The Semester of Our Discontent

Lila Maclean Academic Mystery #1

by Cynthia Kuhn

Agatha Award Winner, Best First Novel

English professor Lila Maclean is thrilled about her new job at prestigious Stonedale University until she finds one of her colleagues dead. She soon learns that everyone, from the chancellor to the detective working the case, believes Lila—or someone she is protecting—may be responsible for the horrific event, so she assigns herself the task of identifying the killer.

More attacks on professors follow, the only connection a curious symbol found at each of the crime scenes. Putting her scholarly skills to the test, Lila gathers evidence, but her search is complicated by an unexpected nemesis, a suspicious investigator, and an ominous secret society. Rather than earning an “A” for effort, she receives a threat featuring the mysterious emblem and must act quickly to avoid failing her assignment…and becoming the next victim.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Contemporary, Amateur Sleuth, Crime

244 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Cynthia Kuhn writes the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries and Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries. Her work has also appeared in Mystery Most Edible, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Literary Mama, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD, and other publications.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Semester of Our Discontent is the first book in the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries written by Cynthia Kuhn. To date, there are five books and this was the first one I've read by the author. Given how much I enjoy cozy mysteries and academic settings, I'm glad to have found it!

Lila Maclean is a professor at a Colorado university. In the opening scene, she's surprised by her boss's rudeness, and within a few more pages, the man is found knifed to death in a nearby conference room. We know Lila couldn't have killed him; she's our protagonist in many more books, right? So... was it another professor with an axe to grind? A student seeking revenge? A friend or family member hoping to make someone else look guilty? That's where things get complicated... another murder happens, followed by an attempt on someone else's life. Lila has been vocal about her search for the killer... it seems someone feels she's gotten too close. Who could it be?

Within the first few chapters, the setting is clearly outlined... and I am a fan. I felt the immediate connection to academic life and irritated by the way some professors and college administrators treat new staff or assistants. I never realized how competitive the tenure process was when it came to the publishing world. I knew it was arduous, but to think people would purposely hurt colleagues because only so many opportunities for tenure are available -- scary! Kuhn's writing style helps you feel part of the drama as opposed to a separate reader. I was simply angry at some of the characters and wanted to shake them to do the right thing!

As a murder mystery, it has lots of great arcs. A mysterious published author on campus who's secretly one of the professors... an underground society who might have something to do with murder... an English professor who seems nice but definitely has claws. A potential romance brewing that might be just a little dangerous. Friends who appear untrustworthy at times. I loved following all the angles, and when it came together in the last few chapters, it was a nice surprise. It makes sense, and I probably could've picked up on it if I was more focused on guessing the murderer... instead, I was just thoroughly entertained and let the story unfold on its own. Sometimes that's the best way to relax and enjoy a great book.

Looking forward to reading more in the series this fall. Great job!

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank them for their generousity. In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising]

“Even if much learning makes one person mad it need not make everybody mad.” Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

Newly minted Dr. Lila Maclean is in her first semester at Stonedale University. She loves teaching; is passionate about Gothic and Mystery writers, and seems frazzled by the unspoken "publish or perish" rule that the chair of her department seems to use to keep things they way they've always been ( aka: the old boys' network) and the less women in the department the better it is....for HIM.

Lila's cousin Calista is a poet, professor and scholar of note that was instrumental in her coming to Stonedale. Her dissertatuon work broke enough new ground that she was welcomed and despite the pressure of the department chair, was settling in...until the chair is murdered with a symbolic knife. Calista is arrested and Lila is frightened and "there's the rub".

Written in the style of a Gothic mystery, this book is extremely satisfying. Who else has sent me on a search for obscure book references like Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance? Cynthia Kuhn's breath of knowledge and sense of humor are both evident in Lila's development as a character that I will eagerly anticipate enjoying well into the future.

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and light mystery!

When Lila Maclean, a new hire in the English department at an elite university in Colorado, discovers the dead body of the pompous department chair she is thrown into a series of events that point to her as being a suspect in his murder. As more faculty members are murdered, Lila works to discover who is offing the English department faculty.

If you have ever worked in academia, especially in an English department, you will greatly appreciate the humor and events that occur in The Semester of Our Discontent!

I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this one and loved it! In her first semester teaching at fictional Stonedale College, English professor Lila Maclean steps right in the middle of a mysterious murder. Soon enough, Lila realizes she may hold the clues to solving the mystery and takes you on a journey of connecting the dots and dodging danger at every corner. This whodunit kept me guessing until the very end. I love that in a story!

The author's writing style is so engaging. Weaving imagery and theme together seamlessly, she created a story and setting that you can picture in your mind's eye. Her characters are likable and relatable. Lila is a fun, witty, intelligent, and strong lead character and I can't wait to read about her again in the series. Next Lila Maclean book, please!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Full disclosure-- I personally know this Author. She is a professor at the University I attend, and she happens to be one of my favorites! So yes, I have a somewhat personal bias towards her, but I will do my best to review the novel in a bipartisan way.)

This was a delightful, light mystery! In the mystery canon, I am sure it would be placed in the cozy category. It has just the right amount of action and suspense and I found the use of more than a few red herrings, while some were obvious, others were not, very well done. There are many intertextual references to real authors and their works that are highly interesting and entertaining. The author also does a great job of painting a vivid campus setting, one that manages to be both very realistic and just a bit magicial. The novel is well written, the characters are relatable and interesting, and the story is a great mix of mystery and real life. It is an engaging read, in fact, I read the entire novel in one night!

Even if I didn't know Dr. Kuhn, I would still highly recommend this novel to all who love a great mystery!

[Mary Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! I enjoyed all the light-hearted academic infighting as well as the protagonist's more serious desire to research an unknown female mystery writer. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series to find out where Lila Maclean's studies take her.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lila Maclean is excited to be teaching her first semester as a professor. She’s not so happy with her department chair, however, especially after he shoots down her idea for a course on mysteries and basically tells her to sit down and observe. Walking into a department meeting a couple of hours later, she finds him stabbed to death on a table. With rumors that she knows more than she is saying, she decides to find the killer herself.

This is a fun debut. The college came alive for me, and I really enjoyed the setting. Now that Lila’s co-workers won’t be suspects, I’m looking forward to seeing them grow more as well since I liked most of them. While the book starts out quickly, I did feel the pace lagged a little in the middle before things came together for a logical end.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first in a series and the first I have read by this author. Someone is out to get the professors at Stonedale. And personally, I think the first professor was lucky to have lived as long as he did. What a grumpy, opinionated old man. The killer should have got an award for that one. Ha!!

Anyways, there are lots of suspects and the cops are curious why Lila is always the one to find the bodies. Whether living or just injured. There is also something creepy going on around campus with gargoyles on the buildings and mysterious statutes just showing up.

This was a great little cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more by this author. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Thanks to Henery Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a typical mystery or cozy reader, and I read this book more for the academic angle. For me, therefore, Kuhn's book is, first and foremost, a terrific and funny look at life in a university's English department. I felt like Charles Dickens or Jane Austen had written about a modern English department with all of its infighting, strange and lovably horrible characters, and politics, politics, politics. Kuhn's book is an interesting mystery, don't get me wrong. But I have to say that I loved it more for its insightful and darkly funny depiction of academic life in this particular, if imagined, Colorado university.

[Theresa Crater · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun. Kuhn has a truly wicked sense of humor disguised beneath sweet Lila's new-professor naivete and social anxiety. I've been in higher ed for entirely too long now, so I enjoyed the scenarios and quips quite a bit. As Henry Kissinger said, "Academic politics are so vicious because the stakes are so low" (or something like that). Here Kuhn pushes those stakes over the edge until there's a body on the conference table. Enjoyed her smart, snappy writing style. Looking forward to more from this author.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lila Maclean has just started her job as an English professor at Stonedale University. She's just starting to make some friends with her colleagues and learn her way around but after a confrontation with a colleague she later walks in to find he's been murdered. More attacks on professors follow the first but when Lila's cousin is arrested in the case Lila vows to find out more about what is going on and clear her name.

The Semester of Our Discontent is one of those cozy mysteries that has the main character sticking to who they are and doing their investigating with their own skills and knowledge. One thing I never enjoy is when the characters become some sort of super sleuth when they are supposed to be everyday people caught up in a crime, thankfully this book kept Lila in the world she would be comfortable with as a professor and I certainly appreciated that.

However, I will say some of the debates and discussions among the group of university professors could be a bit dull here and there. Some parts were interesting but after a few discussions about the male literary authors versus females and what should or could be taught the story got a bit slow paced for my taste.

Now, my biggest complaint overall with the book may be considered a slight spoiler but it involves the ending and the killer. The big killer reveal at the end isn't something a reader could really pick out and guess from the story and the overall explanation really was rather weak for a killing spree. It's also really not realistic to have the killer basically giving a haha it's me speech when those involved hadn't a clue.

Overall, some good aspects to the story and writing but in the end I wasn't extremely overjoyed either. In the end decided to go with 2.5 stars for The Semester of Our Discontent.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Emma Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic mystery! It fuses an excellent plot and intriguing characters while infusing the entire thing with a wonderfully humorous quality that made it a joy to read. My favorite books are usually the ones that make me laugh and think, so I loved that this book contained so many funny gems that made me laugh audibly while reading alongside thought-provoking concepts at the heart of this mystery. The wide variety of lively characters reminded me of what I have read of Agatha Christie and the characters all seemed so real. Most mysteries need to plunge you deeper into the fictive world than you otherwise would have gone, to immerse you in it so that you can understand the characters and the motives for their actions. This was one of the first mysteries I've read where I understood the world I was going into so well, and I loved being plunged into it.

[Jacqie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author of this mystery is an English professor at a small Colorado university, writing about an English professor at a small Colorado university. However, nothing about the experience about working at a university rang true to me- I also work at a university in Colorado, albeit a large state university.

The first chapter: our protagonist has been summoned to meet with her department head. A secretary "with short dull brown hair in the exact same shade as her suit" bids her to wait, which she does in a nice office with beautiful views. My main office has windows, it's true, and a second-hand couch from the 80's that our admin found and repurposed since we don't have money to spend on nice furniture. The department head then seems to have forgotten that he set the meeting because he's annoyed to even see this new professor. Mostly the first scene serves to make him as unpleasant as humanly possible. But he's the first body to be found anyway, so no great loss.

There's a lot of tension in the English department. Our new professor wants to publish about a female mystery author, but all the established male professors think she should stick to the traditional literary canon (dead white males, pretty much). This makes no sense to me. At the university where I work, there's great concern across the board to be more inclusive and to promote diversity in your teaching. Sticking with the same topics that have been written about time and time again is no way to make your mark on the field- most professors are looking for original topics and new positions, because that's how you make your academic reputation. In fact, quite a bit about this book feels archaic. People are always leaving notes in people's mailboxes to communicate. Has no one ever tried email? Most professors I know rarely check their office mailboxes because they're mostly full of marketing flyers and other random detritus that everyone gets in the mail. You'd never put anything time-sensitive in there without first warning someone that you're doing so! The whole "stick with the male literary canon" thing feels right out of the later 70's or early 80's, when it was actually somewhat daring to write about women. These days? Not even a cause for comment.

Other weirdness: the department head lets our heroine know that he didn't even really want to hire her. Later another character tells her that she beat out 400 other applicants. What?! There's no way a department head is going to sign off on a hire he doesn't want, especially with that kind of applicant pool. He doesn't like her research area (which he would have known before hire) and doesn't think she'll be useful to the department, so why on earth would this happen? Nepotism from some other professors is given as one reason, but I just can't see that flying. In an effort to give detail, the author ends up giving information that's contradictory to everything I know about the university hiring process. Either you've got a weak pool of applicants and you've got to hire someone less than ideal, or you've got the best of a very large pool. From the first meeting, the department head is threatening to withhold tenure. This is unheard of for a new professorial hire. Again, why pick someone only to tank their career? Tenured professors only increase the prestige of a department.

This book ended up feeling really clunky. I know that the author's own academic area of interest is mystery, but it seems to me that she needed a bit more time to practice her craft. Weird details kept drawing me out of the story. When our heroine goes to a friend's house to talk, the friend offers to heat up some leftovers. Fine. Then we get a ton of detail: a plate of red pepper quiche, broccoli with almonds and ginger sauce, and spinach salad with cranberries and feta. Who offers limp leftover salad to someone? Or is it thrown together freshly? And why include the exact ingredients? Just a plate of food would have been more than enough description- the food isn't the point of the scene. These are the places my mind goes when weird details get thrown in.

And finally (I was skimming by this time) we have a secret feminist academic society for female professors. Their opening ceremony for meetings includes stabbing the air with a knife to symbolize cutting the vines of patriarchy, or something. I'm sure you see this sort of violent symbology at all your academic club meetings! You'll not be surprised that a knife just like the ceremonial one was used to kill the department head at the beginning of the book. The murderer's motivation? People weren't nice enough to one of her friends (family? I'm not even sure) and so she wants them to suffer. This friend/family member suffered a loss. People reached out to see if she wanted help and she said that she preferred to be alone. (This is all spelled out in the book.) The murderer thought they should have tried harder!! Weak sauce. Weak.

Most of this book seems to be the author's musings on university politics and feminism's struggles, her desire to educate others on things like literary canon and the foibles of getting tenure. There isn't much emphasis on mystery solving. I am a feminist myself, and I have to say that the points of view that her characters hold feel like a blast from the distant past. They are contrary to everything I know about how research and academic publishing work now. If this is how things work at the author's place of employment, I would urge her to contact Human Resources because there's a lot of room for litigation in the sexism and academic undermining going on in this book. Maybe this is a case of me just knowing too much, but so much in this book was jarringly wrong that I could not even enjoy the book as a piece of escapism.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC honest review for Henery Press via NetGalley.

A killer stalks the hallowed halls of Stonedale University. And Lila Maclean, newly appointed professor at the university is thrown in the deep end, when her cousin Calista is accused of murder.

With all the back biting and back stabbing, who knew academia could be murder!

I really enjoyed this, the first book in the Lila Maclean Mysteries. With all the twists and turns, it will keep you guessing right until the end!

If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have made, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres... like, comment and follow.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good characters and plot twists have suspects becoming victims.

Dr Lila Maclean's new job as Assistant Professor of English should have come with a specialty subtitle "finder of dead bodies".

Stonedale University's English Dept. is run by a relic, Dr. Roland Higgins, whose views are archaic especially where women are concerned. When Lila finds him murdered then her cousin is arrested and Lila under suspicion she decides she has to investigate. Secrets begin to pile up and Lila finds herself in more danger than she had ever imagined.

Upper Academia at its cozy best.

[Ellen Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Semester of Our Discontent is smart, topical, and created an appealing world with appealing characters. I loved the university setting and how Kuhn examines the politics of this "small pond." I also really connected to how women in academia must struggle for respect. Looking forward to more Stonedale mysteries!

[Leslie Karst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, engaging characters and witty writing make Cynthia Kuhn’s debut, the first in the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery series, earn top marks in my book.

Lila, fresh out of graduate school is delighted to have been hired as a professor of literature at the prestigious Stonedale University in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Until her department chair turns up stabbed to death, that is. When various of her friends and colleagues become suspects in the unlikable professor’s murder investigation, Lila takes it upon herself to discover the truth—whatever the risk.

The Semester of Our Discontent is a delightful addition to the academic mystery canon, and I am eager to read the next in the series!

[Keenan Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semester of Our Discontent is a delightful story about a brand-new English professor learning the unwritten rules of succeeding (i.e. getting tenure) at her job. Told in first person, Lila has a lovely voice that carries the story seamlessly from one event to the next. My favorite aspect of the story are the little jewels of humor buried every few pages. Finding them is like popping a gourmet jelly bean into your mouth. By the end of the book, I was enchanted with Lila and her new group of friends and cannot wait for the next book in the series.

[Larissa Reinhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful debut! Smart, taut page-turner.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Semester of Our Discontent was both speedy and emotionally satisfying. Lila Maclean is a new professor at prestigious Stonedale University. A young and idealistic hire in the English department, she unexpectedly slides into career peril. She was wholly unprepared for the vicious politics of the academic world: tenure wars, hostile department heads, canon disputes, and volatile faculty gatherings. Lila's world quickly unravels, and she faces job loss in every corner.

Her situation ultimately worsens. In addition to the visible perils, a murkier - and far more dangerous - campus world emerges over time for Lila. It is a world of secret societies, odd emblems, unseen statues, secret tunnels - and eventually bloody murder. After her beloved cousin is charged with the crime, more attacks follow, and Lila must scramble to find the killer.

In this series' first book, the conspiratorial world of academia, with its secrets, mutterings, jealousies, and ceremonies was fittingly swathed in Gothicism; it made me want to read more. Author Cynthia Kuhn's love for this literary genre was plain to see as the book was brimming from page to page with gothic elements. I also appreciated Lila's curious background, which added color and complexity to her character. Lila Maclean and her cousin Calista - also a professor - come from a famous feminist family. Both young women are committed and outspoken as a result; however, they work in shark-infested waters and must learn how to navigate them with both purpose and caution. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

4 stars (because the series is set in Colorado. Ugh!)

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character is a new professor in the English Department of a college in Colorado. The supporting characters are mostly professors within the English Department and others who work within the school administration. The characters were gradually introduced, and I did not feel that I knew enough about any of them during the first half of the book. However, this is the first book of a series, so the author deserves time to set the scene and to arrange the characters. Now that I have finished the book, I know the characters better and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

This book missed the mark for me, I think my problem was to have wrong expectations. I expected a cozy mystery similar to those I've read before, but then set at a school and with a teacher as main character. Instead I got a book about academic politics, literature and a mystery that was unsolvable unless you made a lucky guess.

I didn't know 90% of the authors the characters talked about, only one author sounded familiar, and I felt like I was missing something due to that. I didn't really was interested in the literary talk, I wanted more about the mystery, but even that was lacking. Then about halfway through it did got a bit better and the mystery played a bigger role, but even then I didn't really got into the book.

I am glad I finished the book though. I kept reading because of the mystery even though that was disappointed, but all in all even though it wasn't a book for me, I don't feel sad to have read this book. So it's more towards the upper range of the 2 star.

The writing felt very dull to me, I couldn't visualize how anything looked like s there weren't enough descriptions to get me going. So I only had vague shapes and purple-ish buildings, courtesy of the cover.

Then there is the mystery, which was pretty intriguing for the most part, it just moved along very slowly, almost like it wasn't quite the focus, but it was. At times it felt like they didn't really come closer to solving the mystery and it took till almost the end of the book till the main character thought she had it figured out things moved forward. And let's not talk about that stupid thing the main character did towards the end. Also once we figure out who is behind this all it didn't make sense, yes it got explained pretty well and I could see the why. But there are no hints pointing towards that, no way to figure it out. And that's what I like about the mysteries, figuring it out and getting closer to the truth. Here the culprit just dropped out of thin air at the end, the only way you could've guessed the culprit right was by a lucky guess.

Even while it's told form first person perspective I had a hard time getting a feel for the main character and I didn't even get why she enjoyed teaching so much as all the academical politics and stuff didn't seem like it made for a nice environment. She insisted this was her dream job, but I never felt that way. I wanted to see why she loved this school and teaching so much, get a feel for her job, but there was more about the academic politics than the actual teaching.

I kept confusing the side characters and had a hard time keeping them apart as we never learned a lot about anyone to get a feel for them. Some characters I did get a bit of a feel for, at least Judith and Wilma seemed to stand apart from the rest a bit. And then there was Calista, the cousin of the main character. But beside that it just blended together in nice male professor, nice female professor, grumpy female professor and nasty male professor.

To summarize: The Semester of Our Discontent wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't what I expected and it missed the mark for me. I felt like there was too much focus on the academical politics and literary talk in which I wasn't really interested, an I felt like I missed something due to not knowing any of the authors they talked about. The mystery was there, but the main character didn't really take in an active role and didn't really seem to figure anything out until the end. Then there were no hints of clues to found out the actual culprit and only with a lucky guess you could've figured it out. The lack of descriptions made visualizing things difficult and the setting and character stayed very vague in my mind. I had a hard time keeping characters apart or getting a feel for them as we hardly learn anything about them.

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I would have picked up the first book in an academic mystery series if I hadn't heard of the author through the Sisters-in-Crime-Colorado chapter I joined. I'm certainly glad I gave it shot because it's an outstanding story with an engaging sleuth, humorous as well as tense, and very well written. It's not easy being the new kid on the block, or in this case, the new professor in the English Department of a classy college. New professors are not expected to present new ideas too soon, so Lila Maclean ruffles feathers right away. Not a good idea when bodies are about to be discovered.

Cynthia Kuhn's writing is top-notch. I'm looking forward to book two in the series, The Art of Vanishing.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delight to read and I’m excited to read the second novel. I have a bit of a soft spot for novels that take place in the academic world and have a nice side of satire to go with it.

Lila was an excellent character and fun to get to know. Her work in solving the mystery stayed very much in line with who she was, rather than requiring her to suddenly be a super sleuth. She also was not unintelligent about her investigations — as many amateur sleuths seem to be. The author did not feel the need to prolong this mystery in such an artificial way, for which I am very grateful!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lila is teaching at a private school in Colorado and working on her tenure track. The misogynistic department head is murdered and her cousin is jailed for the crime. She knows she didn't do it but what are the secrets she is hiding?

This book was rich in setting and a delightful time in ugly academic politics and secret societies. A very fun read!

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelle e mezza
Ho comprato questo libro attratta dall'ambientazione accademica, ma poi me ne sono completamente dimenticata...
L'ho trovato un attimino lento e con un paio di stranezze nello svolgimento della storia. Prima stranezza: il detective incaricato delle indagini ritiene la protagonista una possibile colpevole o una complice, ma le rivela un indizio importante trovato col cadavere. Tale indizio è un simbolo, e cosa fa la protagonista? Chiede lumi a vari colleghi o studenti, quando è ovvio che il colpevole frequenta l'università! E poi lo cerca su google, non lo trova e lì si ferma. Ora, una professoressa in ambito umanistico come lei dovrebbe avere le conoscenze-basi per fare qualche altra ricerca...
Morale della favola: sono un po' delusa perché mi aspettavo di più.

[Nancy Silverman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew the world of academia could be so cutthroat? When Lila Maclean, a new adjunct at Stonedale University, discovers the body of the department’s dean, she is drawn into much more than class plans and the inevitable competition among her peers for tenure. She’s suddenly a suspect. What an opening, and what insight into the world of academia. Kudos to author Cynthia Kuhn, who has created real-world characters with smart dialog and brought them from the page and into the hearts of her fans. A great beginning to a new series.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lila Maclean is a first-term professor at Stonedale University in Colorado, and happy to be there. After a contentious meeting with her department chair, Roland Higgins, wherein he basically told her to keep her mouth shut and listen, while still expecting her to publish on a regular basis in order to eventually - perhaps - receive tenure. Afterward, her cousin Calista James, who is another professor, tells her not to worry about it and continue on. But a short time later when Lila and her assigned mentor, Judith Westerly, enter department library for a scheduled faculty meeting, they find Roland dead - with a knife embedded in his chest.

It is not too long after that the murder weapon is discovered to be the same one which was once in the possession of her cousin. And when Calista is arrested and charged with the murder, Lila knows she's not guilty and decides to help her any way she can. Then Judith is attacked and left unconscious in her own home while hosting a faculty party, and Lila notices the same design on both weapons: the knife and a very heavy book that was used to hit Judith; and starts to question people, although she doesn't get anywhere, and even though she's convinced Calista knows something, no one will tell her anything.

It isn't long before, as they say, the plot thickens, and she's convinced someone is trying to either frame her or kill her, too. With a detective that's suspicious about her involvement, Lila finds she's in a race against time to save her cousin and her own neck...

This is the first book in a new mystery series, and as such, quite nicely done. There is enough given on academia to inform the reader as to how a university faculty ticks, as it were; but not so much that I ever felt the details dragged down the plot. If anything, they gave me a nice insight into tenure, the pressure to publish, and 'daggers drawn' between colleagues - who might work with each other, but still have the same office rivalries as anywhere else.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the main character kept true to her profession as a professor; she didn't "drop everything" and decide to poke around asking one and all nosy questions and accusing everyone she met of being the killer. No, she gleaned information and sorted it out in her mind while asking only things that were relevant at the time. A welcome relief from the amateur sleuth who expects everyone to start gossiping around her - in this book, people would do just the opposite - clam up and not tell her anything, which only made her (in the words of young Alice) "curiouser and curiouser". It kept me engaged throughout and I found it utterly delightful.

When the bodies keep piling up, and 'accidents' occur, Lila is left to wonder not only who's behind it, but why; and with no answers forthcoming from those around her, and a police detective who's not sure but that she's in on it herself, she needs to find answers before she becomes the next victim on the killer's hit list.

For myself, I didn't like either Roland or his brother, their misogynist attitudes grating on me to the point where I wanted to slap either of them on the back of their heads; a testament to the writing ability of Ms. Kuhn; who brings us a new protagonist I hope to see more of in future books. The ending was enough of a surprise with a twist that fit believably into the plot, and giving us a satisfying conclusion to a good mystery. Highly recommended.

http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016...

[Craig Kingsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read many cozies, but I picked up this book for two reasons. First, it was the 2017 Agatha winner for best first novel. Second, the title is really great. Cynthia Kuhn did a great job of weaving background on the characters to weaving clues, to pointing fingers at suspects. While I did correctly deduce who committed the crimes, there were sufficient red herrings to make me rethink my suspect. I did however, have no idea as to the motive. I chuckled at the mystery character in the story named Poe Collins (you have to be a true mystery fan to get this) but had no idea who that person really was until it was revealed. However, the clues are there to figure it out.

While I give the book five stars, there were some issues.

First, I found it hard to believe that an English professor who is new to a university would not have set foot in the library until nearly two months into the semester. Surely she would have checked it out during her campus visit before taking the job.

Second, I don't buy in to the idea of a small college having a football team, the Lit Club selling books at the homecoming game, nor the bonfire next to the stadium on the night of the game.

These issues aside, the writing was vibrant. The mix of dialog and action kept me reading. And despite figuring it out early on, there were enough other mysteries and red herrings to keep me going.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway

A great first entry in what I hope is a continuing series. Would rate this 4 1/2 stars if partial stars were available.

Lila MacLean is a newly minted professor of English Lit at Stonedale University. Unfortunately, she stumbles upon a dead body, and everyone seems to feel that she somehow has some involvement, whether direct or indirect. A series of possibly connected events occur, including an attack on a colleague, an arrest, another murder....a curious symbol that seems to recur in the oddest places...and Lila is drawn into the investigation.

The author did a great job of introducing characters (not too much detail, just the right amount) and as Lila learns about her colleagues, so do we, in real time. The narrative was great, the interactions between characters seemed real, and the ah ha moment at the end where the protagonist is revealed made a lot of sense. We also get a feel of campus politics, which made absolute sense since the book takes place at a university and perhaps, just perhaps the politics play into the story.

All in all, I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Would definitely buy any new entries in the series.