Murder Run

by Shelly Frome

In this crime novel, a wayward handyman grapples with the suspicious death of his employer, a fragile choreographer who secluded herself in the Litchfield Hills. As the fallout mounts, the reader is taken to various locales in and around Manhattan, an escapade in Miami Springs and back again to the hills of Connecticut until this twisty conundrum is finally laid to rest.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2015

About the author

Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut
Former professional actor
Screenwriting columnist for Southern Writers Magazine
Features writer for Gannett Media

Reviews

[Gayle Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love those gangster and "mafia" movies and books than you will like MURDER RUN by Shelly Frome. This is Mr. Frome's sixth novel. He takes you into the belly of the underworld where thieves, hit men and crime leaders. There's something about those gangsters that get you hooked.

In this novel you are given characters that would easily fit into a gangster series on TV. The author takes you where the murders and the things setting up the murders take place. That's in the dark streets and alleys of New York's Little Italy. He then takes you to the peaceful, or at least it seems that way, parts of the hills in northwest Connecticut. No one is immune or out of the reach of this evil part of the world. You could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You could be dead.

The police and the mob are after Jed Cooper. Why? All because he tried to help a pretty choreographer who saw more than she should have. He looks a lot like James Dean. In other words, he was a looker. He doesn't say much. He just tries to deal with his more than problematic family background. Jed had his problems but has tried to clean up his act. Did Jed commit the murder? He was found standing over the body?

The local authorities aren't quite on the ball and the town's people aren't any better. Jed has to travel back to his teens in the world of Manhattan. His past, that he has tried to leave behind hasn't been forgotten by some.

The author places the reader in the streets of Manhattan, the back alleys of Little Italy. You become part of the plots and what happens to the characters. You're with Jed as he goes back to when he was a teen and living a not so good life.

The book is one that you won't forget. The author leaves you wanting more. Hope there will be another after this one. Will Jed be able to finally put the past in the past? Or is he bound for the rest of his life with the cops and mob always behind him? Welcome to the world of hit men, crime bosses, murder, thieves and a whole lot more.

I received a complimentary copy of MURDER RUN from the author, Shelly Frome for my unbiased view of the book. No other compensation took place.

[Andrew Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's right gentle readers, Shelly Frome's book, Murder Run, garnered 5 stars from me. I am a fan of mobsters and mystery so this book hooked me from the beginning.

Jed Cooper is a simple man. He likes to work with his hands and doesn't talk fast, or much at all. This makes his latest gig as personal handyman to a reclusive dancer vacationing in Connecticut ideal. Miss Julie has a secret though. One that could cost Jed his life. When Jed receives a mysterious late night phone call he rushes to Miss Julie's side, only to be caught standing over her dead body by the local state trooper. Now Jed has two detectives and the trooper on his tail as he tries to piece together what happened to his beloved employer. His journey takes him back to his roots in New York, where run ins with people from his old neighborhood only make him wish for the country life all the more.

Sal Palmeri, a Capo past his prime, receives several odd missives which bring him panicking back to his old haunts. Two murders and a recent string of arrests by the Feds have everyone in the criminal underworld jumpy. Concern over exposure to his operations that could cost him his quiet retired life, Sal tries to take the reins back while struggling with short term memory problems.

What is the connection between these two and how will the death of Miss Julie change the lives of everyone who ever knew her? I guess you will have to pick up a copy of this book to find out.

[Apex Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Run is a dynamic, spellbinding offering that shows just how Shelly Frome, a member of Mystery Writers of America and former professor of dramatic arts, has earned the distinction of prolific playwright and novelist.

Frome’s winding tale is centered on the struggles of Jed Cooper, an unsuspecting handyman who finds himself the main suspect in the murder of his employer, an attractive choreographer from NYC. As Jed strains to find out who killed her and why, he encounters a mélange of colorful characters – not the least of which is the Mafia itself. The more Jed presses to learn the truth about the murder, the more he’s forced to confront the truth about his own past – and if he isn’t careful, he could jeopardize his very future.

Witty, engaging, and overflowing with action, Murder Run is the kind of read Sunday afternoons are made for. Through masterful storytelling and strong character development, Frome spins an engrossing tale sure to interest readers from all walks of life. You don’t have to be a student of film noir or a fan of Goodfellas or The Sopranos to be captivated by the subtle nuances that make Murder Run such a great read. Kudos to Frome for crafting such a fascinating true-life story in such compelling, realistic fashion. Highly recommended.


Megan Latta
Apex Reviews

[Marja McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Murder Run” by Shelly Frome is a wonderful addition to the world of fiction.

At a time when I needed something to hold my interest and to entertain me, along came Murder Run.

Handyman, Jed Cooper, is a man with a past, but he’s also a man who’s tried to change his life. He’s now a prime suspect in a murder. Can he prove he’s been set up? Can he rid himself of his past? And what did the victim see that ended her life?

You’ll follow many paths through the story, and each one will take you closer to answers. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were well-written and true to life.

Frome has created a puzzle worth solving with this mystery. It keeps the readers on their toes and makes one try to second guess what’s going on.

I’m looking forward to more from Shelly Frome, and I highly recommend this story of Jed’s past and present dilemmas.

[Ron Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelly Frome’s Murder Run is a classic mystery novel “who done it”, that keeps you guessing. I made the mistake of trying to read this while I was doing something else and kept having to go back to earlier pages to pick up the story until I finally sat down and digested the story. What fun! Poor Jed Cooper on the run for doing something and being set up. Cops, the Mob, petty thugs you name it. You have to pay attention as he’s moving all the time Connecticut, New York, Miami trying to unwind the spider’s web he finds himself in.
For me Frome’s strength is his character development, the dialogue, and the body language of the players as they move around the city how real they are, how they move around inside your head.
All in all if you like a good crime drama a must read!

[Gloria Feit · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the publisher: In this crime novel, a wayward handyman grapples with the suspicious death of his employer, a fragile choreographer who secluded herself in the Litchfield Hills. As the fallout mounts, the reader is taken to various locales in and around Manhattan, an escapade in Miami Springs and back again to the hills of Connecticut until this twisty conundrum is finally laid to rest.

We are introduced to Jed Cooper, the protagonist of this novel, on the first page, as he answers the phone in his “junk trailer” which he has been house-sitting while doing a job for woman for whom he had started working four months prior. But the caller’s identity is unknown, and the call ominous. When Jed drives over to his employer’s house, he discovers her dead body. In very short order, the police enter the house and discover him, and the woman’s body. It is not difficult to imagine the cops’ reaction, and on whom their suspicions fall.

It does not help matters much for Jed that the cops know him well, as he served time in a Juvenile Facility – well, a “place for troubled boys” - thirteen years prior, among other illegal things with which he was involved. There are also several references to “a woman whose lifeless body wound up in the water by the Jersey docks,” as well as the present-day killing of one of the male characters.

Most of the rest of the book is a cat-and-mouse game among Jed, the local cops, and several nefarious men who seem determined to convince the police that Jed is the perpetrator, among other things. The action takes place up in the boondocks of Connecticut and surrounding areas, as well in various sites in and around Manhattan.

This was all somewhat hard to follow. “Twisty conundrum” just about captures this novel, as this reader found it difficult to keep up with the plot. But it is indeed interesting, as are its characters, whose p.o.v. alternate through the book, only, I should state, adding to my confusion. There were some parts of the narrative that simply confused me, e.g., “The odds were getting better she was worth the candle.” But “Murder Run” is definitely a change of pace.

[David Gramley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time following the plot and keeping up with all of the characters. The book moves quickly. Perhaps reading this book just a couple of weeks before Christmas, with a thousand things going on, was not smart timing. Frome closes the plot lines well in the last chapter. So it is a good book, but for me, not a great book.

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Murder Run" by Shelly Frome takes readers on a journey of mystery and suspense. As I read, visiting each location, the author's vivid descriptions made me feel as if I were really there. The main character, handyman Jed Cooper, is a unique and complex character who has a history of being in trouble with the law. And now he's been accused of murdering his employer.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two plot threads that move slowly and some aspects of which could have been deleted

A handyman (Jed) with a bit of a sordid past is living in a trashy trailer and working for Miss Julie in rural Connecticut. She is an older woman that previously lived in New York City and she seems a bit nervous and fearful. One night Jed gets a call from an unknown man that he better get to Julie quickly, otherwise she probably won’t make it. He goes as fast as he can to Julie’s residence and chases a man through the brush but fails to catch him. When Jed enters the house and goes to Julie’s room, he finds her dead. Shortly after this a State Trooper named Tate arrives and Jed is taken in for questioning.
This begins a series of interactions between two male investigators named Curtis and Hanson that is added to the regular conflicts Jed has with Tate. It is never clear exactly what the purpose is of the three men in regularly prodding and harassing Jed, he is never charged with anything and the evidence against him is weak and circumstantial.
The story moves on two tracks, the first is Jed’s actions in trying to track down some clues based on what he knows as well as his earlier life actions. A generally separate plot thread involves some over the hill mob guys that are trying to tie up some loose ends based on organized crime activity in labor unions. They are not depicted as being all that bright, they certainly are not the hardened gangster types.
Although the two separate tracks are eventually tied together, the process of following them both left me frustrated. The cops harassing Jed come across as being less than capable and the gangsters also appear to be much less than stellar at their job. They don’t even come across as all that nefarious, odd in a story based on a suspicious death and involving mob activities. The story also moves slowly as the author spends a great deal of time building up a background that is sometimes superfluous. The best character is a young girl wise in the ways of the streets.

This book was made available for free for review purposes and this review also appears on Amazon

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had difficulty reading this book. I found the plot to be a bit confusing. The book alternates between two situations. A woman has been murdered and Jed, the handyman the woman hired, is suspected of the murder. That's the major story but we are also taken to another situation in New York involving the mob. For over half the book there seemed to be no connection to the two stories.

I really didn't like the characters. Jed is sort of an anti-hero. He had been in trouble as a youth, been to a youth home, but was now getting a second chance. He is not a strong character at all. He thinks he should try to figure out who the real murderer is but really doesn't know how to go about it. On the mob story we have Sal, a guy who is struggling with Alzheimer's. I never understood why other mob characters put up with him.

I found the author's writing style confusing. There was frequent use of incomplete sentences. There were times when I'd read a paragraph a couple of times before I thought I understood what it said. Much of the dialog is an affected kind of mob speak. At one point, Jed thinks about Angie, “Apart from the fact what she said made no sense half the time...” I felt like Jed often.

Frome's writing style is just one I do not like. There are long sections of prose describing what people are saying. I'd rather have great dialog. There were times when Frome would cause me to anticipate something and then not produce. For example, “Just then, crossing the Hudson over the Tappan Zee Bridge, it all began for him with the huge white-steel girders.” But rather than finding out what all began for him, we read of the bus continuing on, then arriving at the bus depot, then unloading. I just found that style unappealing.

This novel was just not to my liking. Others give it raving reviews. I prefer a mystery I can follow and can even be challenged to figure out who did it. There were just too many parts of this novel that lost me.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book you can read a little at a time. It takes some concentration as there are two major themes or plots that weave together eventually. It is definitely not a book I should try to read while reading 3 others. The very first page drew me in with an urgency and intensity that captured my attention. Even though protagonist Jed becomes known to us as somewhat of a loser, I still cared what happened to him and wanted him to get justice.

As I stated, you need to allow yourself to become swallowed whole by this book. There are very subtle clues entwined with the story which jumps from present to past reminiscences to two very different focal points that take a while to come together.
The writing is masterful. The characters just developed enough to make us appreciate them.
This is a good noir mystery with enough amateur sleuth appeal to satisfy those who like their reads a little bit lighter.

Whether you appreciate a good who-dunnit that keeps you guessing until the end or are a real fan of true crime and mobster lit, you will find this to be a wonderful addition to your library.

I did receive this book in exchange for an honest review

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I invoked the "100 page rule" on this one. After a little over 100 pages, I still had no earthly idea what I was reading, and put it down. I didn't know Jed or have any insight into him. Sure, I knew what I needed to know about his background and how he arrived to the place in the novel, but there was no depth of character or empathy at all. His drive to tie current events to the past fell flat for me, and offered no level of interest or anxiety.

The antagonists were merely irritating caricatures of know-it-all lawmen, but never raised enough rancor in me to side against them.

Time and again, I got the overall feeling that Frome was trying to go for the staccato noir dialogue and tone of James M. Cain's Mildred Pierce or Double Indemnity. Instead, it read like swiss cheese and left out more than it offered.

I cannot recommend this. There are so many others available, like Cain, in this vein that are so much richer and more satisfying.

This book was forwarded to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Becky Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Run will remind you why you liked the 'mafia' type movies from not too long ago. Frome has a way of making you feel like you are a part of those days as well as have you feeling like you are a part of the story. I think a good story brings you in, doesn't let you go, and when it is over you think about it for days if not more.

Shelley Frome takes the reader from the rural hills of Connecticut deep into midtown Manhattan, from the lakes of Miami to the docks in New Jersey. With huge bouts of suspicion and conspiracy, that keep you coming back until the very end. At one point compassion for an aging mafia messenger with oncoming Alzheimer’s, a teenage girl with psychic aspirations, and the murder victim herself who simply saw too much. You will get caught up in all that is Murder Run!

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the best thing about this book was Jed! I loved him and his strange personality. He was a fun, quirky, quiet character that made you just naturally feel sorry for him. I didn't like the cops at all! They were really kind of mean to Jed. A couple other reviewers didn't like Jed, but I loved him. I don't know why, maybe I've known a few people like him. LOL

This was a little more hard core mystery than I normally read, so it was a little slow at times and a little difficult for me. But I still did enjoy parts of it.

This book got some great reviews from others so please do not base your decision to read or not to read on my review!

Thank you "Virtual Author Book Tours" for sending me an e-book copy for my honest review.

[Christa Nardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jed Cooper, is a young handyman who worked for a choreographer hiding out in Litchfield, CT and tried to help her, but really didn’t know why she was so afraid or of what. He is the prime suspect when she is found dead and he works hard to clear his name. Jed has his work cut out for him as the two detectives are clueless – counting on Jed to either find the murderer or confess, and the corrupt state trooper isn’t much more help. Jed is the good guy and I cheered him on. With multiple story lines that intersect, this is a complex puzzle, but Jed is able to emerge with the solution.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

[Gayle B]

If you like 1940's mob movies, you will love this book. The story is set in today's time but the character's are out of an old movie. I could picture Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney as a couple of the characters. :)

Jed has made some mistakes in his life and is trying to stay on the straight and narrow. He moves away from the bad influences, and gets a job as a handyman for Miss Julie. She has moved out to the country in Connecticut and seems to be afraid of something or someone. When Miss Julie turns up dead, and everything seems to point to him, he must return to his old acquaintance's and neighborhood to clear himself. Unfortunately, those acquaintance's are "mobsters".

I received a free copy in exchange for a review.