Murder at Monticello

Homer Kelly #15

by Jane Langton

A murder on the ground of Jefferson's mansion at Monticello leads history buff Homer Kelly on a search for Tom Dean, a young man seen trespassing on the property, who has become the prime suspect in the killings of several local women.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 29, 2001

About the author

Langton was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She studied astronomy at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1944. She received an M.A. in art history from the University of Michigan in 1945, and another M.A. from Radcliffe College in 1948. She studied at the Boston Museum School from 1958 to 1959.

In 1961 Langton wrote and illustrated her first book for children, The Majesty of Grace, a story about a young girl during the Depression who is certain she will some day be Queen of England. Langton has since written a children's series, The Hall Family Chronicles, and the Homer Kelly murder mystery novels. She has also written several stand-alone novels and picture books.

Langton's novel The Fledgling is a Newbery Honor book. Her novel Emily Dickinson is Dead was nominated for an Edgar Award and received a Nero Award. The Face on the Wall was an editors' choice selection by The Drood Review of Mystery for 1998.

Langton lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts, near the town of Concord, the setting of many of her novels. Her husband, Bill, died in 1997. Langton has three adult sons: Chris, David and Andy.

Series:
* Hall Family
* Homer Kelly Mystery

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Appalling. This is going to be the second book that I throw out after reading, because it’s so offensive. This was written by a woman and was published in 2001. But reads like something that was written in 1920 by an elderly white male who was using poor judgement even at that time. The prose and story line is offensive to women and to people or color (both black and Native American). I just can’t believe a woman wrote this, but I guess she did. I am just shaking my head that this book was published even in 2001. There is horrible and callous discussion of rape crimes. There is deliberation in here about why we can’t just respect the fact that Thomas Jefferson was being human [when he raped his slave, Sally Hemings, and then enslaved his own sons]. There is also horrible stuff referred to flippantly about Native American women who went along with Lewis and Clark.

As a side note, this is also one of those Columbo-style mysteries where you know who the killer is right from the start, and I don’t love that approach.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun. Best part was excerpts from Lewis and Clark diaries. I assume accurate.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Langton usually provides pleasant reads, however, this mystery lacked excitement. Plus, the gross aspects of George Dryer, serial killer, were gratuitous.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this thinking it would be fun to read a mystery about a town I spent some time in. The descriptions of the area were the only redeeming part of this book though

The author white washes all the crimes and atrocities Jefferson committed (rape, slavery) at the same time lavishing praise on all "his" achievements and luxurious treasures and inventions. He could have at least afforded to pay the people he enslaved, or better yet free them, if he wasn't such a gratuitous, runaway spender on ridiculous unnecessary luxuries! The hypocrisy of his life knows no limits. In no way was he a great man or even a decent one no matter what words he scrawled to King George

The clues seemed arbitrary and didn't help to reveal the killer or his motives even at the end making for a very unsatisfying reveal. All the characters and their motives and actions were quite unbelievable. To start, not a single person working at Monticello would allow some grant winner to come in and deface the Dome room or any part of the home and grounds.

I could go on about how unconvincing the rest of the characters are but I think I'll just end my review here by saying DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS BOOK

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ll start by saying I am a fan of this series. And, rather than review one book at a time, I like to just consider the series as top notch for SOME readers. For me, The series is too quirky, and the characters too fluid, to consider it any other way.

I love the academic or literary subject madder used as thematic material in the books.

I love that Homer Kelly is sometimes brilliant, sometimes bumbling.

And, I love the curiosity and humanity of the series.

But, yes, the books are uneven. Some have tedious patches. Sometimes you don’t recognize the Kellys as the same people you encountered in other novels. ( i could honestly believe some books in the series were written by different authors).

So,I just let some in the series pass by as “ less satisfactory” and some as super. On the whole, great summer binging.

[Suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to move to western Virginia, near Charlottesville, and I love mysteries so I read this. Maybe reading about murderers who prey on women is not very conducive to house hunting? Lots of history and local color. the person who recommended Murder at Monticello meant the Rita Mae Brown book which is amusing and entertaining.
Amazon reviews of this book are bad because some confuse Langton's book with an L. Ron Hubbord e-book.

[Mgb · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I usually done review books I haven’t finished, but I am very annoyed by this book. For the good (but improbable) use of venue, I give 2 stars. It reads mostly like a cozy mystery except for the yuckiness of the serial killer. It might have been a pretty good story about the meeting of two people researching Jefferson at Monticello.

[Anne]

Excellent series

Homer and Mary KELLY are an interesting couple. Homer can't resist a murder. This time he is looking for a serial killer at Monticello who is targeting one of his former grad students. The murders are ghastly, but run alongside a love story. Nicely written. Fast paced .

[Lia Marcoux · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review bounces between 2 and 3 stars, depending on how sure I feel that Langton is drawing a parallel between Sally Hemmings and locking a woman in a shed (not dissimilar, in one readers opinion!! But deliberate? I hope so!).

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining mystery rich with information about Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

[Martha Greenough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Homer & Mary go to Monticello for July 4th.
Serial killer stalks their protege, who is writing book on Jefferson in Dome room.
Bleh

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#15 in the Homer Kelly series.

Homer Kelly series - Thomas Jefferson is in trouble. Two centuries after he became America's third President, the nation's historians have ganged up on him, intent on shattering the reputation of a man they once idolized. It's Fern Fisher's job to set the record straight. A hotshot young historian, she has been hired by the people at Monticello to repair Jefferson's tattered reputation. If she isn't careful, she could get her throat slit for her troubles. In the run-up to the celebration of Jefferson's bicentennial, a killer prowls the area around the President's historic home, brutally murdering any young women he can find. Harvard professor and casual sleuth Homer Kelly is in Monticello for the festivities, and is eager to reconnect with Fern, a former student. While Fern fights Jefferson's character assassination, Homer tries to keep her safe from murder of a more literal kind.

[Pascale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I was disappointed because the case revolves around yet another sexual predator/serial killer obsessed with teasing the police. This is such a cliché in film and fiction that I nearly gave up (this is the kind of mystery where you know the identity of the murderer very early on, and just follow the chase). That said, Langton writes beautifully and the way she weaves in excerpts from the diaries of the Lewis and Clark expedition is makes all the difference. The epigraphs are an integral part of the book, which is almost an homage to President Jefferson. Like the other book by her I read before, this one is a meditation about history and the relationship between the dead and the living. I think she is becoming my favourite author of murder mysteries!

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this on the shelf at ALL BOOKED UP in Coventry. It caught my eye because it was set at Monticello. Written by a local Mass author, it is her 15th homer Kelly Mystery. I loved the setting... all nooks a crannies that we explored in October at Montichello. Jefferson and Lewis and Clark figure as central elements to this modern story. Better than I thought it would be even though plot elements could be seen from a mile away. Not sure if I would read others in the series, it was the Jefferson angle that attracted me. Liked it.

[Del · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Langton's mysteries are fun to read. Seemed that the Murder at Monticello is a bit predictable. She's a Unitarian and often her characters are involved in the local congregation when set in the New England of Homer and Mary Kelley. Not so in Virginia. Lewis & Clark buffs might find it of interest, too.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These one is off the author's regular path. She quotes the Lewis and Clark diaries at the beginning of each chapter and doesn't shy away from some of Jefferson's less appealing traits. The serial killer has a believable obsession. She also often includes a younger couple discovering each other and she tied them into the plot well here.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would enjoy the book more than I did, since the setting was Monticello, but found myself rushing to finish it and move on to something else. I think I read another in this series several years back but didn't remember a lot about it. I may or may not read another. I don't really care for the main characters in the series and the plot was just a little on the silly side for my taste.

[Maureen Hetzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of this series I have read although it is #15 featuring Homer Kelly. Not a terribly inventive plot and while I read to the end the whole seemed very contrived. I will,probably not seek out # 1-14 in the series

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, light not enough mystery.

[Marti]

Passed on to me from Mom.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved that we had just been at Monticello in the fall and could imagine the whole scene. Good story too.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and an interesting description/perspective of Monticello and Jefferson.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it. Did not enjoy it as much as earlier books in the series.