout. Who killed Jack Nolan? The only thing I could be sure of was it wasn't his ex-wife, Anna. That's what keeps you reading until the last page. Well-crafted characters, attractive settings and a decent plot help too. I would certainly look for another Anna Nolan mystery to continue the fun.
This was an entertaining, quick read that kept me guessing throughout. Who killed Jack Nolan? The only thing I could be sure of was it wasn't his ex-wife, Anna. That's what keeps you reading until the last page. Well-crafted characters, attractive settings and a decent plot help too. I would certainly look for another Anna Nolan mystery to continue the fun.
June 13, 2017
This book is very well constructed and I loved every part of it!
July 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book set in a small Alberta town. It had some quite exciting episodes. I've not read any of Cathy Spencer's books, but will look for more of hers.
January 22, 2018
Ex Drama
Anna finds her dead ex-husband, and that makes her suspect number one! She decides to try her hand at detective work, and this complicates everything!
Anna finds her dead ex-husband, and that makes her suspect number one! She decides to try her hand at detective work, and this complicates everything!
April 9, 2019
Enjoyable mystery. Had some of the amateur detective stuff that makes me crazy but I liked the characters so much that I kept reading.
July 24, 2019
When she divorced him she thought he was out of her life. She should have known better!
A good story line with excellent characters
A good story line with excellent characters
November 4, 2020
Framed for Murder
I really liked the book even though I got dizzy from trying to figure out who was the murderer. Kathleen Ryan
I really liked the book even though I got dizzy from trying to figure out who was the murderer. Kathleen Ryan
September 11, 2022
Read this in one day - the story was engrossing and entertaining. The protagonist is feisty and stubborn. I definitely recommend it.
August 12, 2016
Framed for Murder is the first book in the cozy Anna Nolan mystery series. Anna goes out for a nightly walk with her dog who discovers a body.The body turns out to be Anna's ex-husband who she hasn't seen for a few years. She becomes a suspect. She starts investigating to find out who murdered her ex.
The book read fast and held my interest. I felt the strength of the book was the characters. Anna is a likeable protagonist. I loved the "Diner" characters and would like to revisit them in the next book. There was humor.I didn't realize who the murderer was until near the end of the book.
One thing that was distracting to me was during conversations, they kept saying each other's first name even if only two were in the conversation. In real life, we do not do that when talking to someone. It would have been easy to track who was speaking without the first names being said so many times.
I did like the book and found it to be a fast read.
I won this book on Goodreads and it did not in anyway affect my review of the book.
The book read fast and held my interest. I felt the strength of the book was the characters. Anna is a likeable protagonist. I loved the "Diner" characters and would like to revisit them in the next book. There was humor.I didn't realize who the murderer was until near the end of the book.
One thing that was distracting to me was during conversations, they kept saying each other's first name even if only two were in the conversation. In real life, we do not do that when talking to someone. It would have been easy to track who was speaking without the first names being said so many times.
I did like the book and found it to be a fast read.
I won this book on Goodreads and it did not in anyway affect my review of the book.
July 13, 2015
I like that Spencer is a Canadian author and has set this crime novel in a small town in Alberta. I love reading about places where I live. Framed for Murder is an easy read. In fact, I started this book yesterday morning and finished it early afternoon today. Good plausible plot, characters are very likable and our heroine, Anna Nolan, acted to clear her name from her ex husband's murder in typical fashion: just do whatever comes naturally like snooping, meeting with ex lovers of her husband, getting in too deep! Well done. I will check out her Town Haunts released in 2014.
November 17, 2013
Cathy Spencer is a new author for me, I found out about her books when Amazon offered her short story (House on Cliffside) for free. I liked the short story, so I went on to look up her other books. I enjoyed the mystery part of this story, but I'm not much of a fan of romance and this book has a little too much for my taste. There were a few grammatical errors and the formatting of the ebook really needs to be corrected.
April 27, 2013
What would you do if you found your ex-husband body and you are the main suspect? Anna Nolan must find out why her ex-husband was killed and by whom. The story was good, engaging the reader to determine who did the deed among the many possible suspects. Murder, suspects, doubts, questions, and a possible romance with a younger man will keep you entertain.
June 7, 2013
I thought this was a really good read! The author did a good job of delving out the characters and I really liked the main character, Anna Nolan.
I would recommend this book to others looking for a light-hearted mystery.
I would recommend this book to others looking for a light-hearted mystery.
September 22, 2013
I enjoy reading books set in Canada, but the conversational style of this book was very distracting. The characters addressed each other by name every other sentence, even when they were the only 2 people present or when they were talking on the phone.
February 10, 2014
Received a signed copy of this book from the author. Really enjoyed it and liked the main character Anna Nolan, light hearted murder mystery found it an easy read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews