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A Murder of Prose
“Do you want to ride the lightning?” whispered the killer.
Samuel Rigondeaux, a meticulous reference librarian, joins five aspiring writers at the Lethbridge Library each week to fulfil his dream of writing a novel.
What could be the harm? A bruised ego?
But when novelists start turning up dead at the hands of a twisted serial killer, a black crow feather left at each murder scene, and the police investigation falters, Samuel is compelled to act. He recruits Flagstaff, an ex-RCMP detective suffering PTSD and living on the streets, to investigate the gruesome killings before another author is brutally silenced.
Can the librarian’s mad research skills and Flagstaff’s streetwise savvy reveal the killer’s identity, or will Samuel be added to the growing body count? And why are crows maintaining a not-so-silent vigil at the library?
Dive into this gripping murder mystery where the pursuit of literary dreams turns into a final, fatal chapter, and proves that some stories are better left unwritten.
Samuel Rigondeaux, a meticulous reference librarian, joins five aspiring writers at the Lethbridge Library each week to fulfil his dream of writing a novel.
What could be the harm? A bruised ego?
But when novelists start turning up dead at the hands of a twisted serial killer, a black crow feather left at each murder scene, and the police investigation falters, Samuel is compelled to act. He recruits Flagstaff, an ex-RCMP detective suffering PTSD and living on the streets, to investigate the gruesome killings before another author is brutally silenced.
Can the librarian’s mad research skills and Flagstaff’s streetwise savvy reveal the killer’s identity, or will Samuel be added to the growing body count? And why are crows maintaining a not-so-silent vigil at the library?
Dive into this gripping murder mystery where the pursuit of literary dreams turns into a final, fatal chapter, and proves that some stories are better left unwritten.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 26, 2025
Oh wow! I’ve just finished this engaging and delightful page turner of a murder mystery and I can’t wait for the second in the series. Scott Charlton Paul has created a likeable but unlikely duo of crime solvers who will be occupying my thoughts for some time. The opposites natter back and forth as to who is Sherlock and who is Watson. The setting is Lethbridge and Paul takes us on a tour of our region and our local citizens. I had my suspects right from the start but was very surprised and impressed when the murderer was revealed. The pace of the book was good and the building of anticipation in the last few chapters was handled well…so well that I had to stay up late “to save my favourite character”. The suspense is increased with the crows…are they witnesses or something else?
October 30, 2025
I was thoroughly disappointed with this novel.
The simple vocabulary error in the third paragraph of the first chapter immediately set the tone for the entire read. If such a basic mistake—confusing immigrated and emigrated—slipped through the editing process, it’s hard to have confidence in the quality of the rest of the book.
The characters were unconvincing and, frankly, irritating to read. Samuel’s manner of speaking is so exaggerated that I found myself wondering whether the book was meant to be satire. The constant emphasis on his identity as both Black and gay felt forced, as though the author was trying to position himself as an ally but ended up achieving the opposite effect.
My biggest complaint, however, concerns the character Lenny. Seeing as the author hails from Lethbridge, I was deeply disappointed by the author’s lack of research into Blackfoot culture and language. For example, there is no letter “Q” in the Blackfoot alphabet—a fact the author clearly missed, given that he included Blackfoot phrases using it. Of the four Blackfoot words used in the book, only two are actually real. This is particularly disheartening, considering the abundance of resources available for learning about Blackfoot culture, both online and locally in Lethbridge. Failing to take advantage of these resources shows a troubling lack of respect for authenticity.
Moreover, Lenny’s dialogue reads like something out of a bad spaghetti western, which does a great disservice to the Blackfoot people and their culture. To make matters worse, the last name “Little Plume” is actually associated with the Kainai Nation, not the Piikani, revealing yet another layer of inaccuracy.
Finally, the writing itself is disjointed and stilted. The recurring corvid theme feels heavy-handed—more like being bludgeoned with a metaphor than guided by one. The ending, too, is rushed and poorly tied together, as if little thought was given to how the story should conclude.
Overall, this novel was an immense disappointment, and I have no intention of reading the sequel.
The simple vocabulary error in the third paragraph of the first chapter immediately set the tone for the entire read. If such a basic mistake—confusing immigrated and emigrated—slipped through the editing process, it’s hard to have confidence in the quality of the rest of the book.
The characters were unconvincing and, frankly, irritating to read. Samuel’s manner of speaking is so exaggerated that I found myself wondering whether the book was meant to be satire. The constant emphasis on his identity as both Black and gay felt forced, as though the author was trying to position himself as an ally but ended up achieving the opposite effect.
My biggest complaint, however, concerns the character Lenny. Seeing as the author hails from Lethbridge, I was deeply disappointed by the author’s lack of research into Blackfoot culture and language. For example, there is no letter “Q” in the Blackfoot alphabet—a fact the author clearly missed, given that he included Blackfoot phrases using it. Of the four Blackfoot words used in the book, only two are actually real. This is particularly disheartening, considering the abundance of resources available for learning about Blackfoot culture, both online and locally in Lethbridge. Failing to take advantage of these resources shows a troubling lack of respect for authenticity.
Moreover, Lenny’s dialogue reads like something out of a bad spaghetti western, which does a great disservice to the Blackfoot people and their culture. To make matters worse, the last name “Little Plume” is actually associated with the Kainai Nation, not the Piikani, revealing yet another layer of inaccuracy.
Finally, the writing itself is disjointed and stilted. The recurring corvid theme feels heavy-handed—more like being bludgeoned with a metaphor than guided by one. The ending, too, is rushed and poorly tied together, as if little thought was given to how the story should conclude.
Overall, this novel was an immense disappointment, and I have no intention of reading the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2025
From the first chapter, A Murder of Prose had me hooked. Scott Paul Charlton does such a great job making everything feel real — the characters, the dialogue, the setting. I loved that he used real locations and even reimagined the library so it looked out over a coulee. The courtroom scene was fantastic, and the whole story kept me guessing right to the end. I enjoyed every page — can’t wait to read his next one!
October 27, 2025
A Murder of Prose has all the elements of a captivating mystery novel: suspense, rich characters and twists and turns. Building the plot around a writing group is original and fun, well until people start dying that is.
You will root for Flagstaff as he finds his purpose again in life through his unlikely partnership and friendship with Samuel. Opposites do attract!
Really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more Two Crows mysteries!
You will root for Flagstaff as he finds his purpose again in life through his unlikely partnership and friendship with Samuel. Opposites do attract!
Really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more Two Crows mysteries!
November 1, 2025
A Murder of Prose is fast-paced, intriguing, and full of a diverse and exciting cast of characters. The book takes you on a journey of writing prompts; suspicious–and might I say–superior crows; and a murderer who likes to taunt the victims. It is smart, funny at times, a perfect mix of voice and intrigue that never sacrifices substance for pace.
December 9, 2025
A very different, very engaging pair of crime-solvers! Interesting plot, with some good twists, and the Canadian setting in the Alberta city of Lethbridge was a nice bonus.
Will be looking for more books by Scott Charlton Paul!
Will be looking for more books by Scott Charlton Paul!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews