The First Murder

by Carol Goodman Kaufman

When Mary Jane Bennett is found dead in her bed— alone, strangled by her own scarf, and with every door in the house locked — the medical examiner rules her death accidental, the result of a sex game gone horribly awry. State police decline to investigate further, but Queensbridge Police Chief Caleb Crane doesn't buy for a minute that his good friend died this way, so he undertakes his own investigation. Facing town councilors afraid of bad publicity, an angry medical examiner, and his own personal demons, he labors to solve what he believes is the first-ever murder in his pastoral Berkshire Hills village. Complicating the list of suspects includes some of the people to whom he is closest — including his own wife.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2024

Reviews

[Sharon M. Picard]

In 'The First Murder', Carol Goodman Kaufman has written a page-turner of a story. Set in fictional Queensbridge, this well-crafted mystery lays out a varied cast of village characters. Caleb Crane is the transplanted New York Police Chief whose personal story, doled out in judicious increments, gives him depth and appeal. And, the murder strikes painfully close to home when a close friend of Crane and his wife, Rachel, is the victim. While spinning an intriguing who-done-it, Carol evokes the enduring beauty of the seasons in the Berkshires and the rhythm of small town life. The reader is privy to the dark underbelly of old resentments, the difficulty of shedding reputations shaped in high school and the tension between long-time residents and outsiders with vacation homes. The drama rises as shock of the brutal tragedy touches those in Crane’s inner circle and they find themselves prey to nagging suspicions about their nearest and dearest ---and about one another.

Kaufman’s professional expertise as a food writer adds vivid color and interest with tantalizing food references.

With some luck, this 'First Murder' will not be the last time readers get to dip into a book about Caleb Crane and his Queensbridge cohort.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly thought this was a fun mystery to read. Throughout the book, we follow along from the cop's perspective. I'm personally a fan of detective point of views.

I did feel as though the plot was a little predictable. I had an idea of what would happen and ended up being right about it all. However, it was still a fun book to read and kept my interest the whole way through until the end.

** Thank you to LibraryThing & TouchPoint Press for my e-ARC, I'm very grateful! **

[Lois Berkson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Goodman Kaufman's foray into the murder mystery genre was a real page turner.
The conventional wisdom is to write about things you know, at least for the first mystery. She is a criminologist and happens to summer in Western Massaxhusetts, the setting of this book. Immediately she gets it right! She picks up on the transplanted big city types who come to settle in small towns for various reasons. She sees the prejudices and uncovers the secrets of the area's inhabitants. And she sees the resolve of one of those transplants, a New York City police officer who doesn't buy the Medical Examiner's conclusions regarding the death of a dear family friend. Meet the big city daytrippers and feel the tension that some long time residents display about their "invasion".Throw in the Jewish holiday of Purim, with its disguises and its heroine, along with pregnancy and infertility scenarios, and the plot thickens.
Thank you Carol for writing this engaging story.

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a small town in western Massachusetts. this mystery's main character is a police chief who has retired there with his wife, while still young, from the rough life of being a New York City detective. When a close friend is found murdered in circumstances that are peculiar, to say the least, he has his hands full trying to piece together motive and murderer. The plot twists and turns are exciting with Kaufman tying them up deftly at the end. The author weaves in accurate procedural information in a way that is never dry but both lends authenticity and whets your curiosity. The depiction of a town in rural western Massachusetts and the relationships of its people are spot on – enhancing your journey to solve the mystery.

[LP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! While set in a charming community, what could have been a cutesy/lightweight mystery is instead a very serious and emotional story. The characters are well-developed, and the author is careful to keep us from truly suspecting any of them until the end. Weaving in moral lessons from Purim was a nice touch. The plot's suspense had me reading it late into the night, challenging the battery life of my ancient e-reader.

I want to see more of these characters, especially Rachel, Sandy, and Caleb. Hopefully, the author will have many more mysteries for us!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read all the way

Carol Goodman Kaufman has created a cast of likable, believable and interesting characters in this crime novel set in the Berkshires. The author creates a true sense of place and time with her descriptive language and her background in criminology shines with unusual details and observations. I hope there will be more books to follow about police chief Caleb!

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bored. The characters weren’t fully developed. The book spent a lot of time in the main character’s thoughts, so we knew what he was thinking, but no one else. The author seemed to skirt the edges of the story, there was little depth to the story or the characters and the mystery was easily figured out.

[Susie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this trade paperback at the Carrollton library: "The First Murder", by Carol Goodman Kaufman (not a Kindle edition, as I don't do Kindle). Sort of wobbly getting into this story but once I managed to transpose Miss Marple into the clothing of the little town's transplanted police chief, all set.

[Ruth M McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Read!

I loved everything about this book. The characters were so well developed, they could be living in your own home town. Could be friends of yours.
The setting was right on. Having visited the Berkshires for many years, Queensbridge had the small town feel with the year round population and the summer people, that you could believe you were right there on the lawns of Tanglewood listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra or hiking in Great Barrington.
The author so adeptly dropped clues throughout the novel yet had you guessing until the very end who the murderer was.
I really hope this will become a series.

[Bonnie Saks, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Goodman Kaufman is an amazing talented writer.
This book is a real page turner from beginning to end.
It captures each character and the spirit of the Berkshires. You can almost taste the delicious food. The whole book is a great escape, very satisfying on every level.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting murder mystery. I enjoyed this book. The plot moves right along and it was fun to try to pick up clues along the way in an attempt to figure out who done it. I look forward to her next book.

[Michael Bordy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading The First Murder. I believe the author utilized some of her experiences in forensic psychology with her familiarity with Western Massachusetts settings to fashion a mystery that had twists and turns and kept my interest to the end.

[Wendy Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific Murder Mystery

I love when a book grabs hold of the reader in the first chapter; this book succeeded and then some. Really great story/plot with amazing characters throughout the book. Looking forward to the next book by this author. Well done!

[Jamie Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delightful read. I read it on an airplane and I was entertained through the whole flight - these days that is saying a lot!!
I cannot wait to read the next one.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner. I loved this book. Having grown up in the Berkshires it was fun to identify with so many places. I love to read but find myself doing other things so when I am willing to read a whole book in record time I know it is a winner.

It would be a fun movie