A Simple Murder

by Lawrence Doyle

Kyle Peterson, the owner of a strip club in Frankfort, Kentucky, is gunned down in his home. The obvious suspect? His 19-year-old girl friend. To Sarah Conger, her court appointed lawyer, it initially looks like a plea bargain is her only hope of saving her client from the electric chair. But the case quickly takes an unexpected turn when an anonymous source begins sending her clues that point to Peterson’s involvement in a plot to blackmail one of the state’s leading politicians. Is the murder related to the blackmail? Sarah is convinced of it. So are many of the state’s leading lawmakers, and a few of them will do almost anything to make sure Sarah doesn’t dig too deep.

289 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2010

Reviews

[MarthaV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this was fun

I had just finished reading Doyle's book ,Adventures in Retirement'. It was laugh out loud funny. He mentioned in that book that he had written a mystery, so I thought I'd pick it up. This book was fun and I was surprised at how attached I became to the main character.

[Judy Thigpen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning and middle are ok -fast paced, simple and predictable, but then you realize your three-quarters of the way through the book and there's still so much to wrap up. The end is rushed and not as good as the rest of the book. Disappointing.

[Deborah Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice legal thriller. Well written, no wasted prose.

[LLona Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you buy a fully-loaded, brand new Ford truck for $10,000? Yes, back in 1983 when this story takes place, in the days of typing with carbon paper between the sheets (some of us remember it well). Now add a little politics, a few criminals, a 19-yr-old pole dancer accused of murder (did she do it? I won't tell), and give her a defense attorney (female) specifically assigned because the bosses thought she'd be a team player and convince her client to 'take the plea bargain offered'. Good character development, good use of conflict, and a wonderful way of bringing it all together nicely in the end.