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Forensic Handwriting Mysteries #7
Written Off
In the dead of winter, handwriting expert Claudia Rose journeys to Maine to retrieve a manuscript about convicted female serial killer, Roxanne Becker. The manuscript, written by Professor Madeleine Maynard, who was, herself, brutally murdered, exposes a shocking secret: explosive research about a group of mentally unstable grad students selected for a special project and dubbed “Maynard’s Maniacs.” Was Madeleine conducting research that was at best, unprofessional—and at worst, downright harmful, and potentially dangerous? Could that unorthodox research have turned deadly?
Claudia finds herself swept up in the mystery of Madeleine’s life—and death. But she soon realizes that Madeleine left behind more questions than answers, and no shortage of suspects. The professor’s personal life yields a number of persons who might have wanted her dead—and her academic success and personal fortune clearly made her the envy of fellow faculty members. The University anticipates being the beneficiary of Madeline’s estate—but that seems in question when a charming stranger, claiming to be Madeleine’s nephew, turns up brandishing a new will.
The local police chief prevails upon Claudia to travel into town to examine the newly produced, handwritten will. Rushing back to Madeleine’s isolated house to escape an impending storm, Claudia becomes trapped in a blizzard. With a killer.
Claudia finds herself swept up in the mystery of Madeleine’s life—and death. But she soon realizes that Madeleine left behind more questions than answers, and no shortage of suspects. The professor’s personal life yields a number of persons who might have wanted her dead—and her academic success and personal fortune clearly made her the envy of fellow faculty members. The University anticipates being the beneficiary of Madeline’s estate—but that seems in question when a charming stranger, claiming to be Madeleine’s nephew, turns up brandishing a new will.
The local police chief prevails upon Claudia to travel into town to examine the newly produced, handwritten will. Rushing back to Madeleine’s isolated house to escape an impending storm, Claudia becomes trapped in a blizzard. With a killer.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2017
220 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Lowe
50 books204 followers"Publishers Weekly gave Poison Pen a starred review and called it ""a dynamite debut.""
Award-winning author Sheila Lowe's stories of psychological suspense put ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. Jefferey Deaver, No. 1 International Bestselling Author, said this: Utterly compelling! Outside the Line joins the ranks of those rare thriller that expertly blend nonstop plotting with keen perceptions of the characters--good and bad--who populate this wonderful tale.""
Like her fictional character Claudia Rose in the award-winning Forensic Handwriting series, Sheila is a real-life forensic handwriting expert who testifies in court cases. She also writes the Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense series and nonfiction books about handwriting and personality.
Stop by and sign up for Sheila's newsletter: www.sheilalowebooks.com/ "
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/sheilalowe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheilaLoweBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheila_lowe
Instagram: https://bit.ly/38iKXus
Youtube: https://bit.ly/3lfPUc7
www.sheilalowe.com (handwriting analysis)
Award-winning author Sheila Lowe's stories of psychological suspense put ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. Jefferey Deaver, No. 1 International Bestselling Author, said this: Utterly compelling! Outside the Line joins the ranks of those rare thriller that expertly blend nonstop plotting with keen perceptions of the characters--good and bad--who populate this wonderful tale.""
Like her fictional character Claudia Rose in the award-winning Forensic Handwriting series, Sheila is a real-life forensic handwriting expert who testifies in court cases. She also writes the Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense series and nonfiction books about handwriting and personality.
Stop by and sign up for Sheila's newsletter: www.sheilalowebooks.com/ "
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/sheilalowe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheilaLoweBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheila_lowe
Instagram: https://bit.ly/38iKXus
Youtube: https://bit.ly/3lfPUc7
www.sheilalowe.com (handwriting analysis)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 9, 2018
Claudia is a handwriting expert and has been asked by a friend to travel to Maine and retrieve the manuscript of Professor Madeline Maynard. The professor was writing a book on convicted serial killer Roxanne Becker when she died. Claudia figures that it will be a quick trip...except when she arrives, she learns that the professor was murdered, and the police are still searching for the killer. In addition, a man arrives claiming to be the professor's heir and produces a new will. The police enlists Claudia's help to determine the validity of this new, hand written will of the professor's. During Claudia's search for the manuscript, as well as an interview with Roxanne, she discovers that Professor Maynard wasn't the 'saint' that she's been made to be. What she discovers will shock you, as well as the identity of the killer. The information that can be gleaned about someone just from their handwriting is surprising...think that I'll be using text and computer from here on :-). Great book...loved the HEA.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2020
Californian handwriting expert Claudia Rose tramps off to Maine as a favor to a friend whose ex-wife has died leaving unfinished business. When she gets there, she find that the woman in question, a respected college professor, was brutally murdered in an out of the way cabin in the woods. Claudia needs to go through the dead woman's computer but it disappeared and there seems no way to deal with the material that's needed. Good, strong characters are made real by the writing, and the mysteries that arise are as twisty as can be. I loved it!
Narrator Anna Crowe adds to the suspense and to the personalities of the characters.
Narrator Anna Crowe adds to the suspense and to the personalities of the characters.
April 17, 2023
Zebediah Gold, a friend of Claudia Rose, asks her to go to Maine to bring back a manuscript and other working documents for a book that he was co-authoring with Professor Madeleine Maynard, who'd recently died. Zebediah had always been there when Claudia needed him. So, even though it was the holiday season, she agreed to go. She expected to be back by New Year's Eve to be with her fiancé and to plan their wedding.
Once Claudia arrives in Summerhays, Maine, she learns that Maynard was murdered, the manuscript, her cell phone, and laptop are missing. The police have no suspects for the crime. So, it's up to Claudia to go through all the papers in Madeleine's home and campus office to see if there is a copy of the book. She's also scheduled to interview the book's subject, female serial killer, Roxanne Becker.
In seeking the papers, Claudia learns or suspects that Maynard was using her special group of five students in her own psychological experiments without their knowledge or consent. One of the students has been living in Maynard's home as Maynard often took in students in need. Each of these five students exhibits behaviors and characteristics that cause Claudia to be a bit nervous about what Maynard was attempting.
It also soon becomes apparent that there's a lot going on in the background. On meeting Maynard's colleagues at the college, she realizes that academic politics may have been related to the murder. Or, it could be the murder is related to the project the students in her special group were working on. It could also be simply a crime of greed as Maynard was exceedingly rich. Who would benefit?
As with previous books, the character of Claudia Rose is one that is entirely believable. A professional woman in a field, forensic handwriting analysis, that is often looked down upon so she has to stand up for herself and the work that she does. She reacts as most of us would if we were put in similar situations. She attempts to do her best and survive. She’s a character that changes as the series moves on based on what has happened to her in previous books.
The plotting is tight, twisted, and logical once you get to the end and look back at all the clues left for the reader. So, the story is satisfying in that all the loose ends are taken care of. but there's always the possibility of more books due to the nature of her work.
Each book can be read as a standalone, but after reading one of them you may find yourself wanting to start at the beginning to share all Claudia's adventures and to learn a bit about forensic handwriting analysis–-it's fascinating, at least to me.
Once Claudia arrives in Summerhays, Maine, she learns that Maynard was murdered, the manuscript, her cell phone, and laptop are missing. The police have no suspects for the crime. So, it's up to Claudia to go through all the papers in Madeleine's home and campus office to see if there is a copy of the book. She's also scheduled to interview the book's subject, female serial killer, Roxanne Becker.
In seeking the papers, Claudia learns or suspects that Maynard was using her special group of five students in her own psychological experiments without their knowledge or consent. One of the students has been living in Maynard's home as Maynard often took in students in need. Each of these five students exhibits behaviors and characteristics that cause Claudia to be a bit nervous about what Maynard was attempting.
It also soon becomes apparent that there's a lot going on in the background. On meeting Maynard's colleagues at the college, she realizes that academic politics may have been related to the murder. Or, it could be the murder is related to the project the students in her special group were working on. It could also be simply a crime of greed as Maynard was exceedingly rich. Who would benefit?
As with previous books, the character of Claudia Rose is one that is entirely believable. A professional woman in a field, forensic handwriting analysis, that is often looked down upon so she has to stand up for herself and the work that she does. She reacts as most of us would if we were put in similar situations. She attempts to do her best and survive. She’s a character that changes as the series moves on based on what has happened to her in previous books.
The plotting is tight, twisted, and logical once you get to the end and look back at all the clues left for the reader. So, the story is satisfying in that all the loose ends are taken care of. but there's always the possibility of more books due to the nature of her work.
Each book can be read as a standalone, but after reading one of them you may find yourself wanting to start at the beginning to share all Claudia's adventures and to learn a bit about forensic handwriting analysis–-it's fascinating, at least to me.
July 10, 2018
My sixth read from author Sheila Lowe & my fifth read in the Forensic Handwriting Series. An excellent well-written mystery, with every book she writes Lowe continues to sculpt her craft and gets better & better. The characters likable & attention holding. The plot and the sub-plot were both well-developed.
April 24, 2019
Cozy mystery.
It was pretty interesting to read about a handwriting professional and that our handwriting can reveal important information about us. Can the handwriting unlock the key to a question “why would he/she do something like that?" and will it help to solve the crime?
It was pretty interesting to read about a handwriting professional and that our handwriting can reveal important information about us. Can the handwriting unlock the key to a question “why would he/she do something like that?" and will it help to solve the crime?
December 14, 2017
Loved main character working only with her expert skills to find killer...
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June 6, 2019
My favorite handwriting expert, Claudia Rose, was sitting back and relaxing and thinking about wedding plans when a colleague asked her to do him a huge favor. Little did Claudia know, this favor was going to turn out to be a bitter cold one in every sense of the word. Her latest escapade takes her across the country to the east where winter is more than on the way, but a constant here and now. Claudia certainly wasn’t used to that type of weather, but she’s a trooper and always up for a challenge.
Turns out Claudia was sent to Maine to retrieve an unfinished manuscript that Professor Madeleine Maynard was working on. Unfortunately for the professor, someone did not want her to finish the manuscript because she ended up brutally murdered. And what was worse, as Claudia begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, something horrible becomes quite clear: Professor Maynard wasn’t exactly on the up and up with her special research she was conducting. In fact, I’d say she was borderline up for review by the school’s board, had they really known what she was up to, but was that enough to have the professor murdered? Hmm, obviously, someone thought so.
Besides, Claudia is dangerously close to missing her flight back to Cally so she can spend New Year’s with her fiancée, Joel Jovanich. I don’t think they’ve ever been apart this long and Claudia was growing restless. However, she wasn’t too restless that the more she unearthed clues about the professor’s death, the more she realized that one of the students involved in the research had much to gain, while someone else had much to lose. As you continue to follow Claudia and the clues to this murder mystery, you’ll be quite surprised with what you learn leaving you quite shocked!
I absolutely loved this story. Lowe, as usual, never lets me down in the Claudia Rose series. I was so elated when I found out she had written another installment to this outstanding series. What was even more interesting is that this novel really delved into what Claudia does as a handwriting expert. It truly centers around her skills and I found the story quite intriguing and interesting. If you’re not familiar with this series, you most definitely need to get acquainted. And the best part is, all of the books read as standalones. You can easily pick them up and start and move around quite nicely.
The Sexy Nerd gives Written Off five handwritten stars! Lowe is one of my favorite authors and she’s brought forth another masterpiece of writing. If you love a good whodunit with a little bit of forensics and humor tied in, please add Written Off to your eReaders or gift it for that special book lover in your life. Remember, a book lover never has enough books. It’s unheard of! (wink, wink!) Until next time, Get Mind Blown!
Turns out Claudia was sent to Maine to retrieve an unfinished manuscript that Professor Madeleine Maynard was working on. Unfortunately for the professor, someone did not want her to finish the manuscript because she ended up brutally murdered. And what was worse, as Claudia begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, something horrible becomes quite clear: Professor Maynard wasn’t exactly on the up and up with her special research she was conducting. In fact, I’d say she was borderline up for review by the school’s board, had they really known what she was up to, but was that enough to have the professor murdered? Hmm, obviously, someone thought so.
Besides, Claudia is dangerously close to missing her flight back to Cally so she can spend New Year’s with her fiancée, Joel Jovanich. I don’t think they’ve ever been apart this long and Claudia was growing restless. However, she wasn’t too restless that the more she unearthed clues about the professor’s death, the more she realized that one of the students involved in the research had much to gain, while someone else had much to lose. As you continue to follow Claudia and the clues to this murder mystery, you’ll be quite surprised with what you learn leaving you quite shocked!
I absolutely loved this story. Lowe, as usual, never lets me down in the Claudia Rose series. I was so elated when I found out she had written another installment to this outstanding series. What was even more interesting is that this novel really delved into what Claudia does as a handwriting expert. It truly centers around her skills and I found the story quite intriguing and interesting. If you’re not familiar with this series, you most definitely need to get acquainted. And the best part is, all of the books read as standalones. You can easily pick them up and start and move around quite nicely.
The Sexy Nerd gives Written Off five handwritten stars! Lowe is one of my favorite authors and she’s brought forth another masterpiece of writing. If you love a good whodunit with a little bit of forensics and humor tied in, please add Written Off to your eReaders or gift it for that special book lover in your life. Remember, a book lover never has enough books. It’s unheard of! (wink, wink!) Until next time, Get Mind Blown!
November 22, 2017
Originally Reviewed for Readers' Favorite 11.12.17
In Written Off by Sheila Lowe, forensic handwriting analyst Claudia Rose travels to Maine to conduct a final interview with a female serial killer. The interview is needed so the ex-husband of a murdered author, Professor Madeline Maynard, can complete her unfinished manuscript for publication. Professor Maddie Maynard taught criminal psychology, studied female serial killers and their histories and chose five grad students to work on a special project each year. Claudia also has to find the manuscript and is conveniently put up in the professor's house for her stay. Naturally this allows Claudia to search for the manuscript and spend time exploring Professor Maynard's environment and reviewing personal and professional items she finds.
Over the course of four days, Claudia is exposed to college faculty politics, the sudden appearance of an unexpected heir to the Professor's estate with a new handwritten will, the emotional relationships among the five graduate students known as Maynard's Maniacs and the police chief's request to assist with validating the new will. The professor's housekeeper, Melva, and attorney, Jim Spencer, also provide insight and perspective on the professor's life as they interact with Claudia. Sheila Lowe's background, as an actual forensic handwriting expert with a Master's Degree in Psychology, is quite evident in the way she uses her knowledge and experience to generate details about female serial killers and the psychological profiles she paints of certain characters. The final scenes involving the mystery are played out in the professor's big house, complete with hidden passages, and the small cabin where the professor's body was found.
Sheila Lowe's Forensic Handwriting mysteries are a joy to read. Written Off , the seventh adventure is well conceived, intelligent and complex. Ms. Lowe combines her skill as a writer with her professional background and experience to create rich characters and relationships. I am impressed with Ms. Lowe's effective use of narration and exposition to keep the story moving. The pace, while thoughtful, never seems too slow. Dialogue flows naturally and is realistic. I also found myself learning more about female serial killers due to Ms. Lowe's ability to weave the information into the story line in meaningful ways. The book's dedication provides a clue to how strongly Ms. Lowe feels about the subject matter of her work in Written Off and the reason behind the title. When I finished Written Off I felt that I had just read a story created with a lot of heart.
In Written Off by Sheila Lowe, forensic handwriting analyst Claudia Rose travels to Maine to conduct a final interview with a female serial killer. The interview is needed so the ex-husband of a murdered author, Professor Madeline Maynard, can complete her unfinished manuscript for publication. Professor Maddie Maynard taught criminal psychology, studied female serial killers and their histories and chose five grad students to work on a special project each year. Claudia also has to find the manuscript and is conveniently put up in the professor's house for her stay. Naturally this allows Claudia to search for the manuscript and spend time exploring Professor Maynard's environment and reviewing personal and professional items she finds.
Over the course of four days, Claudia is exposed to college faculty politics, the sudden appearance of an unexpected heir to the Professor's estate with a new handwritten will, the emotional relationships among the five graduate students known as Maynard's Maniacs and the police chief's request to assist with validating the new will. The professor's housekeeper, Melva, and attorney, Jim Spencer, also provide insight and perspective on the professor's life as they interact with Claudia. Sheila Lowe's background, as an actual forensic handwriting expert with a Master's Degree in Psychology, is quite evident in the way she uses her knowledge and experience to generate details about female serial killers and the psychological profiles she paints of certain characters. The final scenes involving the mystery are played out in the professor's big house, complete with hidden passages, and the small cabin where the professor's body was found.
Sheila Lowe's Forensic Handwriting mysteries are a joy to read. Written Off , the seventh adventure is well conceived, intelligent and complex. Ms. Lowe combines her skill as a writer with her professional background and experience to create rich characters and relationships. I am impressed with Ms. Lowe's effective use of narration and exposition to keep the story moving. The pace, while thoughtful, never seems too slow. Dialogue flows naturally and is realistic. I also found myself learning more about female serial killers due to Ms. Lowe's ability to weave the information into the story line in meaningful ways. The book's dedication provides a clue to how strongly Ms. Lowe feels about the subject matter of her work in Written Off and the reason behind the title. When I finished Written Off I felt that I had just read a story created with a lot of heart.
July 1, 2018
( Format : Audiobook )
"Handwriting shows potential, not outcome."
Female serial killers are rare. The professor at a small university in Maine who specialised in abnormal clinical psychology and murderers in particular, was near the completion of her book, The Making of a Serial Killer, when she was found dead, apparently herself a murder victim. With a three month deadline to meet, Maddie's publishers ask her long time ex husband if he will finish it on her behalf. He agrees, but, unable to travel, asks his good friend and and writing expert, Claudia Rose, to fly to Maine on his behalf to both collect the manuscript and visit the subject of the book, the still imprisoned and notorious Roxanne Becker, for a final interview. So Claudia finds herself in cold and snowy Maine, just after Christmas, living in Maddie's cottage close to where she died, with the problem of locating the author's missing notes.
This well written and crafted novel, presented in the third person but from Claudia's perspective, is intriguing from the beginning. Who might have murdered her, and why? The addition of the small group of Maddie's Misfits, also called the Maniacs, several students especially loyal to and tutored by the dead woman, expands the number of interested protagonists and collegic jealousies and politics further increase the possibilities. As Claudia looks at the handwriting of a number of those closely associated with the author, it quickly becomes obvious that something was not right.
This xcellent audiobook is narrated by the talented Anna Crowe, who's pleasant, well modulated voice is warm and full of expression. She matches the pace and emotional impact of the text with precision and, although the protagonist's vocal definition is mostly only slight, it is sufficient to be both distinctive and further add character to an already well defined set of players. As a very interesting aspect of the story, the reader is also introduced to the basics of handwriting as a means of understanding personality and possible psychological strengths and weaknesses.
My thanks to the rights holder of Written Off who, at my request, freely gifted me a complimentary copy, via Audiobook Boom. I had not read any of Sheila Lowe's books previously and feel most fortunate to have now discovered her. I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future. A very enjoyable story, well written and narrated. Recommended.
"Handwriting shows potential, not outcome."
Female serial killers are rare. The professor at a small university in Maine who specialised in abnormal clinical psychology and murderers in particular, was near the completion of her book, The Making of a Serial Killer, when she was found dead, apparently herself a murder victim. With a three month deadline to meet, Maddie's publishers ask her long time ex husband if he will finish it on her behalf. He agrees, but, unable to travel, asks his good friend and and writing expert, Claudia Rose, to fly to Maine on his behalf to both collect the manuscript and visit the subject of the book, the still imprisoned and notorious Roxanne Becker, for a final interview. So Claudia finds herself in cold and snowy Maine, just after Christmas, living in Maddie's cottage close to where she died, with the problem of locating the author's missing notes.
This well written and crafted novel, presented in the third person but from Claudia's perspective, is intriguing from the beginning. Who might have murdered her, and why? The addition of the small group of Maddie's Misfits, also called the Maniacs, several students especially loyal to and tutored by the dead woman, expands the number of interested protagonists and collegic jealousies and politics further increase the possibilities. As Claudia looks at the handwriting of a number of those closely associated with the author, it quickly becomes obvious that something was not right.
This xcellent audiobook is narrated by the talented Anna Crowe, who's pleasant, well modulated voice is warm and full of expression. She matches the pace and emotional impact of the text with precision and, although the protagonist's vocal definition is mostly only slight, it is sufficient to be both distinctive and further add character to an already well defined set of players. As a very interesting aspect of the story, the reader is also introduced to the basics of handwriting as a means of understanding personality and possible psychological strengths and weaknesses.
My thanks to the rights holder of Written Off who, at my request, freely gifted me a complimentary copy, via Audiobook Boom. I had not read any of Sheila Lowe's books previously and feel most fortunate to have now discovered her. I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future. A very enjoyable story, well written and narrated. Recommended.
January 12, 2018
When forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose is asked by her dear friend Zebediah for help she immediately agrees. Due to a medical issue, he cannot travel from California to the east coast to retrieve an unfinished manuscript and, more importantly, interview a female serial killer. As the prisoner was the subject of the manuscript, it was imperative for Claudia to complete both of these tasks so that Zebediah can finish writing the incomplete book a friend of his was writing.
Unfortunately, the woman writing the book was brutally murdered. At first it appears to be a random act of violence. But as Claudia learns more about the now dead professor she realizes the murderer more than likely targeted the victim. Would Claudia stir up the hornet’s nest that caused the death of the professor by doing the requested interview? If so, could she become the next victim?
Lowe’s page turning mystery has twists and turns throughout the plot. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, an additional piece of evidence would come to light blowing up my theory. It is always delightful for a mystery fan to be guessing to the end of a great story.
The other interesting element in this well-written novel is the handwriting analysis that is done by the main character. I found myself comparing the things she said about handwriting styles to my own. I am a fan of learning new things intertwined with a great story. Written Off has both of these components expertly written to entertain and enlighten readers.
This is the first Shelia Lowe book I have read, and the seventh book in this series. It works very well as a stand-alone novel. If you are like me, you will seek out the other six novels in this series. I also am interested in her non-fiction books on handwriting analysis. Handwriting of the Famous and Infamous as well as The Complete Idiot’s guide to Handwriting Analysis both sound like must reads to me!
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review. Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
Unfortunately, the woman writing the book was brutally murdered. At first it appears to be a random act of violence. But as Claudia learns more about the now dead professor she realizes the murderer more than likely targeted the victim. Would Claudia stir up the hornet’s nest that caused the death of the professor by doing the requested interview? If so, could she become the next victim?
Lowe’s page turning mystery has twists and turns throughout the plot. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, an additional piece of evidence would come to light blowing up my theory. It is always delightful for a mystery fan to be guessing to the end of a great story.
The other interesting element in this well-written novel is the handwriting analysis that is done by the main character. I found myself comparing the things she said about handwriting styles to my own. I am a fan of learning new things intertwined with a great story. Written Off has both of these components expertly written to entertain and enlighten readers.
This is the first Shelia Lowe book I have read, and the seventh book in this series. It works very well as a stand-alone novel. If you are like me, you will seek out the other six novels in this series. I also am interested in her non-fiction books on handwriting analysis. Handwriting of the Famous and Infamous as well as The Complete Idiot’s guide to Handwriting Analysis both sound like must reads to me!
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review. Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
July 13, 2018
WRITTEN OFF is the seventh book in the Forensic Handwriting series. I asked and was assured that it could be read as a stand-alone. I was not disappointed.
Wow! What a fantastic mystery! Well-written and wonderfully twisted, it kept me guessing right until the end. The subject was unique and psychologically thrilling.
I loved the main character, Claudia. She is intelligent, experienced, an expert in her field, and still able to convey femininity. Proof that a strong woman does not have to be a b!tch.
This was the first book I have read from Sheila Lowe. I am so glad that I did. I would love to listen to more of this series!
Narration: The narrator is amazing. Anna Crowe does a superb job of bringing all of the characters to life
Note: while I was given this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: WRITTEN OFF
Series: Forensic Handwriting #7
Category /Genre: Suspense
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Listenability: OK
Received from: Sheila Lowe (as an Audible gifted copy)
Wow! What a fantastic mystery! Well-written and wonderfully twisted, it kept me guessing right until the end. The subject was unique and psychologically thrilling.
I loved the main character, Claudia. She is intelligent, experienced, an expert in her field, and still able to convey femininity. Proof that a strong woman does not have to be a b!tch.
This was the first book I have read from Sheila Lowe. I am so glad that I did. I would love to listen to more of this series!
Narration: The narrator is amazing. Anna Crowe does a superb job of bringing all of the characters to life
Note: while I was given this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: WRITTEN OFF
Series: Forensic Handwriting #7
Category /Genre: Suspense
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Listenability: OK
Received from: Sheila Lowe (as an Audible gifted copy)
December 13, 2019
Two people were married at one time but divorced and lived in different states. The lady Maddie was writing a book about women serial killers. She also taught at a college. They found Maddie had died and they had no suspects yet. Maddie wanted her X husband to finish her book but he got sick so he sent a lady friend Claudia to gather up all Maddies notes and things pertaining to the book she was writing. But when she got to this big enormous home at first she didn't find a lot. About 5 students stayed there off and on. They were part of a group called the Maniacs. Maddie had picked out some kids she actually want to study their personalities but without them knowing it. It is really exciting the things she found out later on. She even went to see a serial killer in prison. She found some old letters and more info in this big house that was Maddies. Whose going to inherit it all . Who killed Maddie and why. Can Claudia make it back home to marry her fiancé before its to late. Lots of surprises near the end of the book
July 16, 2018
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the author, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
To me, a good mystery / suspense book is one that manages to keep me guessing till the end. Written Off by Sheila Lowe managed to do that, and hence I must say that I loved reading / listening to it and enjoyed it immensely. It's a very well written mystery with twists at regular intervals and lots of suspects to keep you guessing. There's nothing "too obvious" and suspense is alive throughout.
This was 7th book of the series apparently. I'm planning to read other books of the series now.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by Anna Crowe was a good match for the content. She created an immersive atmosphere with her delivery and kept me engaged.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the author, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
To me, a good mystery / suspense book is one that manages to keep me guessing till the end. Written Off by Sheila Lowe managed to do that, and hence I must say that I loved reading / listening to it and enjoyed it immensely. It's a very well written mystery with twists at regular intervals and lots of suspects to keep you guessing. There's nothing "too obvious" and suspense is alive throughout.
This was 7th book of the series apparently. I'm planning to read other books of the series now.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by Anna Crowe was a good match for the content. She created an immersive atmosphere with her delivery and kept me engaged.
July 30, 2018
Handwriting expert Claudia Rose is asked to travel to Maine to retrieve a manuscript about a convicted female serial killer. The writer of the manuscript (Professor Madeleine Maynard) was recently brutally murdered and was the ex-wife of Claudia’s good friend. When she arrives in Maine, Claudia finds herself knee deep in the mystery surrounding Madeleine’s murder and faced with more than a dozen suspects including Professor Maynard’s grad students (dubbed Maynard’s Maniacs) and fellow faculty members.
While this is the seventh book in the series, the author does a fantastic job of making you feel this is a stand-alone and not leaving the reader lost or confused. She has designed a mystery that has a wonderful plot with intrigue and lots of red herrings to make the reader completely engrossed in the story. I found myself staying up late to finish the book as I could not put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
While this is the seventh book in the series, the author does a fantastic job of making you feel this is a stand-alone and not leaving the reader lost or confused. She has designed a mystery that has a wonderful plot with intrigue and lots of red herrings to make the reader completely engrossed in the story. I found myself staying up late to finish the book as I could not put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 5, 2018
Solid 4.5 star
This is the first in the series I have read and I will now be going back and reading the others as I just loved how the story flowed and unfolded and even though there were plenty of characters that threw red herrings at you it still didn't feel over whelming as they came and went through out the book. Claudia is a fantastic character with how she is level headed most of times but also has that inquisitiveness and sharp tongue when needed. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming and some surprises that left me with my jaw dropped which I love and the fact I had no idea who the killer was was great as so many books I find I kind have it figured out pretty early on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first in the series I have read and I will now be going back and reading the others as I just loved how the story flowed and unfolded and even though there were plenty of characters that threw red herrings at you it still didn't feel over whelming as they came and went through out the book. Claudia is a fantastic character with how she is level headed most of times but also has that inquisitiveness and sharp tongue when needed. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming and some surprises that left me with my jaw dropped which I love and the fact I had no idea who the killer was was great as so many books I find I kind have it figured out pretty early on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 4, 2019
Written Off by Sheila Lowe is an incredible listen. I love how the author writes about a forensic handwriting expert with such realistic detail. From the Author's bio, she knows what she is talking about, since that is her field. The storyline is original and compelling. The details provide vivid imagery. I loved how history was injected into the story. This book is both a standalone listen and part of a series. Anna Crowe was the perfect narrator for this book. She brought the characters to life, and added to my enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend this book, author and narrator. Will most definitely listen to more by them.
August 19, 2020
I really thought this was a psychological suspense with forensic handwriting aspects, but it was a cozy mystery and unfortunately I don't care about those :( The story is well written, but there is a lot of explanation and examples of what a handwriting analyst does, so the first half is more info dump and getting to know the characters. Maybe get better afterwards, but It the story click with me.
The narrator is new to me and I really liked her. She does all the right pauses, can differentiate the characters and give life to their emotions. Her voice is pleasant, I think she was the perfect match for this novel.
The narrator is new to me and I really liked her. She does all the right pauses, can differentiate the characters and give life to their emotions. Her voice is pleasant, I think she was the perfect match for this novel.
June 29, 2018
Sheila Lowe have really surprised me with her beautifully written story, coupled with Anna Crowe narrating a real masterpiece was born.
I was so sure that this won’t be my kind of a book and wow how I was wrong.
I’ve learned so much about hand writing and much more, great surprises and twists that kept me listening with a big difficulty of taking breaks.
I hope that more audiobooks by this author are on the way, I’D love to review each and every one of them.
I fully recommend this book to all.
I believe that my review was honest even so that I got the book for free.
I was so sure that this won’t be my kind of a book and wow how I was wrong.
I’ve learned so much about hand writing and much more, great surprises and twists that kept me listening with a big difficulty of taking breaks.
I hope that more audiobooks by this author are on the way, I’D love to review each and every one of them.
I fully recommend this book to all.
I believe that my review was honest even so that I got the book for free.
August 20, 2019
Sheila Lowe has done it again! I really enjoyed Written Off. It was full of suspense and definitely had me guessing to the very end who the killer was. I didn't see that coming. I can't wait for the next to be released!
Audio quality was great, as usual. I really enjoy the narration of all of these books. Where I struggle to keep interest in most audio books, this narrator does a fantastic job of keeping my attention.
I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from the author/narrator/publisher via Audiobook Boom. Thanks so much, Ms. Lowe!
Audio quality was great, as usual. I really enjoy the narration of all of these books. Where I struggle to keep interest in most audio books, this narrator does a fantastic job of keeping my attention.
I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from the author/narrator/publisher via Audiobook Boom. Thanks so much, Ms. Lowe!
October 14, 2019
Claudia Rose is asked by her friend Zebediah (love that name) to travel to Maine from her home in California to help. So most of this book takes place in Maine and not California. As always I enjoyed the handwriting analysis a lot. I loved all the twists and turns of the story and I didn't figure out the ending so that is always a plus. I loved the natiation done by Anna Crowe she was wonderful in making the characters come to life.
I was gifted this book with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
I was gifted this book with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
February 16, 2021
Claudia Rose flies to Maine in mid-December as a favor to her old friend, Zebediah Gold. She has two objectives while she's there: 1) find the manuscript and notes to the book psychology professor Madeleine Maynard was writing before she was murdered, and 2) interview Roxanne Becker, the serial killer who is the subject of the book.
But as Claudia gets acquainted with Madeleine's students and colleagues, she begins to suspect that one or more of them may have been involved in Madeleine's death ...
But as Claudia gets acquainted with Madeleine's students and colleagues, she begins to suspect that one or more of them may have been involved in Madeleine's death ...
August 5, 2018
Good stuff! This is the first in the series I've listened to, but I really liked it! Liked the writing, characters, story, and narration. I was captivated from beginning to end, enjoyed it! I'm a huge forensics, mystery/thriller, and true crime fan, so I was very entertained! I'd definitely recommend it to others, great whodunit!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 29, 2018
This is a well written book with an intriguing story line. The author brings strong characters and weaves a story filled with twists and turns and keeps you guessing throughout in this suspense filled mystery. I enjoyed this book and would recommend reading.
All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
July 29, 2018
She is off to get all the writings of a professor about a serial killer. He was.ordered and she needs to see what is going on. She will uncover secrets which involve experimenting on mental ill students. What is going on? Why are they doing it? See if she can stop it going on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 13, 2019
Great read
Lady goes to Maine, to fulfill a friend's promise to help with writing a book. The first author, a Professor, was murdered. The lady, finds the manuscript for the book. They also work on the murder case. Really good. Interesting about the graphology. Learned more about it.
Lady goes to Maine, to fulfill a friend's promise to help with writing a book. The first author, a Professor, was murdered. The lady, finds the manuscript for the book. They also work on the murder case. Really good. Interesting about the graphology. Learned more about it.
June 9, 2020
One of the Most Full-Bodied Mysteries Ever!
With her handwriting analysis expertise and experience, Sheila Lowe gives readers way more than most writers possibly could! That, plus her excellent wordsmithing and creativity, makes her novels a definite benchmark for others! Her work is well worth researchers my further.
With her handwriting analysis expertise and experience, Sheila Lowe gives readers way more than most writers possibly could! That, plus her excellent wordsmithing and creativity, makes her novels a definite benchmark for others! Her work is well worth researchers my further.
April 25, 2021
My first, but not last...
This was my first introduction to Claudia Rose and Sheila Lowe’s Forensic Handwriting series. The characters and description are excellent! I enjoyed it so much I plan to go back to book 1, Poison Pen, and read them all! The narrator was fantastic—I listened on my daily walks and never missed a beat!
This was my first introduction to Claudia Rose and Sheila Lowe’s Forensic Handwriting series. The characters and description are excellent! I enjoyed it so much I plan to go back to book 1, Poison Pen, and read them all! The narrator was fantastic—I listened on my daily walks and never missed a beat!
August 1, 2018
First time reading from this author. The book has a good storyline that is compelling, gripping, and interesting. The characters are intriguing, engaging, and well developed. I liked reading this book.
March 20, 2019
I went to read this and groaned when I realized that it was the seventh in a series. Still I went on to read it anyway and was very happy to find that it didn't affect my understanding or enjoyment of the book. Great story, mystery, and characters. I started up way too late to finish it!
November 8, 2019
This was a very good mystery. Claudia is sent to interview an inmate to help her friend out.The womans story is horrible and isn't over yet! Anna Crowe was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
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