Murder at Midnight

Monona Quinn Mystery #2

by Marshall Cook

Discovered by his young altar server, Father O's body lay on the floor of the sacristy, his throat slit. And so Monona Quinn, editor of the weekly Mitchell Doings, finds herself writing a profile of a dead man for the second time in three months.

And just like last time, Mo becomes obsessed with uncovering his killer, regardless of her husband's misgivings and her own safety. An extremely conservative Catholic radio show, a highway expansion, and millions of dollars all seem motive enough for murder. With the help of sassy Southern detective Lashandra Cooper, Mo sorts through the town full of suspects to find the truth.

Genres: Mystery

239 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Marshall J. Cook taught for the University of Wisconsin-Madison for thirty years and often speaks at conferences nationwide. He has published several books on stress management and has even been a guest on Oprah to discuss the topic.
Marshall edits Extra Innings, an online newsletter for writers. He has authored thirty books and hundreds of magazine articles. Marshall holds his BA in creative writing and his MA in communications from Stanford University. He has been married to Ellen since 1968, and they have one son, Jeremiah. When not writing, Marshall likes to read, jog, lift weights, and talk back to the television (not all at the same time). He is a passionate minor league baseball fan, drives the back roads, and eats in small town cafes.

Reviews

[Monette Bebow-Reinhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charm of the author exudes from these pages, and his ability to keep you turning the pages makes this a satisfying read for any mystery lover. His descriptions of the locale, too, make you feel like you live there with them. When a popular priest turns up dead, a local journalist finds herself entangled in the mysteries of the town to solve the murder. The trick is to look in the right corners. Sometimes what appear to be clues aren't clues at all. The ending was a surprise! The novel leaves you with some unanswered questions, but isn't that the job of a good novelist--to keep you thinking afterward? If this author could get his novels just a little more depth, I think he'd rank right up there with Agatha Christie, and I, for one, hope he keeps writing.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monona Quinn helps solve the mystery of who called the beloved parish priest. How she does is the meat of the story. My only quibble: the actual murderer is just a bit too obvious. Recommended to mystery readers.

[Karen Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

No deep thoughts in this 2nd book of the series either, but the story & characters were livelier & entertaining.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the book I chose for 8. A book with a time of day in the title of the Popsugar Challenge. I listened to the audiobook of it.

It is a sweet cozy murder mystery with real small town tones. The small town lives of Monona Quinn, her husband and community members are so lovingly shared with the readers, we are drawn into the town with a warm embrace.
The characters are believable and flawed, and sometimes argumentative and snarky. Just like real people.

The murder in this story is of a priest and religion, faith and belief are all interwoven but only as characters and not in any kind of evangelical way. There are those who find the idea of religion literally stupid as much as there are faithful Catholics scattered through the book.

Cook writes a very readable and enjoyable small town crime novel that is an easy read.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. Well written. Great plot and storyline. Since I don't live far from Madison, WI, it was great reading and recognizing the area. Not much suspense but it was an easy read. I'm planning on reading others by Cook. Highly recommend.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice book to pass the time with while waiting for the last book.