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A Case of Too Many Deaths: A Mother Calls, A Daughter’s Life Turns Upside Down. A Mystery of Genetics and The Courtroom.
What does Emma know about her family? Not much, from the sounds of it. Rookie lawyer Emma Raddell’s estranged her mother's calls begging her to help exonerate an aunt she never knew about who is now on death row. This mysterious aunt was convicted of murdering her four children twenty-four years earlier and is now weeks away from execution. Emma must find a way to clear her aunt, battling the legal system in the process, as she tries for a mistrial or a new trial. She also must find a way to counter the original trial’s strong testimony by an undisputed expert. As the investigation progresses, with the help of a retired Scottish librarian and a world-renowned geneticist, Emma races to uncover how the four children died—if she is to believe her aunt’s claim of innocence–and find a way to save her aunt from execution. In the process, Emma must navigate her tense relationship with her mother while learning secrets that could shatter her belief in herself and her family. An interplay between courtroom drama and a medical investigation, A Case of Too Many Deaths is a gripping mystery that challenges readers to piece together clues in a sophisticated and thought-provoking narrative.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2023
22 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Nancy K. Napier
20 booksDistinguished Professor Emerita at Boise State University (USA), and a former Adjunct Professor at Aalborg University (Denmark) and at the National Economics University in Hanoi (Vietnam), N.K. Napier teaches strategy and creativity, coaches executives and leads Boise State Executive MBA residency to Vietnam.
Napier co-created and hosted Idaho Business Matters on NPR’s local affiliate (Boise State Public Radio), was a regular guest on KTVB Channel 7’s Noon News, and wrote for Forbes Vietnam. She continues to write columns for Psychologytoday.com and the Idaho Statesman. Her long-time work as a teacher, researcher, and writer has led to several awards, including a Medal of Honor and a Medal of Friendship in Vietnam.
After 35+ years in the academic and research world, N.K. Napier is embarking on something completely new: Fiction Writing, which offers her the joys and challenges of being a beginner again, with opportunities to do in-depth historical research and fact-checking to create fun new worlds and characters.
Napier co-created and hosted Idaho Business Matters on NPR’s local affiliate (Boise State Public Radio), was a regular guest on KTVB Channel 7’s Noon News, and wrote for Forbes Vietnam. She continues to write columns for Psychologytoday.com and the Idaho Statesman. Her long-time work as a teacher, researcher, and writer has led to several awards, including a Medal of Honor and a Medal of Friendship in Vietnam.
After 35+ years in the academic and research world, N.K. Napier is embarking on something completely new: Fiction Writing, which offers her the joys and challenges of being a beginner again, with opportunities to do in-depth historical research and fact-checking to create fun new worlds and characters.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 12, 2023
Author does not waste time with flowery descriptions of places, people, actions, but her straight-ahead style gives you just enough visual information that you can see all this adequately, which keeps the story rolling along at a good pace, which adds to the "can't wait to turn the page" fun of the legal mystery.
The central character, Emma, is not always a sympathetic character, but still, we root for her because she's reaching for a laudable goal, but without all the tools she needs to solve the mystery/crime. She discovers that the most important tool - other than her own dogged determination - is the accidental assortment of people that make up her life - people who want her to succeed.
The latter third of the book involves an intriguing courtroom drama that twists and turns in satisfying ways. Unexpected was the way in which the final scenes make the case for how genetic analysis should become a viable method for women to ascertain, much like amniocentesis does today, the presence of genetic abnormalities in a fetus. An entertaining crime/legal mystery with a cause - I like that.
The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that the dialog is not as polished as I'd like. OTOH, the plot does move at a good pace, so I just read through some of the blander dialogue and simply enjoyed the momentum of the story. It's a delightfully fast read.
The central character, Emma, is not always a sympathetic character, but still, we root for her because she's reaching for a laudable goal, but without all the tools she needs to solve the mystery/crime. She discovers that the most important tool - other than her own dogged determination - is the accidental assortment of people that make up her life - people who want her to succeed.
The latter third of the book involves an intriguing courtroom drama that twists and turns in satisfying ways. Unexpected was the way in which the final scenes make the case for how genetic analysis should become a viable method for women to ascertain, much like amniocentesis does today, the presence of genetic abnormalities in a fetus. An entertaining crime/legal mystery with a cause - I like that.
The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that the dialog is not as polished as I'd like. OTOH, the plot does move at a good pace, so I just read through some of the blander dialogue and simply enjoyed the momentum of the story. It's a delightfully fast read.
November 27, 2023
Loved so much about this book. It is a page turner. Intelligently written with great details about the characters, storyline, and locations. Emma, the young lawyer protagonist, became like a best friend...I walked through the story with her and rooted for her against all odds. It gives me chills that this is based on a true story. I am celebrating that Nancy Napier has turned from academic writing to courtroom drama. She is a natural writer and storyteller. The book is just the right combination of romance, mystery, and drama. Like Nancy Drew for thinking, savvy, modern women. Bravo!!!
October 18, 2023
Great story- couldn’t put it down. Every time I thought I knew what was coming, more surprises!(ok, I was right on one or two 😉).Looking forward to what comes next from this author!
May 11, 2024
Horrible writing. May be a good story but the writing is so stilted and characters so one dimensional that I couldn’t stand it.
December 11, 2023
What a clever, well thought out suspenseful plot. With a clear, concise writing style, Napier brings her characters to life in this intriguing courtroom drama involving the mystery of genetics. You’ll feel young rookie lawyer Emma’s pain as her life is turned upside down when she unravels her family’s secret mysteries. Life and death hang in the balance, Imagination abounds. A good, 5-star read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews