Grand Slam Murders

A Bridge to Death Mystery #1

by R.J. Lee

After four bridge players are poisoned, newspaper reporter Wendy Winchester sets out to catch a killer who's not playing with a full deck . . .

When the four wealthy widows who make up the venerable Rosalie Bridge Club never get up from their card table, this quiet Mississippi town has its first quadruple homicide. Who put cyanide in their sugar bowl? An aspiring member and kibitzer with the exclusive club, Wendy takes a personal interest in finding justice for the ladies.

She also has a professional motivation. A frustrated society columnist for the Rosalie Citizen, she's ready to deal herself a better hand as an investigative reporter. This could be her big break. Plus, she has a card or two up her sleeve: her sometimes boyfriend is a detective and her dad is the local chief of police.

Partnering up with the men in her life, Wendy starts shuffling through suspects and turning over secrets long held close to the chest by the ladies. But when a wild card tries to take her out of the game, Wendy decides it's time to up the ante before she's the next one to go down . . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Adult, Cozy, Crime

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2019

About the author

R.J. Lee follows in the mystery-writing footsteps of his father, R. Keene Lee, who wrote fighter pilot and detective stories for Fiction House, publishers of WINGS Magazine and other 'pulp fiction' periodicals in the late '40's and '50's. Lee was born and grew up in the Mississippi River port of Natchez but also spent thirty years living in the Crescent City of New Orleans. A graduate of the University of the South (Sewanee) where he studied creative writing under Sewanee Review editor, Andrew Lytle, Lee now resides in Oxford, Mississippi.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grand Slam Murders by R.J. Lee is the first book in the new cozy A Bridge to Death Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series the murder mystery in this first book is solved at the end without any cliffhangers.

This story really tosses a reader right into the action with the opening chapter joining the four wealthy ladies that are members of the Rosalie Bridge Club as they are about to play a game. However, instead of some competitive cards we end up with a four way murder when all are poisoned.

Wendy Winchester works for the local paper but instead of the hard hitting investigative journalism she wants to do she has been put in the position of writing the fluff pieces. When the four wealthy women are found to be murder victims Wendy is given the opportunity she has been waiting for to jump in and investigate the murder.

I have to say Grand Slam Murders seemed to have some good points but it also had some things I wasn’t a huge fan of. One, I didn’t like the way we waited to introduce our sleuth and star of the story until after things got going which made it slower for me to connect o her, I was scratching my head a bit at that. But I do enjoy when a lead has some connection to law enforcement which Wendy did. Now I did think there were some interesting characters in here but I also thought things seemed to get a bit draggy as it went on with the questioning etc. Overall, 3 stars for this opener with the ups and downs for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An aspiring member of the Rosalie Bridge Club decides to investigate when four wealthy widows is mystery murdered and maybe she'll get her big break as a reporter. This was a relisten for me as I don't think I continued the series last year and would like to do that soon enough. I've enjoyed it then and I did it this time as well. It was just fun and enough ridiculousness to keep being entertaining but not to much. I'm very intrigued to continue and I'm happy I relistened to this first as I didn't remember much of it.

[Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendy is a journalism graduate working as a society editor for a small town Mississippi newspaper who hopes to break into a more promising and interesting career as an investigative reporter. Opportunity knocks to do some serious sleuthing when a shocking quadruple homicide involving the exclusive Rosalie Bridge Club occurs. With the help of her special friend and detective Ross and her police chief dad, Wendy uncovers that the members of the Rosalie Bridge Club were holding many of their cards close to their chest. Secrets are unearthed and lies are discovered. There are many twists and turns and enjoyable characters to meet along the way. This is a good start to a new series.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

While I didn't hate this book, I didn't think it was the best. The characters SEEMED like they could be likable but I don't believe that was well written out. The book starts out with four bridge players dying during a bridge game. Four deaths is something different for a cozy! At least to me. And the reveal at the end was kind of jaw dropping! I didn't see it coming AT ALL! As the main sleuth carries on with her detecting, I could tell this was written by a man. I'm not a huge fan of male authors. It's just something about them writing female leads that you can tell isn't quite right. There is potential for this series though so I will try the next one out.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading GRAND SLAM MURDERS, the first novel in a new series. When 4 of the wealthiest women in town are found dead as the result of poison while at their bridge club, a social columnist wants to play detective. Wendy, the society columnist, is fortunate to have the police chief as her father and is dating the lead detective on the case. And so it begins...

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot turn, 4 elderly rich woman play bridge together, after one get together all 4 are found dead of poison. Wendy wants to be a journalist and is stuck writing fluff articles for a newspaper and is sure if she solves the case and writes about it , it will be her big break. She sets out to interview all the families and finds out many secrets. 77

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grand Slam Murders by R. J. Lee is the 1st book in A Bridge to Death Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Wendy Winchester is a reporter stuck with society section of the newspaper, when she wants to write about crime. When four very rich women die suddenly while playing bridge, and it turns out to be murder, Wendy is determined to find the truth. I enjoyed this book, but I found it slow at times. I plan on reading this author again and looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Ann Bergeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never saw the end coming!

I love mysteries, but they generally become too predictable. When you can figure out the culprit, it can take the fun out of the reading experience.

When I received a copy of Grand Slam Murders I was instantly interested in reading the book because the fictional town of Rosalie (the setting for the book) is my hometown of Natchez, MS.

Within the first 20-25 pages I was completely hooked! The author has truly captured Natchez with all of her quirks and has created a book full of the most delightful characters. But best of all--I didn't figure out the crime! I was in suspense throughout the entire book, until the lead character solves the crime.

If you are looking for a fun, captivating, clever read--the this is the book for you!

[Debbie]

read and reviewed this for Mystery Scene Magazine read this in the first copy of 2019 of Mystery Scene Magazine

[S Mille · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series with an interesting twist on the amateur detective.

The Gin Girls are all set for another day of drinking gin and playing bridge, until someone spikes the coffee, killing them. Enter Wendy Winchester, new junior member of the club and society writer of the local paper. Wendy knew the ladies, and she’s looking for a way to escape the society page and use her journalism degree. To her advantage, her father is the chief of police, and she’s dating the lead investigator.

I enjoyed this book. Parts seemed to drag a bit, but I loved how it opened - we spend the first pages following the Gin Girls in the hour or so before their deaths, switching to other characters moments before. I also liked the series set up: many amateur detectives can seem a little silly at times, digging into a death they have no valid reason to. However, with Wendy, she’s a journalist and has reasons to be asking people questions. Her connection to the police is stronger as well; while you might argue why the police might reveal something to the general public, in this case, it’s a dad talking to his daughter, something he’s done (somewhat) her whole life.

Recommended. I’m looking forward to others in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

[Mary Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:

After four bridge players are poisoned, newspaper reporter Wendy Winchester sets out to catch a killer who's not playing with a full deck . . .

When the four wealthy widows who make up the venerable Rosalie Bridge Club never get up from their card table, this quiet Mississippi town has its first quadruple homicide. Who put cyanide in their sugar bowl? An aspiring member and kibitzer with the exclusive club, Wendy takes a personal interest in finding justice for the ladies.

She also has a professional motivation. A frustrated society columnist for the Rosalie Citizen, she's ready to deal herself a better hand as an investigative reporter. This could be her big break. Plus, she has a card or two up her sleeve: her sometimes boyfriend is a detective and her dad is the local chief of police.

Partnering up with the men in her life, Wendy starts shuffling through suspects and turning over secrets long held close to the chest by the ladies. But when a wild card tries to take her out of the game, Wendy decides it's time to up the ante before she's the next one to go down . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Wendy is smart, inquisitive and persistent and I liked her inner drive. When there is multiple murders in her small community, she knows that she has to investigate. Curiosity is in her DNA and she cannot help but want to solve the mystery. It may help her in her career also. I enjoyed getting to know her and her friends and family.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. One thing I found unique about this book is that the murders take place right in the first chapter and there are multiple victims. The author is very talented in creating suspense with the written word. There were a lot of twist and turns and at times I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. The ending was surprising and just another example of that rollercoaster ride.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I will definitely look for the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grand Slam Murders by R. J. Lee is the first book in A Bridge to Death Mystery series.

Four wealthy widows, prominent figures in small town in state of Mississippi, choke to death during their regular bridge get together. To say that town is abuzz would be an understatement.
Therefore, local journalist Wendy and fellow bridge player gets her chance to make it big and move from writing about local wedding to some real investigative journalism. Her father as a police chief and her boyfriend a leading detective on the case will help provide insight information.
So Wendy decides to start invesigation on her own, hoping to be the one to find out the truth.

I loved the beginning of the book as it reminded me of classic mystery stories where rich people die and the buttler, or in this case maid are suspected of doing it.
However I must say that from there on I slowling started to lose interest. Wendy's questioning of suspects seemed slightly repetitive and tedious. It looked like doing regular interviews and lacked suspense and mystery. I found it somewhat bland.
I found the characters well developed and engaging. There were many twists and turns and that help in keeping things interesting.
I look forward to reading more as it has potential to turn things around and make it a solid series.

[T Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A murder mystery with four victims makes for a lot of different motives, and a journalist is just right for solving everything. Great characters and plot, well written story with a nice flow.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever cozy mystery. I am familiar with Bridge, but not especially a fan of the game. The four fatalities and the finger pointing at the suspects are intriguing. The solution is a face palm. Enjoyable reading to get there. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Gin Girls" of the Rosalie Bridge Club meet for an afternoon of card playing and strategy planning before their next tournament and turn up dead before the first hand is dealt. Known for their wild and crazy antics in their youth, these four widowed women are the social elite of the area harboring secrets about their past. They are still the pride of Rosalie but their deaths cast quite a bit of suspicion and fingerpointing to the housekeeper and groundskeeper of the club's host Miz Liddie.

Wendy Winchester, local newspaper columnist and daughter of Officer Bax Winchester is assigned to cover the life story of the wealthy widows. As their stories start to unravel, Wendy begins putting the pieces of the mystery together as to who would off the entire group of Gin Girls. Along with her dad and her policeman boyfriend Ross, Wendy rushes to solve the mystery behind the last hand played and keep herself from being the next victim.

This is a great start to a new series by R. J. Lee. It is full of southern charm and great characters. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall story here has so much potential that it became a little uncomfortable to read through the sub-par writing to get to the main plot, sort of like when you listen to a great speech delivered by a terrible speaker. There was a good balance of likable and unlikable characters and plenty of suspicion to go around, but it felt as though the author was trying to tack too many plot elements onto the main mystery plot: there was the living-in-a-small-town element, the wanna-be-investigative-reporter element, the cranky-male-chauvinist angle, the do-I-want-love-or-a-career element, and the racist element. In trying to give time to each of these, Lee made them all seem overworked and wedged into the book, rather than like organic elements. It also seemed as though Lee had been told that he had a way with creative phrasing and descriptions, and thus forced himself to live up to that in every single sentence: too much picturesque description, too many adverbs. Sometimes, people just walk or the rain just falls, after all. This led to a bogged-down feel, and to wordy paragraphs that were difficult to wade through. Part of the wordiness was the fault of a lot of telling, rather than showing, and repetitions of characters' internal struggles. Real people do think about themselves and their question repetitively, but book characters need to have some of the boringness of real people removed. Also distracting was the sporadic use of dialect: either everyone needs to use it, or no one should use it. I will probably try this author again, but I was disappointed in this effort.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok as a cozy. The solution was interesting enough, but the characters weren't people I would want to spend another book with. The lead male detective's cutesiness about sex was awkward enough, Wendy (the main character's) "I will never love anyone as much as my daddy" shtick was a bit gruesome for a woman of her age. There was a weird temporal reality to the book, like it was set in the past, but people had modern technology. I wasn't enthused by the fact that out of all the characters in the story, the African American woman was the only one presented as speaking in a dialect, and she's a housemaid with an ex-con son who (spoiler alert) gets shot by the cops, but the mother understands and forgives(!!) The author seemed to be trying to make a statement about the current South, but there were some cringeworthy moments here.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's true that the (two) African American characters in this book about a multiple murder in the quaint town of Rosalie talk in a rather stereotypical fashion, but the Caucasian characters aren't too convincing, either, so maybe we'll give a pass on that. (Or not, if you prefer.) Society journalist Wendy wants a real assignment, and the crusty editor of the newspaper says he'll let her write profiles of the four murdered women. Little does he know that with the help of her police chief father, and her policeman sweetheart, she'll solve the murder, even at the risk of her own life. For the record, I figured out the plot points long before she did, and I don't even play bridge.

[John Presler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rosalie Bridge Club, whose members are the wealthiest ladies in Rosalie, hopes to win the grand prize at the upcoming Mississippi Bridge Player's Duplicate Championship. The ladies of the Bridge Club are Miz Liddie, Miz Sicily, Miz Bethany, and Miz Hanna. They have been a close knit group for many years. They earned the nickname as the Gin Girls, based on their love of the beverage and their college escapades. The ladies have a routine they follow with a coffee toast before they play bridge.

Miz Liddie requested the housekeeper, Merleece, to bring the ladies their coffee for their ceremonial toast and to ensure it was not too hot. While preparing the drinks, Merleece was constantly being pestered by Arden Wilson, the young gardener. Shortly after delivering the coffee and returning to the kitchen, Merleece and Arden heard Miz Liddie frantically ringing her service bell and rushed back in to see all four of the ladies choking and gagging. Merleece had Arden call 9-1-1, but it was too late - all four ladies died, having been poisoned with cyanide.

Wendy Winchester writes the society column in the local newspaper, the Rosalie Citizen and asks about doing a special feature on each of the ladies in the Bridge Club. Wendy also aspires to become an investigative reporter and feels this may be her prime opportunity. She has slight advantage as an investigative reporter since her boyfriend is a detective and her father is the chief of police!!

Who poisoned the Gin Girls? Was it deliberate or an accident? Did they get the cyanide from the gardener? If not, where did it come from? Can Wendy sort through their lives to discover the truth?

R. J. Lee has a great start to this new series. As often is the case with the first in a series, it has some slow parts while establishing the background of the characters. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued clear to the end. I am looking forward to more stories in this series.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun premise for a cozy mystery! Four life long friends and devoted bridge players die just before their biggest game. The protagonist is my favorite kind of sleuth--a smart female who knows her limits and is ready to push them when the time comes. Wendy relies on her smarts and historical knowledge of her city to ferret out the killer.

She was a super character as was Merleece who I hope we will see again. The ending was a surprise -- a sad one at that, but it IS a mystery so in keeping with a favorite genre of mine.

What troubled me was how the author had Merleece's sound like an ignorant, uneducated woman. She may not have gone to college but I'm hard pressed to believe that someone with as much smarts as she has to talk like she did. It was really insulting. While the author touched on how African Americans are all too frequently treated in the south, it was no excuse to have the character speak that way. This book was written before the BLM movement happened but is still in keeping with the prejudices that are coming to light these days.

I'm curious to see where he will go with the series and plan to continue it.

[Janice Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all Ain't Gonna B'lieve This!

Coming from a Bluff City with a striking resemblance to fictional Rosalie, I felt like I knew these characters. There were the "haves" and the "have nots" - high society and common folk. R. J. Lee has done a remarkable job pulling off "Grand Slam Murders."

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about The Gin Girls and their offspring, about the bridge club and its restricted membership. I understood the struggle of aspiring journalist, Wendy Winchester, trying to be accepted as a serious investigative reporter in a "man's world." And I felt for Merleece Maxique who served the same family for over twenty years and was still treated like an outsider, or Arden Wilson, who inherited his father's job as gardener for the wealthy Rose family.

So, when the Gin Girls are all murdered by potassium cyanide poisoning, of course the populace of the Southern town want to blame the murder on the person of color or the lowly gardener. Only Wendy Winchester knew it couldn't be true. But you, also, will be surprised to learn who the real murderer is! You've just got to read this one!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't know much about Bridge, I enjoyed this debut cozy. Having so many murdered so fast was a surprise. Sometimes the reader has to wait almost forever before the body (or bodies) appear. Instead we have to wait awhile before we meet the main character, Wendy Winchester along with her father, the police chief and her detective boyfriend. She very much wants to report on more meaty news than what is needed in the society section. This is the investigation that will possibly make that switch happen.
Overall this is a good start to a series and I will read the sequel to find out if the pacing, etc. has improved - there were some places that dragged a bit but that may be the fact that it's a first in series. Lots of things need to be set up. The characters, the setting and the mystery all kept my attention as a good mystery should.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed mysteries that are not predictable, and this is definitely one of those. Plus, the characters are recognizable if you've ever lived in any small town. R. J. also introduces us to Wendy, the local journalist, who for some reason (probably because she can write about them) has been given entree into the most exclusive bridge club in town. The Gin Girls are found murdered and Wendy knows she can figure out who done it, plus her dad's the chief of police and she is dating a detective. Even Wendy has trouble with this one as she starts to dig into the backgrounds of the folks who could have put the cyanide in the sugar bowl. I'm looking forward to learning more about this town and all the fun characters who live there.

[Judy Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to meet The Gin Girls, four doyennes of an old-South town, who hold court around the bridge table weekly. Queen Bee Liddie Langston Rose holds prime seat at the card table. When unexpected death occurs, it is quickly ruled murder, and local society news reporter Wendy Winchester knows this is her opportunity to move up in the investigative crime reporting world. Her father is the police chief, and her boyfriend is the police detective. She begins interviewing those who knew the Gin Girls well to write special interest stories on each of the ladies. With the help of Miss Liddie’s maid and cook, Merleece, Wendy stacks the clues to help find the answers needed to solve the mystery. Grand Slam Murders is a triple run good read!

[Jann Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read recently with a female reporter who wants to move up in the ranks at the newspaper. That is probably just interesting to me.

I give this five stars for several reasons. Originally from the South, I can relate to many of the quirks of the characters, although people exist everywhere with quirks. I also kept wondering how the author was going to handle the fact that there seemed to be only two main suspects who could have tampered with the sugar bowl. I was wrong, as more suspects appeared when the families of the deceased were interviewed.

The best thing to me was the ending! I did not see it coming, and I felt that it was quite perfect, given the situation. To say more would give too much away.

Since this is titled as #1, I presume more books will follow in this series, and I suspect they will all be as clever as this one!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It says a lot about a writer when you realize who murdered four women and you keep reading the mystery. From the first I was convinced I knew what happened, but the small town characters kept me intrigued. I loved the main character, enjoyed her relationship with her police chief father, and appreciated her ambiguity about her boyfriend. It was easy for me to relate to her frustration with her job on the town paper as well as to her waffling boss. This book is an easy, fun read.

[Peggy Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book and also the book cover ! First the book cover draws you in there is so many funny pictures and also it is just so attractive for a cover. Then the book once you start you are so drawn in as it is such a good mystery. I found myself going from one person to another for the" who done it". This is an author that I will be following and reading his mysteries as he hit a grand slam with this one.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grand Slam Murders is the first in the Bridged to Death Mystery, featuring journalist, bridge player, and occasional sleuth, Wendy Winchester. Wendy expected to be a beat reporter for her small town newspaper in Rosalie, Mississippi. She ends up stuck with the society column on the local bridge club, that is until the four founding members of the bridge club end up poisoned. Wendy sees her big story and takes it. It's an interesting story to a cozy mystery series.

[Pamela N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this light reading. R.J.Lee seems to write in a style that is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, but more coherent and relevant. (Perhaps this is because there is a 75 or so year difference.) I enjoyed that there was a lot of research into the underlying premises, which makes a much more enjoyable read for me. Having played bridge, I could relate. I liked the characters, and the story line. I had a lot of fun, and finished the book without feeling something was missing.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice cosy little mystery. The ending was unexpected and intriguing and the characters were fun. Made for a fun weekend read on a snowy day. Definitely the kind of light mystery I enjoy.
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway but the opinions expressed are solely my own.