Murder in the Museum

Edmund DeCleryk Mysteries #1

by Karen Shughart

Early one gray November morning, retired Lighthouse Cove, NY police chief, Edmund DeCleryk, finds Emily Bradford's body on the beach at the base of the bluff where the local museum and historical society stands. At the same time, a break-in has been reported at the museum, and Emily's coat and purse are found hanging on a peg in the museum's gift shop where she worked. Was her death the result of a burglary gone bad or something more sinister?

When the police chief is called out of town for a family emergency, he hires Ed, now working as a criminal consultant, to assist the deputy police chief, Carrie Ramos, with the murder investigation. After several leads don't pan out, the chief, now back in Lighthouse Cove, decides to close the case. Confident that with more time the murder can be solved, Ed is determined to continue investigating on his own, with encouragement from his wife, Annie, the museum's executive director.

One morning, while in the basement of the museum, the couple discovers a copy of a map dated 1785, and Ed's instincts tell him they may be connected to the murder. On a hunch he and Annie travel to Toronto, Canada, where he learns of the original map and a manuscript written in 1847 that were unearthed during an architectural dig. The manuscript contains information about a ship that capsized during a fierce storm on Lake Ontario- in 1785. Now Ed has clues as to why the murder occurred, but he still doesn't know who committed the crime. Or does he?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

266 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2018

Reviews

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town murder mystery, a little history of Lake Ontario, and some good characters. Karen Shughart takes the small police department of a small town with all it's lack of man power for something like a murder, and a community where everyone "knows" everyone else, and puts them together in an enjoyable read. The story moves quickly, characters are well thought out, and easy to keep reading. At one point, I thought I had figured it out, but Shughart added a few points that messed with that for a while. Definitely enjoyed this and would recommend it.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never know what to expect when starting a new series. Just a chapter in, I knew I was in for a wonderful read. Author Karen Shughart has certainly penned a first in a series that is guaranteed to bring readers back for more!

A thriller of a cozy, MURDER IN THE MUSEUM had me rooted to my chair until I finished the book. I seriously didn’t want to set it down for a second!

Ms. Shughart has created a cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. The same for the setting. Everything just felt right, and I could easily feel myself there in the story. I’m looking forward to returning in future installments.

As for the mystery itself, it was an outstanding whodunit that was an exciting read. There were real hold your breath and edge of your seat moments, both of which I did more than once.

MURDER IN THE MUSEUM is one mystery you don’t want to miss!

[FangirlNation · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Murder in the Museum by Karen Shughart, the police chief of the small town Lighthouse Cove, New York, gets a call from a man who serves on the board of the local history museum. Someone has broken into the museum and ransacked it, but even worse, the purse and coat of Emily Bradford sit on the coat rack, but there is no sign of Emily. Could the thieves have killed her when they broke into the museum? Then, just as the police chief is starting off, his second-in-command rushes out. She received another phone call from Edmund deCleryk, the retired police chief of Lighthouse Cove and a former Navy SEAL, that he has found the body of Emily at the bottom of a bluff where the ocean is getting close to covering the body. The resulting case, where deCleryk ends up serving as a paid consultant, leads nowhere. But deCleryk is determined not to let the case drop altogether.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of MURDER IN THE MUSEUM by Karen Shughart
(Edmund DeCleryk Mysteries #1)

MURDER IN THE MUSEUM presents a somewhat different angle on the “Amateur Sleuth,” at least in terms of mysteries I've read. Ed DeCleryk is a retired Chief of Police in Lighthouse Cove, New York, an upstate Atlantic-side community. In retirement, he has become an independent consultant to law enforcement agencies, especially in smaller municipalities without ready forensic access. His wife Annie is director of the Lighthouse Cove Historical Society and Museum. When a murder connected to the Museum occurs, Ed is tasked to assist the local detective; but even after the current Chief of Police decides to close the case, Ed doesn't, and he and Annie continue the investigation, discovering links to the past, far back in time but not so distant in motive.
MURDER IN THE MUSEUM is a compelling cozy mystery read which will keep the reader on her/his toes right along with the investigators, and provides a beautiful scenic setting with empathetic characters too.

[Charles Boogaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery .. that resonated due to the local flavoring !

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen's book

I just finished this fast-moving mystery and applaud Karen for her impeccable detail and her expertise in pulling together the "threads" that lead us to the resolution of the murder. I enjoyed this!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edmund DeCleryk cannot seem to retire! He has given up his position as the Chief of the local Police but he is still teaching classes in criminology and doing Criminal Consultancy work.  All of this comes together when he takes a day to himself to do some metal detecting down below the lighthouse, which gives Lighthouse Cove its name and is now a museum where his wife works, instead of finding lost jewelry or some such he stumbles over a dead body, at the same time one of the volunteers at the museum has called in the police as the museum has been broken into.

With the new Chief of Police called away due to a family emergency Ed, along with the Deputy Chief Carrie need to find out what happened, is it a burglary that has gone wrong or was Emily murdered and the burglary was a cover up, with the stress of Annie deCleryk being involved (purely because she was Emily's boss) and the current Chief deciding to close it down as a burglary gone wrong, has Ed got the right idea to keep digging?

A gentle start to what I feel could be an excellent series, my only minor complaint is that information is held back from the readers so we don't have a chance to solve the crime before Ed does! Overall though a great Cozy and I hope to read more about the deCleryk couple and their friends in Lighthouse Cove.

[Ann-Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the author’s first fiction novel and the first in her series of Edmund DeCleryk Mystery’s. It was also the first paperback I have read in some time and I must say I love both the feel of a book in my hand and the wonderful story unfolding between my fingers. The story is well written and the grammar and description have you feeling and see the author’s words come to life in your mind. What a wonderful part of the world this book is set in. Karen Shughart has worked professionally as a journalist, writer, and editor hence this is shown in her writing style which flows and entertains you to the end.
It was nice to read a mystery where I do not completely anticipate the ending from the start of the book and the killer and ending was a surprise for me. The characters were well developed and I just love the husband and wife aspect of the story. I love how we had two stories in one mystery the current murder and the past of the 1800’s. I can promise once you pick this book up you will be unable to put it down and this is coming from a romance reader and blogger, who only sometimes reads cozy mysteries or murder mysteries.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Murder In The Museum” is the first book in an intended series , featuring retired Lighthouse Cove, NY police chief Edmund DeCleryk. While the book is well written, I found it to be very wordy, with far too much attention spent on description (description of everything!), and not enough on action.

The characters have depth, and interact well, but we see each one as a “stand-alone”, and not as a part of the community. It took almost half-way through the book for me to feel like there was a pace, that I was getting somewhere. Having said that, the writing does hold together, there is a reasonable storyline, and the ending was quite unexpected.

There is certainly room for more books in this series, as Edmund DeCleryk is an independent consultant to law enforcement agencies. His wife, Annie, brings in her own game as director of the Lighthouse Cove Historical Society and Museum.

While I did have a few issues with this book (too much description heading that list!), I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Celia Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Murder in the Museum by Karen Shughart even though I normally prefer historical mysteries. The mystery was well thought out, and the tie-in with the historical past in upstate NY was well done, however, I knew who the killer was from the moment the killer was introduced. That did not stop my enjoyment of the story. I rated this with 5 stars because Shughart writes beautifully and her descriptions of people, places, food, scenery are all really well done. Very visual, and it was fun to see some of the places I briefly saw on a trip years ago. That said, for my taste, I would enjoy the mystery to move along a little faster and have fewer scenes of the various family and friends lives going on. I realize life goes on, but it does slow the pace. I have also read her next book, and will be doing a review of it. I like her writing and I think she is a really promising author.
Celia Martin

[Jerri Cachero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mysteries that feature a husband and wife team. While Ed DeCleryk was the central character, his wife Anne played an important part in the mystery. The murder of Anne's co-worker, in the early morning hours on a wintry day at the Museum where they both work, set in motion a mystery that will keep you guessing!

Edmund DeCleryk, recently retired from police work, finds himself acting as a consultant with the local police department and he is asked to investigate the murder. I loved the interaction between Edmund and Anne while solving this mystery!

The wintry bay setting made me long for an afghan, hot drink and fireplace while reading the book!

I'm looking forward to the next book and reading about the adventures of Ed and Anne through many books to come!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like cozy mysteries you will love this book! I loved the characters Karen created and the description and atmosphere of the lighthouse. It lent itself to the overall feel of the book. I enjoy it when writers create a character from a specific place and I feel that the Lighthouse was not only the backdrop of the mystery but also a character in its own right. I am looking forward to the second book and the ongoing mystery.

As a side note, I live in the Finger Lakes and this book inspired a visit to the Sodus Point Lighthouse Museum. It was absolutely wonderful and such a lovely and historic town. I recommend a visit.

[Larry Loveday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Enjoyable

As this was the authors first foray into fiction I thought she did a marvelous job. This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. I liked the story within the story, her description of the area, and the characters, I enjoyed it all. I loved how she included recipes at the end of the book based off of dinners that the characters made throughout the story. It's so funny that she did that because on more than one occasion I thought to myself, boy that food sounds good. Great job, and I'm looking forward for the next Edmund DeCleryk mystery.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time reading this author. The main character is Ed DeCleryk, a retired police detective who sometimes is commissioned to help other police stations. When a woman is murdered he jumps in to help. The victim was also a friend of his. They followed every clue but the case went cold. He put it ob the back burner but never forgot her. Suddenly things changed and he thought he knew who did it but could he prove it before they went after his wife ?

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sorry but I don’t understand all the high ratings for this book. I found it drawn out and boring. There are so many characters thrown at you all at once in the beginning, it gets very confusing. The characters do not have any special personalities that endear you to them. Overall a very disappointing story.

[M. White · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent beginning to a new series

Murder in the Museum is set in a small upstate NY town, and when a murder occurs their depleted police force is aided by a retired ex-police chief to solve the crime. The characters are well developed and the plot is cleverly presented. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series.

[Doug Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy murder mystery is set in Lighthouse Cove, a little town on the shores of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. But the investigation takes retired police chief Ed DeCleryk to Rochester and Toronto, and a hunt for buried treasure is involved. The story has a fun mix of mystery and (fictional) history.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would call it an easy read. Very easy read, because there is no depth to it and is also very "formulaic." It is almost a drag to get through because nothing interesting ever occur. Like I said, not what I look for in a story.

(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).

[Ladydawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in the Museum

This for me was a total new direction from my norm of genre. I actually found this to be a trully entertaining story.

[Clemmie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing mystery with a twist

[Mary Barna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this book. It might just be me, because the plot is interesting. I will have to set it aside and start again at a later date.

[M.K. McDaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it entertaining and would recommend it for light reading.

[Sandra K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

intriguing mystery

I know this area of New York State and the writer made me feel as if I were back there. Loved the plot and the Cliffhanger at the end.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in the Museum

This is a new author for me. The story is fairly good for a cozy mystery. Good, simple read and free of foul language. Looking forward to the next book.

[Janet Ankiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the upstate New York setting of this mystery, the emphasis on picture perfect details of several restaurants, the fashion assessment of mostly the men, and a somewhat convoluted plot all contribute to a featherweight novel that probably makes good beach reading.