Wading Into Murder

Professor Laura Morland Mystery #2

by Joan Dahr Lambert

The irrepressible Laura Morland, Professor of Gender Studies, is back again! In WADING INTO MURDER (formerly titled Babes in the Baths), Laura walks - or more accurately falls - down a wall and swims across a rat-infested pool to rescue a baby in the famous Roman Baths of England. Attempts on her life and near-escapes come thick and fast after that. Laura is pushed down a circular stone stairwell, stalked at night by a sadist through a safari park full of wild animals, locked in the cellar of an ancient church and chased through cobbled streets on a stolen (and very wobbly) bicycle by a mob of angry drinkers. Laura is ably assisted in her efforts to unearth the villain(s) who are attacking her by another eccentric cast of characters - the indomitable Lady Longtree, whose large umbrella plays a central role, her talented grandson who makes mystery-solving graphs, and a six foot tall redhead improbably named Violet. But are these friends really on Laura's side? Violet could be a man, and the aristocratic Lady has her own suspicious agenda. And who among the members of the bus tour Laura has joined is also a member of the criminal gang? One or more of them must be - that fact soon becomes clear. When an innocent member of the tour group is murdered, Laura becomes even more determined to solve the mystery. The international baby-stealing gang she's tangling with is deadly and sophisticated - and intent on eliminating her - but to Laura, the fact that the children who are disappearing seem destined for the slave trade is more compelling. This is an issue she knows all about, for she plans to lecture on that very subject in Oxford later in the summer. Laura must summon all her imaginative powers and more courage than she knew she possessed to solve the mystery of WADING INTO MURDER. But neither she nor anyone else knows the identity of the master criminal until the very end. A trap is set, the lure baited, a meeting called. The tension in the room rises to unbearable heights. Then, in a wrenchingly dramatic scene that culminates in a totally unexpected accusation, the killer is exposed. The action in WADING INTO MURDER takes place in some of England's most famous and atmospheric the city of Bath, with its ancient Roman Baths, Stourhead Gardens, Longleat House and Safari Park,and the magnificent cathedral in Wells.

Genres: Mystery

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2010

About the author

I grew up outside, so it is no accident that most of my books take place outside. walking and climbing have always been my passions. I am still doing them at 80.

My first novel, Circles of Stone, the fist book in the Mother People Series, was published when I was 65, and I have been writing novels ever since. So never, ever believe you are too old to do anything.

I am about to embark on the fourth Mother People novel after finishing four mysteries in the Laura Morland Mystery Series. They were fun to write, excellent exercise for the brain and a relief after the serious issues I tackled in Circles of Stone and the others, but my heart always remained with Zena and I need to write about her again. I would love suggestions from any of you who have read my Mother People series about what you would like to hear.

I think this bio is becoming a blog, so I will continue there.
Thanks, Joan Dahr Lambert

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy authors who can weave a spell through their work and add some political/moral situations as well. Bless Prof. Laura Morland who had the luck of an "Ethel and Lucy" comedic misfortune to turn the wrong way on a dead-end street. She decides to take a relaxing tour to England, sees a couple with twins, enters a tourist stop before officially opening and becomes a target in female baby smuggling. I can identify with her because I am somewhat a klutz . She will stumble, trip, fall, almost drown in the nastiest places. However she is a survivor (she hopes) and braced by several loyal new friends she will discover how far her body can go and recover to a cup of tea and occasional stiff drink! The secondary story behind the story helps define life in the third world and familial ties that bind. Never read her books until now, but I will definitely add some more. Great author and great story! Take a little relaxing tour and find out you can discover.

[wayne peters]

Wading Into Murder

A riding mystery! Starts wth a baby being found in the Roman Bats. It escalates from there into mayhem and several "accidents" that almost end in tragedy for our heroine. The story gets more intense and terrifying. A must read for anyone who enjoys a truly great mystery.

[Simone Padfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Just found this author recently and I'm thoroughly enjoying the books so far. Can't wait for more. Lots of twists and excitement

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I was looking for a new mystery series, but I won't be continuing with this one. I enjoyed the travelogue aspect of the book and she certainly kept the plot moving. Unfortunately, it was always by placing her heroine in peril. The writing was clunky and amateur-ish. I often wondered if anyone had edited this book or if the author had even proofed it. In one scene, the heroine is comforted by a fellow prisoner. We are told he "stroked her" to comfort her. In the next paragraph we find out the guy's hands are tied tightly behind him. How could he possibly stroke her with his hands tied behind him? Come on. The author wastes time describing what the character wears and other things that stop the action and do nothing to reveal character. The heroine is often stupid and I figured things out long before she did. The author does tackle the important issue of the treatment of women in fundamentalist societies, but she has one character make a long, preachy speech about it instead of integrating it naturally into dialogue. The author has good ideas. She just needs to learn how to be a better writer.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the second book in the series (just 2 in the series, so far). i was not so thrilled with this book because it seemed contrived. the heroine was the center of attention throughout the whole book. she got into and out of so many attempts on her life, that i secretly wished that she would be hurt and sidelined for a while. i would like to have seen what some of the other characters, especially the special investigator, were doing when they were not with the main character. i'll read the third book and hope that it is better.

[Nancy]

Laura Morland, American professor, is on a tour in Bath, England and finds a baby. There is a kidnapping epidemic going on: female muslim girl babies are being kidnapped so they can be raised in very conservative muslim households - genital mutilation. Laura gets caught in the middle of it with someone she thinks is an aristocrat, her piano playing prodigy son, an under cover investigator and others. The Japanese woman on the tour is the murderer and head of the kidnapping ring.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good mystery. There is a large cast of characters who were a little confusing to start with, but I liked how the mystery was resolved and am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

[Gail Testa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as her first one, but entertaining.

[Karen Beimel]

So far, Ok but there seem to be an overwhelming number of coincidences and I'm only 16% through the book.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

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