Murder in 4th Hour

by Michael Gregory

The peaceful city of Fairview has been untouched by murders in over two years. Now, in the span of half an hour, the bodies of two teachers—brothers—are discovered at Fairview High in the middle of the day. One was stabbed, the other poisoned. For the incredibly calculating wannabe sleuth Chris Doyle, a self-stylized Sherlock Holmes, there is a case here, one that he wants to solve before his father, the chief of police. His best friend Jack, however, just wants to understand why Jennifer Johnson, the most gorgeous girl in their class, is suddenly interested in dating him. As the tension mounts at revelations of would-be family inheritance and plots of blackmail and bribery, Jack’s friendship is tested with an increasingly obsessed Doyle. Jack puts everything on the line to find justice for their murdered teachers—if only he can find the right killer in time. Murder in 4th Hour is a gripping young adult novel that brings a refreshing take on the classic detective adventure, an enjoyable read for mystery buffs of all ages.

Genres: Mystery

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2016

Reviews

[19BhatA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty much all you could ask for. I tried to guess who the murderer was, I got it so wrong. This book plays with your sense, I was completely blown away when I learnt who really killed whom. An amazing mystery, an aboriginal ending, and a fantastic plot. A good follow up from A Study In Scarlet.

[R.M. Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was entered in Kindle Scout program and was one of my first nominations. Unfortunately, it was not selected, but I bought a copy and read it anyways. I'm so glad I did. What a great story from start to finish. A smart mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

The characters of Jack and Chris are so well developed I felt as if I knew them both. The story moved along precisely right, giving the reader enough detail to visualize the scenes and scenarios, but never boring the audience. The way the two main characters played off each other was nothing short of excellent writing.

I'm not sure why this story wasn't chosen by Kindle Scout. (And we'll probably never know) But, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, YA, or a just a great read.

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as I do with any good mystery. This book kept you on edge and had you always wondering who did it. The ending was very surprising and unexpected. It was great from beginning to end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves teen fiction and a good mystery.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dead teacher. But not just one dead teacher, but two in the 4th hour period of a high school.

Doyle is a young high school kid with a brilliant and incisive mind. In fact, he can be a little too smart for his own good. But he just might be the one who can solve this complex case. And when I say "complex," it is REALLY complex.

He, along with his best friend, Jack, will need to counteract administration and a police captain father to solve this bloody case.

I thought the idea of a kid detective was pretty cool. Doyle certainly had some funny language, like he was Sherlock Holmes or something. Why couldn't he just talk like a regular kid? The mystery and investigation wasn't that interesting either. All the two really talked about was school and the other kids. Well, the murder did take place at the school. But the story was a little lengthy and a little too dull at times. I liked how this was narrated by Jack, who was the more laid back and typical teen, rather than Doyle, who was uptight and superior.

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was feeling somewhat apathetic to this story until the ending, which totally blew me away. I wasn't expecting the multiple twists that were thrown in there. I had some random, stupid issues with this book. 1. All of the characters get identified quickly in this book except for the main character who answers to the name Jack but is never really labeled by any sort of last name. 2. The location is never identified until halfway through the book when it becomes integral to the story line. I did enjoy the story and the resolution was stellar.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about two brothers who teach and in the morning two kids discover there teacher on the ground dead, and from there they try to figure out what all had happened... My favorite part about this book is how these typical teenage kids want to figure out what happened and who did let alone his dad being a cop giving him some information but this book is good because it creates action and leaves u thinking but yea this book is a 5 star.

[Jayden Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book surprised me with many different twists. Also the different situations the characters get themselves into and not get caught. I really liked the book and the big surprise ending no one sees coming.The book always had me wanting to read more or read ahead.

[Daniel Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, when the main character has the hots for his younger sister and it's played straight,that's too weird to continue the rest of the book.
I'm not sure what parental issues Gregory has to include that but we didn't need that angle in a murder mystery book.

[Wendy Taylor-Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the twist

Love a YA author who writes with the flare of an adult one. The ending was a complete surprise. Would hope for a series.

[Tyriq Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in 4th hour is a murder mystery book, where two teachers were murdered. Two boys names Doyle and jack try and piece together who murdered the teachers. This book all around had solid characters and nice settings although grim at times. Also they built up solid connections between characters and even the antagonist. The twist at the was an amazing touch that really through me for a loop. Overall a very good book I would definitively recommend.

[Jordan Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got into the action quick, it just sucks you in with the mystery right off the bat. The main characters were very good and how they developed really helped the story move along. Don't even get me started on the twists, I mean this book had everything. It had love, betrayal, friendship, mystery, action, etc. The big reveal at the end had me stunned and it seemed right at the same time. This is one of my favorite books that I have ever read.

[Giovany Galeano · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book and gets you on your toes when you are reading and gets you to want to read more because it never stops and keeps on going. It has a lots of turns of events. That is what made me like this book. It also is realistic and makes it seem like everything happened because things like that can actually happen. That is why this is a good book.

[Ellie Sheckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the dialogue between them. You really can’t go wrong with a murder mystery. The ending completely threw me and also changed my thoughts on a character pretty dramatically. It had you guessing and trying to piece things together about what really happened, but in my case i was far off. This was my first read of this author and i will definitely be reading more!

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had plans today. I was going to do some Stuff... But then I started this book. The way its written makes you feel like you are back in high school. Any age can relate to being over school and wishing something different would happen. This book does not play out like a normal murder mystery. You really feel like you are with the characters with plot twist and different angles being thrown at you. It’s a must read for any lover of mystery.

[Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting twist at the end. Liked it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a page turner from the very beginning. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Great book for Teens and Adults. The ending will take your breath away.