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Murder by #1
Murder by Impulse: The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 1
A Lincoln Continental driven by Amy Steele, wife of millionaire rancher, James Steele, rams a tanker full of gasoline. Instant incineration of both drivers; a probable accident, according to Sergeant Larry Jenner of the Amarillo Police Department. Eight months later, it’s murder, according to Sergeant Ed Schroder of the Special Crimes Unit, and the probable murderer is the widower. Standing between James Steele and Sergeants Jenner and Schroder is John Lloyd Branson, reputed to be the best criminal defense attorney in Texas. In his formal three-piece suits, cowboy boots, Phi Beta Kappa key, he is certainly the most eccentric attorney. Assisted by his legal clerk, Lydia Fairchild, John Lloyd must prove that the most unlikely, indeed the most impossible, suspect is a cold-blooded murderer.
- GenresMystery
Audible Audio
First published November 25, 1987
3 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
D.R. Meredith
33 books31 followers(from Fantastic Fiction online)
D.R. Meredith, Doris to friends and family, has a split personality--by day, she is a conservatively dressed legal secretary at her husband Mike's law firm. By night she turns into Mrs. Hyde dressed in jeans, flip-flops, and Texas Rangers tee shirt, and commits bloody murder.
She is now in double digits. In her fourth book in the Megan Clark mystery series, the 18th book of her career, D.R. Meredith has just committed her 35th murder.
"I usually average 2 murders a book, because one murder in a closed circle of suspects usually leads to another in the accepted Agatha Christie fashion. In TOME OF DEATH there are two murders, but they occur 150 years apart. I like linking the past and present and exploring the effect our past has on our present. I can't tell how I use the past without giving a broad hint to the killer's identity, but I will say that human beings don't change over time except in dress and customs. My Comanche warrior amateur sleuth isn't all that different in emotional feelings from modern paleopathologist Megan Clark, except Megan isn't into scalping."
D.R. Meredith, Doris to friends and family, has a split personality--by day, she is a conservatively dressed legal secretary at her husband Mike's law firm. By night she turns into Mrs. Hyde dressed in jeans, flip-flops, and Texas Rangers tee shirt, and commits bloody murder.
She is now in double digits. In her fourth book in the Megan Clark mystery series, the 18th book of her career, D.R. Meredith has just committed her 35th murder.
"I usually average 2 murders a book, because one murder in a closed circle of suspects usually leads to another in the accepted Agatha Christie fashion. In TOME OF DEATH there are two murders, but they occur 150 years apart. I like linking the past and present and exploring the effect our past has on our present. I can't tell how I use the past without giving a broad hint to the killer's identity, but I will say that human beings don't change over time except in dress and customs. My Comanche warrior amateur sleuth isn't all that different in emotional feelings from modern paleopathologist Megan Clark, except Megan isn't into scalping."
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 17, 2025
I love this series. In fact, except for a couple of Christie's, it is my favorite mystery. The characters are interesting as are the mysteries.
The books change voice every other chapter, between Lydia Ann (law clerk to defense attorney John Lloyd Branson) and Sgt. Larry Jenner (traffic cop unwillingly pulled into helping Special Crimes Investigator Schroder). Their bosses are both larger than life and natural adversaries. Even characters that won't be around long seem very fleshed out.
There's not a lot I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers. This story is about the Steele family and a traffic accident that turns out to be more than it seems.
Even on re-reads I still love this story!
The books change voice every other chapter, between Lydia Ann (law clerk to defense attorney John Lloyd Branson) and Sgt. Larry Jenner (traffic cop unwillingly pulled into helping Special Crimes Investigator Schroder). Their bosses are both larger than life and natural adversaries. Even characters that won't be around long seem very fleshed out.
There's not a lot I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers. This story is about the Steele family and a traffic accident that turns out to be more than it seems.
Even on re-reads I still love this story!
July 9, 2012
This is a review of all five books in the 'John Lloyd Branson' series
The John Lloyd Branson series, about an eccentric Texan attorney, was written by DR Meredith in 1988 and concluded with five books in 1993. This series was recommended to me by some crime-fiction aficionados on the Amazon discussion boards. Apparently the ‘John Lloyd Branson’ series is little-known, but hailed by the niche group of readers who live for all things crime-fiction. And I've got to say... I was impressed.
Each book starts with a crime, and the police officer who is on call to report it. In each instance that officer is Sergeant Larry Jenner of the Amarillo traffic police. Jenner is in his early thirties and happy to coast along as a traffic cop. But Ed Schroder, detective for the Special Crimes Unit, envisions great things for Sergeant Jenner... and in the first book Schroder takes the young cop under his wing (whether Jenner likes it or not.)
Meanwhile, in Canadian, twenty-four year old law student Lydia Fairchild is meeting John Lloyd Branson for the first time. Lydia has been assigned to understudy with the brilliant attorney on recommendation of her University Dean, but John Lloyd is not what Lydia expected. For one thing, John Lloyd is a southern gentlemen bordering on chauvinistic. He dresses like a riverboat gambler and his office is harks back to the Victorian era (though he’s 38 years-old). John Lloyd pushes all of Lydia’s buttons, and within a few minutes of meeting him she finds herself threatening to commit bodily harm on his person and cursing like a sailor... but John Lloyd seems to think theirs is a perfect partnership.
The mystery in each book varies greatly but with two consistencies; the first is that the murder is always the precipitating circumstance to bring all the characters together. The other constant is that each murder occurs in the Texas Panhandle; Schroder and Branson’s jurisdiction. Branson and Schroder investigate everything from prostitutes being killed by a Ripper serial killer, to a nasty divorce settlement that may have ended in poisoning. Branson investigates for his defence of the accused, while Schroder works to build the DA’s case.
Each book is a murder mystery, character exploration and family drama all rolled into one.
Branson and Schroder are the heavy-weights in their respective fields, and between them they leave no stone unturned. Character history is unravelled, eye-witnesses coaxed, last hours are played out and alternate suspects are sniffed out. In each book DR Meredith constructs a ‘whodunit’ mystery that is meticulous and brain-teasing. And there’s nothing in the technical crime-solving to hint that these novel’s were written in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Apart from a lack of mobile phones or mention of the Internet, there’s still forensic analysis and computer lab technology to placate crime-fiction connoisseurs.
I loved the narrative perspectives in each novel. Our two primary narrators are Lydia Fairchild and Sergeant Jenner. These two are navigating new partnerships with the ‘old-timers’ in their respective fields. For Jenner, he is partnered with Detective Schroder and unwittingly taken under the older policeman’s wing and taught how to defend the innocent and find the guilty party. Lydia Fairchild is likewise partnered with the best attorney in Texas (though to ask John Lloyd, he would say ‘the world’). Lydia is in her last year of law school and about to enter the courtroom arena, from John Lloyd she is learning about how to question witnesses, keep the police at a distance and uncover the truth away from prying eyes. I loved the contrast of old/new, up-and-coming versus old dogs. Just as Jenner and Fairchild are trying to figure out how their mentors tick, readers are likewise trying to keep up with these teachers.
But the absolute stand-out star of each novel (and the series overall) is without a doubt John Lloyd Branson. He’s a little bit of every witty curmudgeon, snobby intelligentsia and antihero hero that we love. I would liken him to Gregory House, Alan Shore and Sherlock Holmes... but with his own distinct style. He wears three-piece suits, boleros and Stetsons. He is a Southern gentleman through and through, but with a cut-throat sensibility. He doesn’t use contractions, and he prides himself on his manners. He is brilliant. And the best thing about John Lloyd Branson is that he is entirely believable. He opens his mouth and can cut a man down at twenty paces. He is *that* intellectually intimidating and sure of himself. But John Lloyd is only a man in his early thirties, and that comes across. John Lloyd has so much passion and fire, especially for the law and his role as an attorney, and when he talks about his responsibilities you know this is a man for whom the law is life, and his appreciation is infectious...
“You make it sound like a game, John Lloyd,” Lydia protested.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel and she suddenly noticed how strong his hands looked. He could wield a sword or a lance. And be totally merciless.
“What are games but life reduced to symbolic rituals? Trials are a symbolic re-enactment of the ancient practice of settling disputes by armed combat. Attorneys are champions chosen by each side to represent them on the field. We use statutes and case law rather than crude weapons, but we must use them just as skilfully. But my skill is useless if I cannot counter the thrust of my opponent’s sword because my limbs are bound and I lack freedom of movement.”
- ‘Murder by Impulse’ John Lloyd Branson #1
John Lloyd’s believable brilliance is not just in how other characters react to him either. It’s not a case of Schroder *saying* John Lloyd is clever and witty. It’s more a case of DR Meredith writing brilliantly acerbic dialogue for John Lloyd and perfecting his Southerly mannerisms. Still, it is hilarious to read character’s reactions to John Lloyd, and I think Schroder’s summary of his attorney reputation says it best;
“... you can figure we’ve caught the client with a smoking gun in his hand with his fingerprints on it, forty eyewitnesses, and video tapes taken by a passing TV cameraman. Not that it does us any good. John Lloyd Brandon will either prove the victim was stabbed, not shot, that the eyewitnesses were all legally blind, or that the video tape had been tampered with...”
- ‘Murder by Impulse’ John Lloyd Branson #1
Schroder and Branson have a wonderful dynamic. Schroder is perhaps the most mysterious character in the series, even more so than John Lloyd Branson. But we learn the most about Schroder’s character through his interactions with Branson. These two cowboys have been competing at the same rodeo for a few years now, and it shows. Every meeting between them feels like a cock fight and there’s lots of history, plenty of grudge but all tempered with a healthy dose of respect. Neither will admit it in front of the other, but spoken to Jenner and Fairchild we learn that Branson and Schroder acknowledge each other as being the best. These two push each other, compete with one another and have ended up being better for the competition.
Each novel is a murder-mystery of Machiavellian proportions, beautifully executed by DR Meredith’s talented pen. Whether John Lloyd Branson is posing as a sword-wielding pimp to uncover a serial murderer or Schroder is trying to get to the bottom of a deadly dinosaur... the mystery in each novel is superb. But what I responded to most of all (and much to my surprise) was the romance woven throughout...
From the get-go there’s definite heat and spark between Lydia and John Lloyd. Theirs is a slow-burn romance, since John Lloyd seems wholly aware of Lydia’s developing crush on him and hell-bent on preventing it. John Lloyd has secrets and a romantic past that impinge on his feelings for Lydia, which throughout five novels he is desperate to ignore. But John Lloyd can’t deny his feelings for long, or discreetly. Other characters remark on John Lloyd and Lydia’s dynamic and clear affection. Lydia herself is very honest in her feelings, and ruthless in her seduction. And the romance is made even greater by the pair’s push-and-pull dynamic. They trade verbal barbs one minute, and in the next John Lloyd is crushing Lydia to his side. It’s all very rollercoaster, and heart-palpitating.
“It is very difficult to kiss you when you are talking. I feel as if I am aiming for a moving target.”
“What?”
“It is your intention to kiss me, is it not? Since that activity is most rewarding when both parties participate, I intend to kiss you, also. Our decision is unwise, unprofessional, dangerously reckless, and one we shall undoubetedly both regret, but it is necessary.”
“Why?” she asked. If this were a dream, it beat the hell out of sea and sand and buccaneers.
“Thanksgiving,” he whispered. “That you are alive.”
- ‘Murder by Masquerade’ John Lloyd Branson #3
This series is superb. It is a crime-fiction delicacy to be savoured for its melt in your mouth brilliance. Everything comes together perfectly; the whodunit, the heroes and villains and an intimidating but brilliant protagonist to cut your teeth on. DR Meredith’s John Lloyd Branson series will go down as one of my all-time favourites.
The John Lloyd Branson series, about an eccentric Texan attorney, was written by DR Meredith in 1988 and concluded with five books in 1993. This series was recommended to me by some crime-fiction aficionados on the Amazon discussion boards. Apparently the ‘John Lloyd Branson’ series is little-known, but hailed by the niche group of readers who live for all things crime-fiction. And I've got to say... I was impressed.
Each book starts with a crime, and the police officer who is on call to report it. In each instance that officer is Sergeant Larry Jenner of the Amarillo traffic police. Jenner is in his early thirties and happy to coast along as a traffic cop. But Ed Schroder, detective for the Special Crimes Unit, envisions great things for Sergeant Jenner... and in the first book Schroder takes the young cop under his wing (whether Jenner likes it or not.)
Meanwhile, in Canadian, twenty-four year old law student Lydia Fairchild is meeting John Lloyd Branson for the first time. Lydia has been assigned to understudy with the brilliant attorney on recommendation of her University Dean, but John Lloyd is not what Lydia expected. For one thing, John Lloyd is a southern gentlemen bordering on chauvinistic. He dresses like a riverboat gambler and his office is harks back to the Victorian era (though he’s 38 years-old). John Lloyd pushes all of Lydia’s buttons, and within a few minutes of meeting him she finds herself threatening to commit bodily harm on his person and cursing like a sailor... but John Lloyd seems to think theirs is a perfect partnership.
The mystery in each book varies greatly but with two consistencies; the first is that the murder is always the precipitating circumstance to bring all the characters together. The other constant is that each murder occurs in the Texas Panhandle; Schroder and Branson’s jurisdiction. Branson and Schroder investigate everything from prostitutes being killed by a Ripper serial killer, to a nasty divorce settlement that may have ended in poisoning. Branson investigates for his defence of the accused, while Schroder works to build the DA’s case.
Each book is a murder mystery, character exploration and family drama all rolled into one.
Branson and Schroder are the heavy-weights in their respective fields, and between them they leave no stone unturned. Character history is unravelled, eye-witnesses coaxed, last hours are played out and alternate suspects are sniffed out. In each book DR Meredith constructs a ‘whodunit’ mystery that is meticulous and brain-teasing. And there’s nothing in the technical crime-solving to hint that these novel’s were written in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Apart from a lack of mobile phones or mention of the Internet, there’s still forensic analysis and computer lab technology to placate crime-fiction connoisseurs.
I loved the narrative perspectives in each novel. Our two primary narrators are Lydia Fairchild and Sergeant Jenner. These two are navigating new partnerships with the ‘old-timers’ in their respective fields. For Jenner, he is partnered with Detective Schroder and unwittingly taken under the older policeman’s wing and taught how to defend the innocent and find the guilty party. Lydia Fairchild is likewise partnered with the best attorney in Texas (though to ask John Lloyd, he would say ‘the world’). Lydia is in her last year of law school and about to enter the courtroom arena, from John Lloyd she is learning about how to question witnesses, keep the police at a distance and uncover the truth away from prying eyes. I loved the contrast of old/new, up-and-coming versus old dogs. Just as Jenner and Fairchild are trying to figure out how their mentors tick, readers are likewise trying to keep up with these teachers.
But the absolute stand-out star of each novel (and the series overall) is without a doubt John Lloyd Branson. He’s a little bit of every witty curmudgeon, snobby intelligentsia and antihero hero that we love. I would liken him to Gregory House, Alan Shore and Sherlock Holmes... but with his own distinct style. He wears three-piece suits, boleros and Stetsons. He is a Southern gentleman through and through, but with a cut-throat sensibility. He doesn’t use contractions, and he prides himself on his manners. He is brilliant. And the best thing about John Lloyd Branson is that he is entirely believable. He opens his mouth and can cut a man down at twenty paces. He is *that* intellectually intimidating and sure of himself. But John Lloyd is only a man in his early thirties, and that comes across. John Lloyd has so much passion and fire, especially for the law and his role as an attorney, and when he talks about his responsibilities you know this is a man for whom the law is life, and his appreciation is infectious...
“You make it sound like a game, John Lloyd,” Lydia protested.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel and she suddenly noticed how strong his hands looked. He could wield a sword or a lance. And be totally merciless.
“What are games but life reduced to symbolic rituals? Trials are a symbolic re-enactment of the ancient practice of settling disputes by armed combat. Attorneys are champions chosen by each side to represent them on the field. We use statutes and case law rather than crude weapons, but we must use them just as skilfully. But my skill is useless if I cannot counter the thrust of my opponent’s sword because my limbs are bound and I lack freedom of movement.”
- ‘Murder by Impulse’ John Lloyd Branson #1
John Lloyd’s believable brilliance is not just in how other characters react to him either. It’s not a case of Schroder *saying* John Lloyd is clever and witty. It’s more a case of DR Meredith writing brilliantly acerbic dialogue for John Lloyd and perfecting his Southerly mannerisms. Still, it is hilarious to read character’s reactions to John Lloyd, and I think Schroder’s summary of his attorney reputation says it best;
“... you can figure we’ve caught the client with a smoking gun in his hand with his fingerprints on it, forty eyewitnesses, and video tapes taken by a passing TV cameraman. Not that it does us any good. John Lloyd Brandon will either prove the victim was stabbed, not shot, that the eyewitnesses were all legally blind, or that the video tape had been tampered with...”
- ‘Murder by Impulse’ John Lloyd Branson #1
Schroder and Branson have a wonderful dynamic. Schroder is perhaps the most mysterious character in the series, even more so than John Lloyd Branson. But we learn the most about Schroder’s character through his interactions with Branson. These two cowboys have been competing at the same rodeo for a few years now, and it shows. Every meeting between them feels like a cock fight and there’s lots of history, plenty of grudge but all tempered with a healthy dose of respect. Neither will admit it in front of the other, but spoken to Jenner and Fairchild we learn that Branson and Schroder acknowledge each other as being the best. These two push each other, compete with one another and have ended up being better for the competition.
Each novel is a murder-mystery of Machiavellian proportions, beautifully executed by DR Meredith’s talented pen. Whether John Lloyd Branson is posing as a sword-wielding pimp to uncover a serial murderer or Schroder is trying to get to the bottom of a deadly dinosaur... the mystery in each novel is superb. But what I responded to most of all (and much to my surprise) was the romance woven throughout...
From the get-go there’s definite heat and spark between Lydia and John Lloyd. Theirs is a slow-burn romance, since John Lloyd seems wholly aware of Lydia’s developing crush on him and hell-bent on preventing it. John Lloyd has secrets and a romantic past that impinge on his feelings for Lydia, which throughout five novels he is desperate to ignore. But John Lloyd can’t deny his feelings for long, or discreetly. Other characters remark on John Lloyd and Lydia’s dynamic and clear affection. Lydia herself is very honest in her feelings, and ruthless in her seduction. And the romance is made even greater by the pair’s push-and-pull dynamic. They trade verbal barbs one minute, and in the next John Lloyd is crushing Lydia to his side. It’s all very rollercoaster, and heart-palpitating.
“It is very difficult to kiss you when you are talking. I feel as if I am aiming for a moving target.”
“What?”
“It is your intention to kiss me, is it not? Since that activity is most rewarding when both parties participate, I intend to kiss you, also. Our decision is unwise, unprofessional, dangerously reckless, and one we shall undoubetedly both regret, but it is necessary.”
“Why?” she asked. If this were a dream, it beat the hell out of sea and sand and buccaneers.
“Thanksgiving,” he whispered. “That you are alive.”
- ‘Murder by Masquerade’ John Lloyd Branson #3
This series is superb. It is a crime-fiction delicacy to be savoured for its melt in your mouth brilliance. Everything comes together perfectly; the whodunit, the heroes and villains and an intimidating but brilliant protagonist to cut your teeth on. DR Meredith’s John Lloyd Branson series will go down as one of my all-time favourites.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2018
In the middle of the book I found it dragging and if I'd been reading I would have started skimming to hurry the book along. I didn't care that some of the characters were made too be fools.
February 28, 2021
Could not put it down!
I am not getting anything done because I could not put this book down. I love the characters that D R Meridith has brought to life.
I am not getting anything done because I could not put this book down. I love the characters that D R Meridith has brought to life.
August 12, 2024
A stinker!
January 8, 2014
Murder by Impulse is riveting and - sexy. I must admit, it was the title, which first caught my attention. As a logical and somewhat meticulous person, my concept of murder includes thorough planning and meticulous execution, certainly no impulse. After all, murder mysteries revolve around the idea that the murderer has a plan to get away with his deed; the detective tries to unravel the usually complicated plot. Thus, I was very curious to see what author Doris Meredith had up her sleeve. In short: a full set of aces!
The mystery begins with a Continental ramming a gasoline hauling truck from the back. Both drivers are dead, charred beyond recognition. Chain smoking investigator Ed Schroder's suspicion gets aroused by the fact that there are no skid marks. Schroder is dry and meticulous:
"....Everybody in the department knew his only notice of sex consisted of circling the M instead of the F on a credit-card application."
Since nothing but a black skeletons are left, it appears that the driver of the Continental was the late Mrs. Jim Steele, Amy Steele, first wife of Jim Steele, who shortly after her death marries again, the much younger Christy Deveraux Steele. The Steeles are an influential rancher family in Canadian, Texas. After the second wedding of Jim Steele get publicized in a newspaper, suddenly the first Mrs. Steele resurfaces, well and alive. Suspicions arise, more people get shot and killed, all of the Steeles plus family friend Cammie Armstrong and Christy's godfather Dr. Bailey become suspects.
Family legal advisor John Lloyd Branson tries to get to the bottom of things too. He is a hero of special nature. Being described as:
"You (John Llyod) said everybody east of the Mississippi was a goddamn crook, and that you weren't leaving Texas again. You said you preferred the home grown variety of crook to the sleazy, sneaky kind around Washington."
and full of old-fashioned great values, female readers might like him a lot.
And, then there is his new legal assistant, Lydia Ann Fairchild, who is to intern at Branson's office over the summer.
The traditional Steeles are puzzled:
"Jim Steele leaned against the fireplace, one arm resting on the mantel. "When John Lloyd told us he was hiring a legal clerk, we assumed it would be some serious young man breaking in his first three-piece suit." "I believe Miss Fairchild's three-piece suit has a skirt instead of trousers," said John Lloyd dryly. "But she promises to be very serious."
Lydia is smitten with John Lloyd on certain level, but John Lloyd has a different philosophy:
"I intend to, Miss Fairchild. Although you are beautiful, quite desirable in fact, I have no designs on your body. It is your mind I plan to seduce."
Since all murders and attempts thereof, which follow the first death, happen by impulse, things get complicated on more than one level:
"His drawl seemed to wrap around her like a velvet cloak, and she felt the tears seep from her eyes and trickle down her face. The grass beneath her back was sun-warmed and the air indolent of earth and sage, cattle and dust, the wet smell of the river, and that indefinable odor of open spaces. She was lying on the ground, bleeding from two gunshot wounds, while a bare-chested man with a bad leg was quoting an ancient Hebrew love poem to her. Hollywood never thought of anything nearly as romantic. It was almost worth getting shot."
5 stars for this riveting mystery, which will keep readers on their toes.
Gisela Hausmann - author & blogger
The mystery begins with a Continental ramming a gasoline hauling truck from the back. Both drivers are dead, charred beyond recognition. Chain smoking investigator Ed Schroder's suspicion gets aroused by the fact that there are no skid marks. Schroder is dry and meticulous:
"....Everybody in the department knew his only notice of sex consisted of circling the M instead of the F on a credit-card application."
Since nothing but a black skeletons are left, it appears that the driver of the Continental was the late Mrs. Jim Steele, Amy Steele, first wife of Jim Steele, who shortly after her death marries again, the much younger Christy Deveraux Steele. The Steeles are an influential rancher family in Canadian, Texas. After the second wedding of Jim Steele get publicized in a newspaper, suddenly the first Mrs. Steele resurfaces, well and alive. Suspicions arise, more people get shot and killed, all of the Steeles plus family friend Cammie Armstrong and Christy's godfather Dr. Bailey become suspects.
Family legal advisor John Lloyd Branson tries to get to the bottom of things too. He is a hero of special nature. Being described as:
"You (John Llyod) said everybody east of the Mississippi was a goddamn crook, and that you weren't leaving Texas again. You said you preferred the home grown variety of crook to the sleazy, sneaky kind around Washington."
and full of old-fashioned great values, female readers might like him a lot.
And, then there is his new legal assistant, Lydia Ann Fairchild, who is to intern at Branson's office over the summer.
The traditional Steeles are puzzled:
"Jim Steele leaned against the fireplace, one arm resting on the mantel. "When John Lloyd told us he was hiring a legal clerk, we assumed it would be some serious young man breaking in his first three-piece suit." "I believe Miss Fairchild's three-piece suit has a skirt instead of trousers," said John Lloyd dryly. "But she promises to be very serious."
Lydia is smitten with John Lloyd on certain level, but John Lloyd has a different philosophy:
"I intend to, Miss Fairchild. Although you are beautiful, quite desirable in fact, I have no designs on your body. It is your mind I plan to seduce."
Since all murders and attempts thereof, which follow the first death, happen by impulse, things get complicated on more than one level:
"His drawl seemed to wrap around her like a velvet cloak, and she felt the tears seep from her eyes and trickle down her face. The grass beneath her back was sun-warmed and the air indolent of earth and sage, cattle and dust, the wet smell of the river, and that indefinable odor of open spaces. She was lying on the ground, bleeding from two gunshot wounds, while a bare-chested man with a bad leg was quoting an ancient Hebrew love poem to her. Hollywood never thought of anything nearly as romantic. It was almost worth getting shot."
5 stars for this riveting mystery, which will keep readers on their toes.
Gisela Hausmann - author & blogger
August 5, 2014
I wish I could have liked this book more mainly because I found certain elements, such as the plot, well thought out and interesting. Meredith gets the mystery going almost immediately, and by the end of the first chapter it's apparent that not everything is as it seems with the accident. I liked the switching between the two points of view, and Meredith did a nice job of keeping the voices within the alternating chapters different. I thought the ending was good and tied everything together so there were no loose ends. It also gave a nice hook for book 2.
One of the issues I had was there is a lot of telling about what happened instead of showing. An example of this is in the first chapter when the accident first happens. We're simply told it happened and told it was gruesome, but we don't actually see any of it. I'd give an example from later in the book, but it could lead to spoilers.
The characters and dialogue did little to keep me engaged. Most of the time I was trying to keep myself from rolling my eyes at the cliched speech, reminding me of the days I spent growing up watching soap operas. Yet, as I kept reading, I reminded myself that this was supposed to be taking place in the 80's. I've read enough books from the 80's to say that, yes, this is how characters were written back in the day. Whether that's how they really spoke is beside the point. It was the style of the day and obviously the intention of the writer to do this, so I can't really complain.
So, where am I going with this? Well, if you like mysteries that might remind you of Murder She Wrote or Matlock, then you probably will enjoy this. If you're looking for something a bit grittier or more realistic I'd suggest trying something different.
One of the issues I had was there is a lot of telling about what happened instead of showing. An example of this is in the first chapter when the accident first happens. We're simply told it happened and told it was gruesome, but we don't actually see any of it. I'd give an example from later in the book, but it could lead to spoilers.
The characters and dialogue did little to keep me engaged. Most of the time I was trying to keep myself from rolling my eyes at the cliched speech, reminding me of the days I spent growing up watching soap operas. Yet, as I kept reading, I reminded myself that this was supposed to be taking place in the 80's. I've read enough books from the 80's to say that, yes, this is how characters were written back in the day. Whether that's how they really spoke is beside the point. It was the style of the day and obviously the intention of the writer to do this, so I can't really complain.
So, where am I going with this? Well, if you like mysteries that might remind you of Murder She Wrote or Matlock, then you probably will enjoy this. If you're looking for something a bit grittier or more realistic I'd suggest trying something different.
October 5, 2016
I apologize for my harsh criticism, but this is without a doubt the worst book I've ever read.
Virtually all characters are stereotypes without any depth. Linda is even more stupid than the woman in 50 Shades of Gray. The cops hardly ever say anything other than damned and hell. The Steeles... Even just the naming is terrible. No matter that the author put an e at the end. But it was obvious from the getgo, that the Steeles would be dimensionless, flat characters.
Branson's assistant is stupid, talks and thinks like a damsel from the early 19th century. Branson himself talks and behaves like your typical chauvinist male from the same era.
The mystery, while seeming promising at first, is a disappointment and in parts quite unconvincing. Humor may have saved the story at least from a stylistic point of view, but there was none of that either.
The only reason I give this place spot number 2 on my list of worst books ever is, because the story is slightly better than 50 Shades. Other than that it's no better. Sometimes even worse.
You may commence the throwing of vegetables now. I see I am the only one who hated this book.
Virtually all characters are stereotypes without any depth. Linda is even more stupid than the woman in 50 Shades of Gray. The cops hardly ever say anything other than damned and hell. The Steeles... Even just the naming is terrible. No matter that the author put an e at the end. But it was obvious from the getgo, that the Steeles would be dimensionless, flat characters.
Branson's assistant is stupid, talks and thinks like a damsel from the early 19th century. Branson himself talks and behaves like your typical chauvinist male from the same era.
The mystery, while seeming promising at first, is a disappointment and in parts quite unconvincing. Humor may have saved the story at least from a stylistic point of view, but there was none of that either.
The only reason I give this place spot number 2 on my list of worst books ever is, because the story is slightly better than 50 Shades. Other than that it's no better. Sometimes even worse.
You may commence the throwing of vegetables now. I see I am the only one who hated this book.
July 10, 2015
Well, this is a murder mystery book, a well constructed plot, interesting and unpredictable characters and plenty of dialog, some of it funny and amusing.
It's with a lot of discovering done in a small town in Texas, digging into a old style Victorian aristocratic family some significant land owners in the area with plenty of secrets to hide from everyone.
The style is not easy to digest, unless you like the formal English spoken back in the golden years of the aristocracy when wealthy families ruled the land. It took me a while to finish it and I am not sure I will like another book from this author as I found this one not so entertaining like I was expecting or looking for.
There is what may be considered a good story to be told, but to get to the bottom of it, the reader has to put up with a lot of waiting, or running around multiple topics and all that in an archaic way of conducting dialog between characters - may be fun for others, but I don't know, to me it wasn't so fun, not so entertaining, so I guess I'll stop reading from this author.
It's with a lot of discovering done in a small town in Texas, digging into a old style Victorian aristocratic family some significant land owners in the area with plenty of secrets to hide from everyone.
The style is not easy to digest, unless you like the formal English spoken back in the golden years of the aristocracy when wealthy families ruled the land. It took me a while to finish it and I am not sure I will like another book from this author as I found this one not so entertaining like I was expecting or looking for.
There is what may be considered a good story to be told, but to get to the bottom of it, the reader has to put up with a lot of waiting, or running around multiple topics and all that in an archaic way of conducting dialog between characters - may be fun for others, but I don't know, to me it wasn't so fun, not so entertaining, so I guess I'll stop reading from this author.
August 24, 2013
Really great book about a North Texas defense lawyer and his new associate in training. Set in the 1980s it is still an amusing read. John Lloyd is the defense lawyer in Canadian, TX and he is known throughout the state as the man to get you off. Lydia is his brand new gorgeous amazonian associate in training. Murder by Impulse has a great pace that keeps you interested and makes you want the next book in the series. It had a great story line that has an OMG moment which really surprised me. I think if you like really great characters well written and if you love any mysteries set in the south these books are for you.
October 26, 2014
I do like mysteries and this one had everything all I hoped for, intrigue, drama and humour. The plot kept you guessing right to the end. I am glad I for once picked the first in the series and will definitely read the others. I visualised the characters, it was easy to be transported right into the story. I loved John Lloyd, lest see what he is up to ext. Yes I easily recommend this book.
January 4, 2015
A good and well written mystery
This is an excellent mystery. It is, of course, very well written and contrived. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with a touch of Texas and romance _ and if you can overlook the profanity.
This is an excellent mystery. It is, of course, very well written and contrived. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with a touch of Texas and romance _ and if you can overlook the profanity.
September 14, 2012
Definitely my favorite John Lloyd book so far!
July 29, 2015
This is a really good mystery with lots of good characters and an interesting setting.
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