The Silly Season

Anneke Haagen #5

by Susan Holtzer

Strange lights in the Michigan sky.

The gathering horde of psychics, alien abductees, and millennialists swear it's an authentic UFO hovering over UM, but to student and Daily sports reporter Zoe Kaplan, the sightings look like a group of fireflies mating. The controversy deepends when history professor Thomas Edison Stempel, a dedicated ufologist, suspects that someone is trying to discredit his extensive research. His archenemy, biochemistry professor Conrad deLeeuw, thinks Stempel set the whole thing up, and fanatic Jarvis McCray claims documented proof of alien/government conspiracy.

Was it a hoax, or a cleverly designed plot to kill?

Police lieutenant Karl Genesko is stymied, while his fiancee, computer consultant Anneke Haagen, is amused, and Zoe is thrilled at the chance to string the story for the AP. But when Professor Stempel turns up electrocuted on a wide swath of burned field, the silly summer season turns deadly. Genesko's out to trap the killer-with a trap so dangerous he may not survive to tell the tale.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Education
University of Michigan

A U-M alumna who cut her teeth as a writer at the Michigan Daily.

Reviews

[Ro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just about hated this book. I'm not much of a fan of UFO's and all the other nonsense that goes with it, so I found most of the book boring to read. After about the third chapter I began skimming through it, stopping only to read parts that were sort of good. I really enjoy a good mystery series of books, and I thought this mystery series of Anneke Haagen would be mostly her solving crimes. Instead, she's just been a side-player. Very disappointing. Especially this book.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are three UFO sightings during the summer session at the U. of Michigan, and at the site of the last one, a prominent UFologist is found dead. College reporter Zoe Kaplan gets to cover the story for the Associated Press, and with her friend Anneke Haagen and Lt. Karl Genesko, searches for the truth. This was very entertaining and had a satisfying solution.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roswell intersects with Ann Arbor? What's not to like! I enjoyed this a lot - probably because it is so silly. It's also fairly well written (even though the internet stuff is so dated at this point).

[Grey853 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couple a silly plot about UFO hoaxes with amateurish writing and you get this book. It was definitely a thumbs down for me.

[February Four · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to read on New Year's Eve! I had a blast; this was so much fun!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series.

[Linda Rusche · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was inspired by actual events in Ann Arbor 1966, regarding UFO sightings etc. The book was written as a comedy but, wasn't very funny or clever. It was fairly boring.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. The Silly Season is a silly book. Its all about warring factions of UFO believers/non-believers who descend on Michigan when a UFO is sighted over the University. Of course it's a student prank, but someone gets killed in the process. There are no surprises, just a lot of gibberish.