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The Case of the Unearthed Evidence
Cincinnati, October 1918-- As the Spanish influenza rages around the world, a body is buried behind a residence in an upscale neighborhood and concealed from discovery. What a perfect time to hide a crime …Cincinnati, October 1965-- Fritz, the irrepressible six-month-old puppy belonging to Professor of Music Augusta McKee and her husband of six months, Homicide Detective Malcolm Mitchell, digs up a human bone in a neighbor’s yard where a flagstone patio is being replaced. An investigation quickly determines a body was buried there forty-seven years earlier—in 1918. Who was the victim? Who was the killer? Malcolm, with Augusta’s help, tracks down the decades-old clues to a crime of passion. Is it possible a case that old, that cold, could still be solved? Meanwhile, Malcolm is nearing the end of the investigation of a more recent crime, the murder of a young Cincinnati patrolman four years ago, in 1961. The police are convinced they know the identity of the killer, but they have a deadline to meet. Will they be able to prove it before the case goes cold? Will either of these victims receive justice?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2020
21 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Susan Moore Jordan
21 books46 followersAfter a lifetime as a musician--performer, teacher, musical theater director--Susan Moore Jordan wrote and published her first novel in 2013 at the age of seventy-five, and she hasn't stopped since.
Her first novel, How I Grew Up, was released in 2013. Two additional novels followed: Eli's Heart in 2014 and You Are My Song in 2015, completing "The Carousel Trilogy." A fourth novel, Jamie's Children, was released in July, 2016.
Memories of Jake, the first book in "The Cameron Saga," was followed by Man with No Yesterdays. Set in the Vietnam War era, the books follow the impact of military service and its aftermath on two brothers. In April, 2020, Man with No Yesterdays was named a Finalist in the 2019 Wishing Shelf Book Awards; and in September, 2020, the book was named a Semi-Finalist in The Kindle Book Awards.
In May, 2018, Susan Jordan added the genre "cozy mystery" to her novels when she released The Case of the Slain Soprano. In November of 2018 the second book in the "Augusta McKee Mysteries" was released: The Case of the Disappearing Director. More books followed: The Case of the Toxic Tenor, The Case of the Purloined Professor. The Case of the Chrysanthemum Murders, The Case of The Unearthed Evidence, The Case of the 'Carousel' Killer, The Case of the Bogus Beatle, amd in 2023, The Case of the Casanova Cantor. Both The Case of the Slain Soprano and The Case of the Disappearing Director were named Finalists in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards in 2018 and 2019. The Case of the Slain Soprano was also a Semi-Finalist in the 2019 Kindle Book Awards.
Jordan attended the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and moved to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in 1971 with her husband and three children.
Beginning in 1984, Jordan directed some eighty local community and high school musical theater productions. She retired from directing in 2015 after over thirty years and wrote about her adventures in "More Fog, Please": Thirty-One Years Directing Community and High School Musicals, released in November, 2015.
All of her books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Paperback copies of Jordan's books can be purchased locally at the Pocono Cinema and Community Center in East Stroudsburg whenever the theater is open.
All of Jordan's books are "music-centric" (in the words of one reviewer), and readers comment on the strength of the element of music included in her work. Jordan sees writing as another way to share the music she loves, which she considers "the most powerful force in the universe."
Articles by Susan Moore Jordan have appeared in Musical America and The Guardian, and on August 2, 2019, she appeared on Hour Three of "The Today Show" as a Super Senior.
For more information, please visit her website at www.susanmoorejordan.com and her Amazon author page at http://ow.ly/XCjYX
Her first novel, How I Grew Up, was released in 2013. Two additional novels followed: Eli's Heart in 2014 and You Are My Song in 2015, completing "The Carousel Trilogy." A fourth novel, Jamie's Children, was released in July, 2016.
Memories of Jake, the first book in "The Cameron Saga," was followed by Man with No Yesterdays. Set in the Vietnam War era, the books follow the impact of military service and its aftermath on two brothers. In April, 2020, Man with No Yesterdays was named a Finalist in the 2019 Wishing Shelf Book Awards; and in September, 2020, the book was named a Semi-Finalist in The Kindle Book Awards.
In May, 2018, Susan Jordan added the genre "cozy mystery" to her novels when she released The Case of the Slain Soprano. In November of 2018 the second book in the "Augusta McKee Mysteries" was released: The Case of the Disappearing Director. More books followed: The Case of the Toxic Tenor, The Case of the Purloined Professor. The Case of the Chrysanthemum Murders, The Case of The Unearthed Evidence, The Case of the 'Carousel' Killer, The Case of the Bogus Beatle, amd in 2023, The Case of the Casanova Cantor. Both The Case of the Slain Soprano and The Case of the Disappearing Director were named Finalists in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards in 2018 and 2019. The Case of the Slain Soprano was also a Semi-Finalist in the 2019 Kindle Book Awards.
Jordan attended the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and moved to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in 1971 with her husband and three children.
Beginning in 1984, Jordan directed some eighty local community and high school musical theater productions. She retired from directing in 2015 after over thirty years and wrote about her adventures in "More Fog, Please": Thirty-One Years Directing Community and High School Musicals, released in November, 2015.
All of her books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Paperback copies of Jordan's books can be purchased locally at the Pocono Cinema and Community Center in East Stroudsburg whenever the theater is open.
All of Jordan's books are "music-centric" (in the words of one reviewer), and readers comment on the strength of the element of music included in her work. Jordan sees writing as another way to share the music she loves, which she considers "the most powerful force in the universe."
Articles by Susan Moore Jordan have appeared in Musical America and The Guardian, and on August 2, 2019, she appeared on Hour Three of "The Today Show" as a Super Senior.
For more information, please visit her website at www.susanmoorejordan.com and her Amazon author page at http://ow.ly/XCjYX
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 30, 2020
And then there were the bones…
The Case of the Unearthed Evidence by author Susan Moore Jordan is a cozy murder mystery, and it has it all––suspense, misdirection, intrigue, and a keen degree of criminality.
It's 1918 during the influenza pandemic. While there is no exact death toll, millions upon millions of people perished during what has been described as the most "devastating epidemic in recorded history." However, this deadly virus wasn't the only thing busy killing people…
Fast forward to October 1965:
Fritz, the irascible curious pup of part-time amateur sleuth Professor Augusta McKee and her Detective husband, Malcolm Mitchell, finds a bone buried in the neighbor's backyard beneath a flagstone patio. On further discovery, the remains are those of a man, the killer had presumably thought would never be discovered. And for 47 years, the killer had been correct. The bones did remain undisturbed and undetected until the new homeowners decided to upgrade their patio. Forty-seven years! ––Talk about a cold case!
Meanwhile, Detective Mitchell is busy contending with a more up-to-date crime: the cold-blooded murder of a young Cincinnati patrolman cut down in his prime. The case, which began four years earlier, prompted an investigation that has left Mitchell convinced of the killer's identity but no way to prove it. With little evidence to support Mitchell's claims, this case, like that of the 1918 murder, might go cold as well.
I have to admit; there is nothing quite so surreal as reading a book about a murder that took place during a deadly pandemic while currently quarantined in my house during a pandemic. Yet, this is precisely what I did, and I enjoyed every cozy murder mystery moment of it. This rich character-based story seamlessly intertwines with the past but without ever becoming menacing or dark. Moore's books are also music-centric and compellingly enlightening, while not coming off as pedagogical, dull, or worse––redundant.
The Case of The Unearthed Evidence, an engaging and clever Augusta McKee murder mystery, is Moore's sixth book in the Augusta McKee Mystery series. While this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, I wouldn't suggest it. Getting to intimately know these characters through each new adventure has served to heighten the reading experience. I strongly recommend this read and can't wait for the next book in this delightful series. You won't want to wait either!
The Case of the Unearthed Evidence by author Susan Moore Jordan is a cozy murder mystery, and it has it all––suspense, misdirection, intrigue, and a keen degree of criminality.
It's 1918 during the influenza pandemic. While there is no exact death toll, millions upon millions of people perished during what has been described as the most "devastating epidemic in recorded history." However, this deadly virus wasn't the only thing busy killing people…
Fast forward to October 1965:
Fritz, the irascible curious pup of part-time amateur sleuth Professor Augusta McKee and her Detective husband, Malcolm Mitchell, finds a bone buried in the neighbor's backyard beneath a flagstone patio. On further discovery, the remains are those of a man, the killer had presumably thought would never be discovered. And for 47 years, the killer had been correct. The bones did remain undisturbed and undetected until the new homeowners decided to upgrade their patio. Forty-seven years! ––Talk about a cold case!
Meanwhile, Detective Mitchell is busy contending with a more up-to-date crime: the cold-blooded murder of a young Cincinnati patrolman cut down in his prime. The case, which began four years earlier, prompted an investigation that has left Mitchell convinced of the killer's identity but no way to prove it. With little evidence to support Mitchell's claims, this case, like that of the 1918 murder, might go cold as well.
I have to admit; there is nothing quite so surreal as reading a book about a murder that took place during a deadly pandemic while currently quarantined in my house during a pandemic. Yet, this is precisely what I did, and I enjoyed every cozy murder mystery moment of it. This rich character-based story seamlessly intertwines with the past but without ever becoming menacing or dark. Moore's books are also music-centric and compellingly enlightening, while not coming off as pedagogical, dull, or worse––redundant.
The Case of The Unearthed Evidence, an engaging and clever Augusta McKee murder mystery, is Moore's sixth book in the Augusta McKee Mystery series. While this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, I wouldn't suggest it. Getting to intimately know these characters through each new adventure has served to heighten the reading experience. I strongly recommend this read and can't wait for the next book in this delightful series. You won't want to wait either!
February 22, 2021
Mystery! Music! Mayhem! Sue Jordan has crafted something singular and oh so special with Augusta McKee and Malcolm Mitchell. Unearthed Evidence is their sixth adventure together and one of their best. This outing, both nostalgic and new, weaves together notes of past and present to create a compelling page turner from front to back, with a climax I wouldn't dare to spoil.
Read
September 22, 2020Novel #6 in the "Augusta McKee Mystery Series" is in the works! Planning to release in early October, if all goes as hoped.
It's October, 1965. Detective Mal Mitchell and his new bride, Professor Augusta McKee, working on an extremely cold case ... bones discovered in the backyard of a nearby home which it's quickly learned were buried in 1918, during a worldwide pandemic. At the same time, Mal is attempting to close another cold case, the murder of a fellow police officer in 1961.
And a new member has joined the family, a now six-month-old Golden Shepherd puppy named Fritz. Fritz is the "sleuth" who found the bones during an evening walk. Who is the victim? Who committed the crime, and why?
It's October, 1965. Detective Mal Mitchell and his new bride, Professor Augusta McKee, working on an extremely cold case ... bones discovered in the backyard of a nearby home which it's quickly learned were buried in 1918, during a worldwide pandemic. At the same time, Mal is attempting to close another cold case, the murder of a fellow police officer in 1961.
And a new member has joined the family, a now six-month-old Golden Shepherd puppy named Fritz. Fritz is the "sleuth" who found the bones during an evening walk. Who is the victim? Who committed the crime, and why?
February 15, 2022
Detective Fritz
While taking Fritz for a walk, Augusta has a bit of trouble with the pup. He slips off lead and digs in the neighbors' yard. What he finds is a human heelbone!
A body buried in 1918 and concealed under a patio comes to light as the patio is to be replaced. Mal and his partner are assigned the really cold case as well as looking into a four year old case where a police officer was murdered.
What follows is a twisty path through history, the Spanish Flu, and the memories from that time and the newer happenings of the officer's death.
Well written, characters I would like to meet, and two mysteries to solve.
While taking Fritz for a walk, Augusta has a bit of trouble with the pup. He slips off lead and digs in the neighbors' yard. What he finds is a human heelbone!
A body buried in 1918 and concealed under a patio comes to light as the patio is to be replaced. Mal and his partner are assigned the really cold case as well as looking into a four year old case where a police officer was murdered.
What follows is a twisty path through history, the Spanish Flu, and the memories from that time and the newer happenings of the officer's death.
Well written, characters I would like to meet, and two mysteries to solve.
February 5, 2022
A double mystery with a love story thrown in the mix.
It seemed a bit like a book that would be book 1 or 2 but enjoyed the relationships. Good read.
It seemed a bit like a book that would be book 1 or 2 but enjoyed the relationships. Good read.
August 3, 2023
every bit as wonderful!
What a beautiful heart wrenching story that keeps you on your toes!! So much love and soul went into this installation. Truly fantastic.
What a beautiful heart wrenching story that keeps you on your toes!! So much love and soul went into this installation. Truly fantastic.
October 24, 2020
The Case of the Unearthed Evidence, Susan Moore Jordan’s new book, sixth and best in the Augusta McKee mystery series, weaves together two unsolved mysteries: One takes place during the 1918 flu pandemic and the other in Cincinnati in the 1960s.
The more recent murder is based on an actual case investigated by retired Detective Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer, who Jordan describes in her acknowledgments as “my partner in crime, so to speak.” Artifacts from the crime are on display at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.
Followers of music professor and incorrigible amateur sleuth Augusta will not be surprised when she—accidentally or not—becomes involved in the cases being investigated by her husband of six months, Malcolm Mitchell.
A new character, a puppy named Fritz, starts the action by digging up a bone.
A valuable addition to the book is a Videography naming the various musical pieces mentioned in the course of this complex and imaginative story.
The more recent murder is based on an actual case investigated by retired Detective Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer, who Jordan describes in her acknowledgments as “my partner in crime, so to speak.” Artifacts from the crime are on display at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.
Followers of music professor and incorrigible amateur sleuth Augusta will not be surprised when she—accidentally or not—becomes involved in the cases being investigated by her husband of six months, Malcolm Mitchell.
A new character, a puppy named Fritz, starts the action by digging up a bone.
A valuable addition to the book is a Videography naming the various musical pieces mentioned in the course of this complex and imaginative story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews