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Sharon McCone #9
The Shape of Dread: A Sharon McCone Mystery
Bobby Foster, carhop at the chic Cafe Comedie, is going to the gas chamber. He’s already confessed to the murder of Tracy Kostakos, the club’s rising star. But two years after the crime, Tracy’s body is still missing and Bobby’s confession is full of holes. All Souls Legal Cooperative’s final appeal sends San Francisco’s number one PI Sharon McCone behind the footlights into the super-charged arena of anxious club owners and aspiring young hopefuls, into the fractured world of Tracy’s privileged family and the mind of a young comedienne who was not the good little girl they thought they knew, and into a labyrinth of death and deception where someone will kill to laugh last and get away with murder.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Marcia Muller
165 books734 followersMarcia Muller is an American author of mystery and thriller novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 5, 2022
Sharon is asked to investigate a case involving a young man on death row. His attorney believes that he’s innocent and that he was coerced into confessing. The victim’s body was never found. What Sharon uncovers are a web of lies, and some really despicable people—just another day in the life of a San Francisco PI. This book was published 1990, so it’s a fascinating time capsule look into San Francisco 30+ years ago.
June 19, 2018
I really liked the story of this one. A young man on death row, convicted of killing an up-and-coming comedienne - even though her body was never found. Sharon is working with the lawyer on the appeal's process and soon finds out about the darker side of the victim through her "friends," family and colleagues.
Once again though, Sharon is about the only player in this story who doesn't get on my nerves. She makes an observation later in the book that she's sick of the case, and everyone involved and I was like, "Girl, I know how you feel." The victim's roommate especially was literally the most annoying character on the face of the Earth. I also wasn't terribly wild about a relationship choice Sharon makes in this book. Frankly, she should know better.
Once again though, Sharon is about the only player in this story who doesn't get on my nerves. She makes an observation later in the book that she's sick of the case, and everyone involved and I was like, "Girl, I know how you feel." The victim's roommate especially was literally the most annoying character on the face of the Earth. I also wasn't terribly wild about a relationship choice Sharon makes in this book. Frankly, she should know better.
March 1, 2026
This is an old series, but I enjoy it - Sharon, the MC, brings to mind Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, perhaps because both series are set in the 1980s? I had to keep reminding myself that life was a lot different 40 years ago than it is today, and it seems that some GR reviewers need to consider that too.
This book is different from most mysteries in that there is no body from which to gather clues and other information. But a young man has confessed to the crime, even though many think he is innocent. It's up to Sharon to discover the truth. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and so many red herrings that I gave up trying to figure it out and just went along for the ride. The resolution was a surprise that I never would have figured out on my own, although the motive made sense.
The next book in this series is in my audio library, but I'm not sure how soon I'll get around to listening to it.
This book is different from most mysteries in that there is no body from which to gather clues and other information. But a young man has confessed to the crime, even though many think he is innocent. It's up to Sharon to discover the truth. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and so many red herrings that I gave up trying to figure it out and just went along for the ride. The resolution was a surprise that I never would have figured out on my own, although the motive made sense.
The next book in this series is in my audio library, but I'm not sure how soon I'll get around to listening to it.
August 28, 2023
Solid murder mystery with familiar characters, Sharon McCone and friends. Muller infuses just enough personal interaction with the mystery details to make the reader care about the characters.
May 19, 2017
Alas. I was not able to lose myself in this adventure, but instead I was wincing at a lot of emotional dissonance. While the story beguiles for awhile, and the energy level of the story runs hot, and Sharon McCone's life and personal demons engage, I admit to feeling a tad unable to accept the denouement.
I think if you are going to write about a comedy club there should be more detail about that business to make the club come alive, but this story could have been about an ordinary restaurant and its employees. Plus, my impression of comedians is that they can be dysfunctional, bitter and attention seeking, but I never thought of them as empty blanks as they are in this plot.
Several characters did not ultimately respond in a believable manner to me, particularly Amy, Lisa, Tracy and even McCone. I could not see Tracy Kostakos going out with Marc Emmons, a real colorless jerk. The drama queen Amy did not seem like someone who would sit around an apartment for a year living under the shadow of her roommate's drama for a year, and bury herself in Tracy's life. Lisa McIntyre's behavior was a weird combination of lifeless concern for herself.
Most of the suspects and the victim's loved ones turn out to be stupid people - either too stupid to live or shallow as a shadow, and all of that goes double for the victim herself, Tracy Kostakos. That does not turn me off a book, but it meant the story had to hook me on some other interesting element. Instead, I slowly began to not care about discovering who done it.
So, anyway. It wasn't a bad novel.
I think if you are going to write about a comedy club there should be more detail about that business to make the club come alive, but this story could have been about an ordinary restaurant and its employees. Plus, my impression of comedians is that they can be dysfunctional, bitter and attention seeking, but I never thought of them as empty blanks as they are in this plot.
Several characters did not ultimately respond in a believable manner to me, particularly Amy, Lisa, Tracy and even McCone. I could not see Tracy Kostakos going out with Marc Emmons, a real colorless jerk. The drama queen Amy did not seem like someone who would sit around an apartment for a year living under the shadow of her roommate's drama for a year, and bury herself in Tracy's life. Lisa McIntyre's behavior was a weird combination of lifeless concern for herself.
Most of the suspects and the victim's loved ones turn out to be stupid people - either too stupid to live or shallow as a shadow, and all of that goes double for the victim herself, Tracy Kostakos. That does not turn me off a book, but it meant the story had to hook me on some other interesting element. Instead, I slowly began to not care about discovering who done it.
So, anyway. It wasn't a bad novel.
May 8, 2017
Sharon McCone was assigned to Bobby Foster’s case. She is to learn why he confessed to killing Tracy Kostakos, a crime he didn’t commit. Tracy is known by family and friends as a good girl but Sharon McCone learns the truth about Tracy Kostakos and why she was murdered and by whom. Laura Hicks does a good job in storytelling.
December 17, 2016
Maybe the best of the series so far. Still, not great. Convoluted ending for such a short novel.
October 16, 2019
Marcia Muller's San Francisco detective Sharon McCone begins her ninth adventure visiting a man on death row, a client for All Souls — the law coop McCone works for. Barely 20, Bobby Fisher has been convicted of murder in a 'no body' case. McCone's charge is to retrace the case and see if there is enough evidence to get Fisher at least a new trial.
And so it begins. McCone is a dogged investigator and manages to find old secrets, new clues and plenty of suspicion and the story would be a good one if I could only like McCone a bit more. I know, I should be a bit more understanding: she's a liberated female! she can stand on her own two feet and handle assaults as well as the mysteries! And when need be, she can walk away from an unfulfilling relationship.
But I really don't like the woman. There is something grating to be reading a mystery and the main character pops up with "I'm part native American" as if it was a vital clue, even when it isn't (and by the five book in the series, I could care less). Then she also seems to fall into and out of bed and attraction with an assortment of men that wander in and out of the books. I know, in many mysteries the male characters seem to jump in and out of beds with nubile young women, but I expect my female PIs to be a little less cavalier about the matter of love and sex and developing a lasting relationship. Frankly, as a modern independent woman why can't she be attracted and not jump into anything for a while?
At first it was a detective that McCone was attracted to — and he to her. They have a prickly relationship which I would have figured would be good for that off-again, on-again give and take through the series. But author Muller dropped him quickly and now he is only an occasional character with few lines or action. Next, Muller has McCone take up with a radio DJ — OK, quirky but could be a good side story to the series — but there doesn't seem much to the relationship and it lasts for a couple of books, then drops like a hot potato.
In this book McCone is supposedly recovering from the ending of that relationship but still is attracted to a potential suspect and the father of the murder victim. I don't see the attraction but I also don't like the suspension of ethics in the move to start a relationship with the grieving and married professor while still conducting the investigation. With little in the way of attraction other than both are lonely. I actually hope that in future stories, he doesn't return.
Admittedly I am no romantic and we've all read news stories of attorneys who have fallen for their clients, prison guards with their prisoners, etc. But it just doesn't feel right to have this distraction going on — friendships are important for the character and a relationship that grows to 'will they?' can keep a story line running. A psychologist (which happens to be the field of the latest McCone lover) could probably look at the character development over the previous books and come up with a woman who has the internal fight to stay independent but still have love and that's why she doesn't seem to be happy alone or when she is with someone. But I'm not a psychologist and I wish that Marcia Muller would have created a strong, independent woman who is looking for a long-time relationship but take her time to find the right one, for all the right reasons.
Will it stop me from reading more of the series. Well I have a box full of the series and as I say, the mysteries are pretty darn good. And I still have home that the character develops into someone far more interesting.
And so it begins. McCone is a dogged investigator and manages to find old secrets, new clues and plenty of suspicion and the story would be a good one if I could only like McCone a bit more. I know, I should be a bit more understanding: she's a liberated female! she can stand on her own two feet and handle assaults as well as the mysteries! And when need be, she can walk away from an unfulfilling relationship.
But I really don't like the woman. There is something grating to be reading a mystery and the main character pops up with "I'm part native American" as if it was a vital clue, even when it isn't (and by the five book in the series, I could care less). Then she also seems to fall into and out of bed and attraction with an assortment of men that wander in and out of the books. I know, in many mysteries the male characters seem to jump in and out of beds with nubile young women, but I expect my female PIs to be a little less cavalier about the matter of love and sex and developing a lasting relationship. Frankly, as a modern independent woman why can't she be attracted and not jump into anything for a while?
At first it was a detective that McCone was attracted to — and he to her. They have a prickly relationship which I would have figured would be good for that off-again, on-again give and take through the series. But author Muller dropped him quickly and now he is only an occasional character with few lines or action. Next, Muller has McCone take up with a radio DJ — OK, quirky but could be a good side story to the series — but there doesn't seem much to the relationship and it lasts for a couple of books, then drops like a hot potato.
In this book McCone is supposedly recovering from the ending of that relationship but still is attracted to a potential suspect and the father of the murder victim. I don't see the attraction but I also don't like the suspension of ethics in the move to start a relationship with the grieving and married professor while still conducting the investigation. With little in the way of attraction other than both are lonely. I actually hope that in future stories, he doesn't return.
Admittedly I am no romantic and we've all read news stories of attorneys who have fallen for their clients, prison guards with their prisoners, etc. But it just doesn't feel right to have this distraction going on — friendships are important for the character and a relationship that grows to 'will they?' can keep a story line running. A psychologist (which happens to be the field of the latest McCone lover) could probably look at the character development over the previous books and come up with a woman who has the internal fight to stay independent but still have love and that's why she doesn't seem to be happy alone or when she is with someone. But I'm not a psychologist and I wish that Marcia Muller would have created a strong, independent woman who is looking for a long-time relationship but take her time to find the right one, for all the right reasons.
Will it stop me from reading more of the series. Well I have a box full of the series and as I say, the mysteries are pretty darn good. And I still have home that the character develops into someone far more interesting.
May 19, 2026
Reading The Shape of Dread felt less like reading a typical mystery novel and more like stepping into the emotional lives of damaged people trying to survive their past. What stayed with me most was not only the investigation itself, but the psychological tension running underneath every conversation and decision.
I found the atmosphere heavy with anxiety and uncertainty, which matched the title perfectly. The “dread” in the novel is not just fear of danger it feels deeper and more psychological. Many of the characters seem emotionally trapped by grief, guilt, and unresolved trauma, and I think Marcia Muller portrays that realistically. Instead of giving readers simple heroes or villains, she shows how pain can distort people’s thinking and relationships.
One aspect I especially appreciated was the psychological depth of the characters. Some cope with loss by shutting down emotionally, while others become obsessive or unstable. This made the story feel believable because everyone reacts differently to trauma. I also liked how the novel explored memory and denial people often hide uncomfortable truths from themselves in order to survive emotionally.
The pacing was slower than many modern thrillers, but personally I thought that worked well because it allowed the emotional tension to build gradually. The mystery itself kept me interested, but the emotional and psychological layers were what made the book memorable for me.
Overall, I would rate The Shape ofDread 4 out of 5 stars because it combines crime fiction with a thoughtful exploration of human psychology. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy mysteries that focus not only on solving crimes, but also on understanding the emotional damage left behind by them.
I found the atmosphere heavy with anxiety and uncertainty, which matched the title perfectly. The “dread” in the novel is not just fear of danger it feels deeper and more psychological. Many of the characters seem emotionally trapped by grief, guilt, and unresolved trauma, and I think Marcia Muller portrays that realistically. Instead of giving readers simple heroes or villains, she shows how pain can distort people’s thinking and relationships.
One aspect I especially appreciated was the psychological depth of the characters. Some cope with loss by shutting down emotionally, while others become obsessive or unstable. This made the story feel believable because everyone reacts differently to trauma. I also liked how the novel explored memory and denial people often hide uncomfortable truths from themselves in order to survive emotionally.
The pacing was slower than many modern thrillers, but personally I thought that worked well because it allowed the emotional tension to build gradually. The mystery itself kept me interested, but the emotional and psychological layers were what made the book memorable for me.
Overall, I would rate The Shape ofDread 4 out of 5 stars because it combines crime fiction with a thoughtful exploration of human psychology. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy mysteries that focus not only on solving crimes, but also on understanding the emotional damage left behind by them.
May 30, 2023
Tracy Kostakos is dead! Or is she? Crack Addict Bobby Foster is on death row in San Quentin convicted of her murder. But what if Tracy is alive?
Sharon McCone takes this case because the facts don’t add up, and many of them intrigue her. Tracy was an up-and-coming standup comedienne whose work at a San Francisco comedy club gained notoriety by the day.
So, maybe somebody killed Tracy, but the facts as McCone digs them up point to someone other than Bobby Foster as the killer.
I enjoyed this plotline. That said, I get tired of watching McCone bed hop her way through her cases. She joins the ranks of Anna Pigeon as female sleuths I’d rather not deal with because I don’t have a lot of regard for them personally. But she does solve the case; never mind that her heart is in shambles.
Sharon McCone takes this case because the facts don’t add up, and many of them intrigue her. Tracy was an up-and-coming standup comedienne whose work at a San Francisco comedy club gained notoriety by the day.
So, maybe somebody killed Tracy, but the facts as McCone digs them up point to someone other than Bobby Foster as the killer.
I enjoyed this plotline. That said, I get tired of watching McCone bed hop her way through her cases. She joins the ranks of Anna Pigeon as female sleuths I’d rather not deal with because I don’t have a lot of regard for them personally. But she does solve the case; never mind that her heart is in shambles.
May 19, 2017
There is a lot to like here, and an inventive plot rolls well for the first half of the book or a bit more.
Tracy Kostakos is the best character Muller has created to date, which is a plus for the central character in the story. As usual, the rest of the characters are fairly thinly sketched out, especially most of the men.
But the books becomes increasingly complicated and unravels towards the end to the point where I was less interested in "who done it" that I would have expected. And the story wanders on beyond its climax more than I would have preferred.
This is better than the first few in the series, but less satisfying than "There's Something in a Sunday" which precedes it. In neither case, by the way, does the title seem to relate well to what is in the book.
Tracy Kostakos is the best character Muller has created to date, which is a plus for the central character in the story. As usual, the rest of the characters are fairly thinly sketched out, especially most of the men.
But the books becomes increasingly complicated and unravels towards the end to the point where I was less interested in "who done it" that I would have expected. And the story wanders on beyond its climax more than I would have preferred.
This is better than the first few in the series, but less satisfying than "There's Something in a Sunday" which precedes it. In neither case, by the way, does the title seem to relate well to what is in the book.
September 9, 2018
Tons of suspects and a missing body, found -- that is, then isn't then is THE body. Wow! Lots of twists and turns in this one. Fortunately one who didn't do it is Sharon's new squeeze. Bye-bye Don (and Greg), hello George. Really! I had totally forgotten Geroge from when I read this 23 years ago. :-) Willing to bet he doesn't last long..... So happy to be rereading this series.
January 24, 2024
Somehow, I missed this book as I was reading through the series, but I'm glad I've gone back to it now. It also introduces at least one character from the later books that I'd wondered where he'd come from.
August 1, 2024
I like like the balance that continues to be present in the series. Sharon is a tough, no-nonsense investigator, but can still be insecure at times and needing others. This was a good solid whodonit.
October 19, 2025
A dark story about making it in stand up comedy in L.A. and the Bay Area. McCone's investigation even takes her to Reseda, where I grew up. "Reseda. That's----"L.A. area, in the San Fernando Valley..." p. 158
March 16, 2017
Good quick read. Moves along. Flawed nosy private detective to add interest.
June 14, 2018
That is my favorite McCone to date. Talk about twists and turns. I damn near got whiplash! and the New Year's party was filled with cameos from prior characters. Very good!
June 28, 2018
It is amazing just how much excitement and how many twists and turns Ms Muller has packed into this story.
April 23, 2019
Read 2009
March 13, 2020
Found this book interesting and intriging.
June 13, 2020
Reading the Sharon McCone series during the pandemic.
I liked this one.
I liked this one.
April 19, 2022
Excellent mystery. Author threw in a few red herrings for readers to trip over, and I sure did. Interesting cast of characters, too.
November 6, 2022
Sharon searches for missing (or dead) person.
September 15, 2025
Audiobook
March 27, 2026
Twisty, clever, and very good.
January 31, 2024
I read this more or less in a day, as a neighbor told me part of it was set in my neighborhood. Not a terribly flattering part of the story, or my neighborhood, but overall an entertaining, predictable read.
June 17, 2019
Moving on to the next episode.
February 18, 2017
A Good quick Mystery with a surprise ending
Read
January 31, 2013The Shape of Bread, by Marcia Muller, a-minus, Narrated by Laura Hicks,Produced by Audiogo, Downloaded from audible.com.
This is no. 10 of the Sharon McCone mysteries, and we’re still at All Souls Legal Cooperative-my dream place to live and work. Sharon is asked by one of the lawyers to investigate a case. He is handling the last appeal for Bobby Fisher, who is on death row for a murder he confessed to but may not actually have committed. He was a parking valet for a small-time comedy club whose star performer, Tracy Kostakos was first assumed to have been kidnapped from the club, and then ultimately considered dead. Her body had never been found. Bobby was a good friend of hers and some people alleged they had been arguing the night she disappeared. But as Sharon investigates, she finds that there are a lot of people involved in this comedy club who have their own agendas and had reasons to hate Tracy. It’s an excellent book with many twists and turns. Very good.
This is no. 10 of the Sharon McCone mysteries, and we’re still at All Souls Legal Cooperative-my dream place to live and work. Sharon is asked by one of the lawyers to investigate a case. He is handling the last appeal for Bobby Fisher, who is on death row for a murder he confessed to but may not actually have committed. He was a parking valet for a small-time comedy club whose star performer, Tracy Kostakos was first assumed to have been kidnapped from the club, and then ultimately considered dead. Her body had never been found. Bobby was a good friend of hers and some people alleged they had been arguing the night she disappeared. But as Sharon investigates, she finds that there are a lot of people involved in this comedy club who have their own agendas and had reasons to hate Tracy. It’s an excellent book with many twists and turns. Very good.
August 14, 2012
Always like this series and it still does not disappoint me. Good story. Keeps you interested.
Bobby Foster, car-hop at the chic Cafe Comedie, is going to the gas chamber. He's already confessed to the murder of Tracy Kostakos, the club's rising star. But two years after the crime, Tracy's body is still missing and Bobby's confession is full of holes. All Souls Legal Cooperative's final appeal sends San Francisco's #1 P.I. Sharon McCone behind the footlights into the super-charged arena of anxious club owners and aspiring young hopefuls...into the fractured world of Tracy's privileged family and the mind of a young comedienne who was not the good little girl they thought they knew...into a labyrinth of death and deception where someone will kill to laugh last and get away with murder
Bobby Foster, car-hop at the chic Cafe Comedie, is going to the gas chamber. He's already confessed to the murder of Tracy Kostakos, the club's rising star. But two years after the crime, Tracy's body is still missing and Bobby's confession is full of holes. All Souls Legal Cooperative's final appeal sends San Francisco's #1 P.I. Sharon McCone behind the footlights into the super-charged arena of anxious club owners and aspiring young hopefuls...into the fractured world of Tracy's privileged family and the mind of a young comedienne who was not the good little girl they thought they knew...into a labyrinth of death and deception where someone will kill to laugh last and get away with murder
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews