Snow White Red-Handed

Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery #1

by Maia Chance

Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she’ll need more than a bit of charm…
 
1867: After being fired from her latest variety hall engagement, Ophelia acts her way into a lady’s maid position for a crass American millionaire. But when her new job whisks her off to a foreboding castle straight out of a Grimm tale, she begins to wonder if her fast-talking ways might have been too hasty. The vast grounds contain the suspected remains of Snow White’s cottage, along with a disturbing dwarf skeleton. And when her millionaire boss turns up dead—poisoned by an apple—the fantastic setting turns into a once upon a crime scene.
 
To keep from rising to the top of the suspect list, Ophelia fights through a bramble of elegant lies, sinister folklore, and priceless treasure, with only a dashing but mysterious scholar as her ally. And as the clock ticks towards midnight, she’ll have to break a cunning killer’s spell before her own time runs out…

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Historical

316 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 4, 2014

Reviews

[NickReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆☆☆☆4 COZY STARS!☆☆☆☆

Snow White Red-Handed is a brilliant historical fiction set in the 1800's.First when I discovered the book I thought it would be a fairy tale retelling and I am not a big fan of re-tellings.But this book is quite extraordinary and unique.It's a mystery tale filled with thrilling and suspense moments.I literally couldn't put the book down for a moment.

As I said this book takes place in Germany in 1867 and as a historical novels lover I quite enjoyed this one.Also it reminded me The Grimm Brothers and their magnificent tales.

This book tells a lot of facts about the Forest and The Snow White story.The plot is well described in it's details and I must say I learned new interesting things about the story.Also the way author collides the fairy tale with clues.I must say there are some quite catchy clues and some very hart to point.That's the beauty of the novel.

The author did a great job describing the characters.The main character Ophelia is such a unique character with an awesome sarcasm.Also the connection between the duo(Ophelia and Prue) is so natural.One of the reasons I liked this book is that the characters felt real and I did engage with them a lot.Especially with the main one.

Also,this book contains my weakness of novels,sarcasm.There were moments I couldn't stop laughing for minutes.Beside the humor,the story is filled with suspense moments.Every page shows something new and the characters intentions are so complicated fun to explore.

The story follows two friend Ophelia and Prudence who are actresses.After losing their jobs they become maids serving in the castle owned by the millionaire called Mr.Coop.After a time he is murdered with a poisoned apple,and the fault falls on Prue.Now Ophelia is up to clear the situation and find the real murderer.

I recommend this book to every readers out there,especially to the ones who enjoy fairy tales.This is not your usually tale re-telling.It's a brilliant story filled this action,mystery,clues and real suspense moments.

[Christina ~ Brunette Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

An imaginative and delightfully humorous cosy mystery filled with quirky bits of Victoriana and fun references to the classic fairytale.
In the heart of 1867 Black Forest Miss Ophelia Flax, former variety-hall actress now turned lady’s maid, must join forces with handsome and mysterious professor Penrose to uncover a web of evil, the proverbial “bad apple” in the bunch and whether there might be some historical truth to the Snow-White lore after all.
A fun, quick read with snappy dialogues, a hint of romance and lots of outrageous escapades.
Will surely go on with the trilogy to see what Ophelia and Penrose are up to next.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book and after a couple of chapters simply gave it up. It wasn't anything bad, really. I just had a tough time engaging. Part of that is that the main characters, Ophelia and Prue, are present under false pretenses and outright fraud and are kind of bumbling about with no overarching goal (beyond simply "finding employment"). They lie and probably cheat (well, they are cheating in their lies) and just come across as mercenary. Which isn't fatal in me engaging with characters, but there has to be at least a hint of them being more than mercenary liars. And here there simply isn't.

But the thing that tossed me hardest was the jittery PoV. It didn't really jump as much as it felt like, but that's because the author had so little control over it. It made me dizzy, a little, because the narrative voice shifts from one character to another without warning. This may be simply poor exposition but having Ophelia ruminate on Prue's backstory or having Penrose exploring the inner landscape of Professor Winkler was just awkward. And frankly, switching so abruptly to Penrose was disconcerting on its own. Having Penrose in the midst of his own professional fraud made me feel like the author knew just one note for her characters but by golly, she was going to sing it loud.

So lots of fraud and false pretenses, and I could see how very tediously things were going to blow up and I decided I just wasn't interested. I might have stuck with it if I had cared about any of them, but since I didn't... well.

[Joni Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Germany’s Black Forest, a large castle looms on a hilltop surrounded by thick woods with a small town nestled at its base. A horse-drawn carriage transports four passengers to the castle: the demanding American lady of the manor, Mrs. Coop, prickly Amaryllis, gullible Prudence Bright and our heroine, Ophelia Flax. Shortly after their arrival, the castle buzzes with the news that Snow White’s cottage may have been found buried in their woods. Experts have been called in to determine if it’s real or a hoax, but how can they prove a fairy tale is real? It’s preposterous! Yet . . . death by poison apple is only the first coincidence. Miss Ophelia, along with able but irksome Professor Penrose, begin their own inquiries, encountering a host of possible suspects while they race against time and the police to find Snow White’s glass coffin and prove the identity of the murderer.

After receiving an advance reader copy of Snow White Red-Handed, I offer my honest review. First, I appreciate Ms. Chance setting this story in the mid 1800s, shortly after the Brothers Grimm completed their final revisions of the original story and within a decade of the death of both brothers. For this reader, it seems a fitting way to honor them. As for my impressions of her story, I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down. I was able to picture in my mind’s eye each character; some are laughable, some frightening, some irascible and downright mean, others oily and conniving, and others endearing, witty and delightful. Ophelia's one-liners made me laugh out loud, but she is a determined, smart and worldly-wise young woman who possesses a bit of Holmesian deduction. And yet, my favorite aspect of this story, one which will keep me reading the series, is Ms. Chance’s ability to conjoin the fairy tale with her characters’ human history. It’s quite original and deliciously clever!

[Deb Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you get when you combine a cozy mystery with a fairy tale? Snow White Red-Handed the new book from Maia Chance, that's what. The publishing world, as well as, the movie industry and television has been awash with so many fairy tale re-tellings that many readers may not think twice about a new one. But This book is quite different than what we've seen before. It is a historical cozy mystery set in the late 1800's and one that parallels the possible existence of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With everything from dwarf skeletons to poison apples, this is an interesting way to tell a whodunit.

What I liked:

I felt like this book was extremely unique. Not only is it set in the past in the time period of the original Grimm's fairy tale of Snow White, it is also a clue based mystery. There were so many interesting facts about the Black Forest and the surrounding towns, about the possibility that Snow White really lived and tidbits about the two actresses that end up as ladies maids and sleuths. This was a very creative endeavor by Chance and I truly enjoyed trying to figure it all out.

Ophelia Flax and her partner in crime Prudence are a great crime duo. They start out seeming to be resourceful young women who end up with jobs a ladies maids to the annoying Mrs. Coop. When they end up in the middle of a murder, it's up to Ophelia to prove not only that Prue is innocent of the crime, but that Snow White's final resting place may have really existed. I loved Ophelia. She was funny and clever and had me rolling with her snarky sense of humor. I am a huge fan of sarcasm and dry wit and she had it to spare. A great new cozy heroine!

All of the details about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were beautifully done. Chance interweaves the fairy tale lore throughout the book and makes it a large part of the mystery itself. Mr. Coop being done in by poison apple was a great touch and I felt like this book was a great nod to the Grimm brothers and their tales. There were so many motives it was a little bit of task to keep them all separate, but it certainly was not predictable. The clues were easy to understand but very hard to pinpoint. I didn't figure this one out until the main characters did and that's somewhat rare for me. But that made it all the more interesting.

Bottom Line:

I thought I had seen just about every kind of cozy mystery theme writers could come up with, but this mash up of a cozy with a fairy tale was brilliant. All of the original Snow White tidbits were fun to read about and to see where they would pop up in the book next. I loved the main character and found her humor appealing. This one was truly enchanting.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not figure out who the murderer was in this one..wait, who was it now again? Oh right. See, I am so bad at this, but that is good cos else it would get boring.

Ophelia and Prue are actresses, and now they are not. Now they are maids and going to Germany. To a castle where in the woods Snow White's cottage has been found. Alas murder! The owner of the castle is killed and Ophelia sets out to solve the murder. Now she is not a stupid girl who just wants to solve a crime. No, she has to. Lives are a stake and fingers are pointing at everyone. Also there is the fact that they totally lied about being maids.

I did like the whole Snow white thing the best. There is nothing magical about this mystery. But then the story (if we take a way a few things), is just about a girl with a wicked stepmother who meets dwarves and falls for a prince. In the middle of all of this is the who killed him? There is also the hunt for the truth behind Snow White.


I saw that the next book takes place in France and will have something with Cinderella in it, cool.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this to be a cute cozy fairy tale mystery.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a cozy mystery, this one was a little too intense and dark for my personal taste ... although that is truly what should be expected from the old original fairy tales! I personally didn't love the fairy tale being reduced to bones and skeletons, and creepy ... though it is a well written book, and I am eager to read the others in the series.

[Vilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Backchatting Books

Most well-bred 19th century ladies would have an attack of vapours if their financial prospects suddenly turned bad but Ophelia Flax and Prue Bright are American actresses rather than ladies and are made of sterner stuff. Ophelia wheedles jobs as maids for them in a fantastical Black Forest castle complete with Snow White's cottage. Things take a turn for the worst when their employer's husband is poisoned and Prue becomes the main suspect.

Ophelia is a thoroughly unusual young lady and was a delight as a protagonist. Her chequered career as trick rider in the circus and Variety Hall actress serve her surprisingly well as a lady's maid.  Not even a murder or having to pander to her employer, the irascible Mrs Coop, can keep her down for long and her keen wit kept the novel from getting too serious.

Prue might be beautiful and have more adventures than Ophelia but she is hardly quick witted. Locked up for a crime she didn't commit, she uses her feminine wiles on the gardener Hansel to repeatedly escape the tower she is incarcerated in. The burgeoning romance between the two is sweet but never overwhelms the plot.

Professor Gabriel Penrose is another odd duck with an unconventional background. He is a true believer when it comes to fairy tales but feels he has to publicly denounce them to keep the respect of his colleagues. Maintaining this façade became increasingly difficult when he realised that the so-called Snow White's cottage he was sent to investigate was probably real. Ophelia and Gabriel compliment each other well and I hope we see more of them together in future novels.

Chance's spin on the Grimm Brothers' Snow White was entertaining and kudos to her for not taking the easy route and adopting significant aspects of the original. There are many sly references to the Grimm Brothers' tales though and you'll have to concentrate if you want to catch them all. Some of the obvious ones include Mr Coop being killed by a poisoned apple, an old crone and a lost slipper. The pace is fairly leisurely which works well as it gives us time to get to know the characters and get immersed in the story. My only minor quibble with the book was the sheer number of secondary characters that we were introduced to. They add flavour to the book and muddy up the suspect list nicely but it was a bit hard to keep everyone straight.

This is not a fairy tale retelling but rather a historical mystery with significant fairy tale aspects interwoven throughout. I heartily enjoyed it and can't wait for the next in the series.

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Being a challenge reader, it's a book I discovered when searching for a color title. I generally do not care for mysteries in cozy mystery series, since they are way too obvious. I read them for the recurring characters, if they catch my interest.

This book, on the other hand, is the complete opposite - everyone and their cousins have an ax to grind with the people who bite the bullet, and there's confusing Snow White lore on top of that. I enjoyed it thoroughly for a good bit of the book, after which my interest started to flag when there was yet another curve-ball in the plot. I must say I stopped guessing which of the people where the killer, by the time it ended I wouldn't have been surprised if it was Snow White herself who came back from the dead to kill some annoying people. Why not? Everyone else had put in an appearance after all.

However, the prose is good, and has an engaging heroine in Ophelia Flax. In fact, one of my grouses about this book is that having been so resourceful and smart all through the book, the final denouement was denied her. She spends the last bit having been hit on the head, with the annoying professor not only solving the mystery, but also rescuing her like a knight in shining armor. Except, obviously, I found him loathsome. It's probably the first time I'm hoping for a triangle in the series. I did like Prue, who is kind of charming-stupid, and her beau Hansel. I will read the next in the series.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical cozy; there is way more detail and a lot more going on than in what a typical cozy reads as. The story is much more involved and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was a bit slow at the start, but then it built up steam and next thing I know, I was up until 2am finishing it. :-) And once I got use to the fact that there was not a ton of humor in this and that it was going to be way more detailed, the story flowed easier for me as well. I think I was trying to "force" it into a particular way of reading when it wasn't written that way at all and once I realized that, the book just flew.

I will be reading more of this series; I like the characters very much and I was pretty surprised at who the "bad person" was in this one. I had inklings, but the author does a really good job of throwing a ton of red herrings in your way.

[Nidofito · Rating 3 out of 5]

That title is so much better than the book.

Honestly, the whole thing spun out of control so fast (as most cozies do) that I'm still trying to figure out the ins and outs of it. I did appreciate the faster pace in the latter half of the story, though, the POV hopping was jarring. Did she really need to have all those POVs?

The jury's still out on whether I'll read the sequel or not.

EDIT:
Christina ~ Brunette Reader's convinced me to read the sequel. Bug her if my next review for this series is scathing. :P

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was intriguingly different - in a good way! It seemed equal parts cozy mystery, gothic novel, with the underpinnings of the grown-up Snow White tale for a framework. I loved the principle characters, and although the supporting cast felt dizzyingly large they were well-identified throughout. There were plenty of twists and turns, enough red herring to make a meal on, and I was completely taken in.

Overall, this was one of the best first-in-a-series mysteries that I have read in quite a while. I'm looking forward to the next one of these lovely stories!

[Jennifer Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like your mystery served up with a clever plot, witty banter and a dollop of fairy dust you will love this new series. Ophelia and Prue make a classic sleuthing duo who can muddle their way through dark and enchanted forests to the most posh casino in Bavaria, and still be ready to break the house. Great fun!

[JohnMichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. I would describe it as "Once Upon a Time meets Downton Abbey."

[Cathrina Constantine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow White Red-Handed is a delightful book. What a unique twist. In fact, after reading Maia Chance's novel, she has me convinced in the authenticity of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. That fairytales and legends are based on true occurrences and people who lived through them.

Poor Ophelia Flax and her young friend, Prudence Bright get caught up in a murder mystery. As do the Professors that had traveled from London to rule out the possibility that a small cottage behind the castle might actually be where Snow White and the Dwarfs lived. If you've read the excellent blurb than I need not repeat it.

The novel is set in a time period I also enjoy, and I liked the tinges of awkward romantic gestures between Ophelia and Professor Gabriel Penrose. Of course, I was waiting with bated breath for their first kiss... Also, the lovely infatuation between Prue and Hansel was adorable. And what a twist when it came to him and.....I must stop because I never reveal spoilers.

I wouldn't say it was action-packed, but a nicely paced story. A bout of gun shooting and galloping horses set the scene and poor Penrose....Oops, you'll have to read Snow White Red-Handed to learn what happens.

I was enthralled with Ms. Chance's writing and I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Moondance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miss Ophelia Flax was neither a professional confidence trickster nor a lady's maid, but she played both on stage.

Out of work actresses, Ophelia and Prue, present themselves as ladies maid to Mrs. Coop aboard the SS Leviathan crossing the Atlantic to London. The two end up at Schloss Grunewald in the Black Forest. The discovery of a miniature house with the bones of a dwarf leads to supposition of finding the true Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the investigation, gold is found in the soil. Greed leads way to a poison apple and the death of the man of the castle. Prue is suspected of the murder. Ophelia along with Professor Penrose attempt to clear her name and find the truth behind the fairy tale.

I really wanted to like this book. I had heard both the good and bad about it but wanted to come to my own opinion. The premise was good. I like weaving the fairy tale into the storyline. I did not care for Ophelia. I think that was mostly what made it fall flat for me. Perhaps because I had read a huge epic story just before this one may have tainted my view.

I may revisit the book at a later time. I may read the Cinderella installment just to see if it improves. Perhaps this was not the ideal historical book to read.

2.5 stars

[Mir]

Could not suspend my disbelief regarding any element of this story (the characters' relationships, what they were doing where, the marriage, the plot, anything) and didn't find the writing or characters interesting enough to make more effort.

[Libbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so freaking cute. Reminded me of the Tuesday Next books by Nadler Fforde.

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

An American mystery much in modern style of lot of new crime books that have come out in la
St ten years.That are not over expicive but loss substance over style.Miranda James did coon cat books but she gave cat depth
But here Snow White does not make an appearance because they are Victorian & not fantasy which is shame..They Set around 1860s i n Germany in castle when owner is poised with an apple.It's let blame the Servants again or butler did it.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance was an easy afternoon read with enough twists, suspects with motives for the murders and red herrings to keep me guessing. The characters were developed well and I'm sure that as the series continues there will be more to learn about Ophelia, Prue and Professor Penrose. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Denise Mullins · Rating 2 out of 5]

After my last ponderous read, I hoped this would provide the light-hearted humor so desperately sought. Alas, this only resulted in an inanely juvenile conglomerate that labored on from one slap-stick encounter to the next, peppered with tidbits of Teutonic tries that failed tragically.
Although the last quarter of the book finally revealed fairly creative motives and held my interest, it was too little too late. So disappointing since this is clearly the first of a series that I could have enjoyed following.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars...kind of an odd mix of historical fiction, fairy tale and mystery, in my opinion, and not enough of any specific genre to feel satisfying. I love anything fairy tale, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

[Hailey Frazier-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish Penrose and Ophelia made up by the end of the book but the twists and turns were amazing and it was a great read.

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Ophelia Flax and Prudence Bright's adventures in Germany.
A castle, a cottage, the Black Forest, dwarves, hidden treasure, and a couple of murders, to boot! Very entertaining . . .

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and so not what I was expecting. The premise that fairy tales are based in fact not fiction and searching for the real remains while solving murders. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. I’m interested to see where it all goes next and if some of these relationships will carry on in a new location. #readforkimberly

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be quite entertaining, and a departure from the cozies I usually read because it is set in 1867. I was intrigued by the whole "fairy tale" mystery idea, and this book based on the legends of Snow White definitely tickled my fancy! There's an element of madcap humor and adventures in the book, too, that I enjoyed tremendously.

Miss Ophelia Flax and her dear little friend Prue Bright had been actresses with a variety show on board the SS Leviathan, traveling to England, but when Prue is fired, Ophelia quits too and takes it upon herself to find them employment with the recently married Mrs. Pearl Coop, who is accompanied by her sister, Miss Amaryllis, as their French maid on board has quit serving the nouveau riche ladies. Ophelia and Prue find themselves arriving at a castle in Germany that Mr. Cook has purchased, and Ophelia meets the two professors he has invited to investigate the grounds in order to satisfy his wife's curiosity about the tales about this being Snow White's castle that she has heard. When Professor Winkler and Professor Gabriel Penrose discover a tiny overgrown cottage in the woods, complete with a tiny skeleton and tiny dishes, Professor Winkler seems determined to expose the whole thing as a hoax. The sudden death of their benefactor after taking a bit of a poison apple and the mysterious disappearance of the artifacts recovered from the cottage throws the shadow of suspicion upon everyone in the castle and it's environs, but the Inspector is quite convinced that beautiful, but somewhat dim, Prue is the murderess!

Ophelia knows that if she is to rescue Prue from her "imprisonment" in the castle, she will have to solve the murder mystery herself, and she has quite a list of people to suspect. Miss Amaryllis and Mr. Coop had a mutual antipathy, and then there is the beautiful Russian Princess Verushka and the handsome Mr. Hunt, who were guests in the castle when Mr. Coop died, not to mention the odd English lady that has been seen tromping about the lands. The castle help may also be suspect and there may be more to them than meets the eye. Could Hansel the handsome gardener or the old crone in the kitchen have poisoned their master? What of Mr. Scott, Mr. Coop's man of business? Gabriel Penrose is reluctantly pulled into her investigations, but his true interests lie in learning more about the Snow White legends. In as much as their interests coincide somewhat, he gives her his assistance, which leads to them being in some unusual circumstances given Ophelia's talent with disguises!

One of the things I really liked about the book was the various disclosures that kept being made about the suspects and what their motives may have been. Just when I would think I had it figured out, some other evidence or motive would be brought up, which made the book hold my interest, and since I've always enjoyed historical novels, the 1800's setting felt perfectly comfortable to me. I also liked that there was just a bit of romance and a hint of romance, and since I plan on reading the next book in the series I'll get to see how those develop!

[Gay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery—first in a new series. This story has an interesting premise—in that Snow White and the seven dwarves were real people. Set in 1867 in Germany, several people, including a professor, are searching for proof of that and other less intellectual and more material things—and find Snow White’s cottage where she lived with the dwarves. The owner of the property and castle, is Mr. Coop, a rich American. He wants to tear down the brambles and the cottage for his own purposes. He is poisoned by an apple, and later another man, the former owner of the castle, is also murdered.
Our heroine, Ophelia and her friend, Prue, are out-of-work American actresses (don’t tell anyone!) taking on the roles of lady’s maid and scullery worker. Prue is arrested for the murder and conveniently ‘thrown’ into the tower room, but she gets the key. She teams up with Hansel, a local lad, to find out who killed Coop, and get her out of her current predicament. Ophelia teams up with the professor to pursue the same goal, as she might be accused of being Prue’s partner in crime.
A fun romp through the forests near Heidelberg while Ophelia and Prue learn that nobody is who everyone thinks they are, including themselves. Once the identities are untangled, it’s a little easier to figure out who the murderer is and what the motive is.
Delightful, funny, a cozy. I looked forward to the next in the series Cinderella Six Feet Under. Berkley Prime Crime 2014

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unique concept for a new series. This book combines the genres cozy mystery, historical fiction and fairy tale retelling in a brilliant way. The story takes place in Germany during the late 1800s and revolves around two actresses, Ophelia and Prudence, who find themselves desperate for work and hired on as lady maids. Things get interesting rather quickly when someone in the house is poisoned. This mystery is extra special because several of the clues revolve around the true existence of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. There is a discovery of a tiny house, a dwarf skeleton, soil full of gold and a poisoned apple. I definitely loved all of those familiar tidbits woven throughout the story. Ophelia is a great character. She's smart and incredibly sarcastic. I really enjoyed her scenes with Professor Penrose too. They have great chemistry and I'm looking forward to watching that storyline develop. I'm already anxious for book number two which takes place in France and centers around Cinderella!!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Snow White Red-Handed" is a historical mystery set in 1867 in Germany. Actually, it's more of a suspense novel as Ophelia, Prue, and Gabriel repeatedly walk into danger. Everyone has a hidden motive, and some suspects are willing to kill to get what they want!

The characters were varied, interesting, and generally likable. The mystery was clue-based, but it was such a muddle of motives that anyone could have done it. I was able to figure out several strands of secrets before the heroes, but I didn't know whodunit for certain until right before our heroes. The author did a good job with an interesting concept. I didn't care about the characters enough to get fully engaged in their suspenseful adventure, but other readers may. I enjoyed the story in any case.

There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'm recommend this interesting mystery/suspense novel.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.