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A Kate Reilly Mystery #1
Dead Man's Switch
Aspiring racecar driver Kate Reilly goes looking for a full time ride in the American Le Mans Series-and stumbles over a dead driver. When she takes that driver's job just hours later, she also takes pole position on the list of suspects in his murder. Suddenly she's in the hot seat with little time to clear her name and get ready to race a Corvette at Lime Rock Park.
Amidst suspicion, Kate buckles down, quickly getting to know the racecar and team, bumping into plenty of suspects who might have committed murder. Clues fly at her as fast as the turns on the track, including a cryptic list of blackmail victims, unexplainable car performance at racing speed, a jealous husband with an adulterous wife, and drivers and crew who are openly happy her predecessor is dead. Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on and off track as she throttles up both the Corvette's V8 and a murder investigation.
The green flag countdown ticks away, and Kate must decide who she can trust to help probe alibis, untangle rumors of team breakups and personal betrayals, and determine whose drive to win also constitutes a willingness to kill. Because what's at stake in Kate's race to the truth is her career … only by uncovering a murderer can Kate restore her reputation and prove she belongs in the racing world.
A debut novel.
Amidst suspicion, Kate buckles down, quickly getting to know the racecar and team, bumping into plenty of suspects who might have committed murder. Clues fly at her as fast as the turns on the track, including a cryptic list of blackmail victims, unexplainable car performance at racing speed, a jealous husband with an adulterous wife, and drivers and crew who are openly happy her predecessor is dead. Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on and off track as she throttles up both the Corvette's V8 and a murder investigation.
The green flag countdown ticks away, and Kate must decide who she can trust to help probe alibis, untangle rumors of team breakups and personal betrayals, and determine whose drive to win also constitutes a willingness to kill. Because what's at stake in Kate's race to the truth is her career … only by uncovering a murderer can Kate restore her reputation and prove she belongs in the racing world.
A debut novel.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2011
4 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Tammy Kaehler
7 books47 followersWhen Tammy Kaehler discovered the racing world, she was hooked by the contrast between its top-dollar, high-drama competition, and friendly, family atmosphere. Mystery fans and racing insiders alike have praised her award-winning Kate Reilly Mystery Series (Dead Man’s Switch, Braking Points, Avoidable Contact, and Red Flags), and Tammy takes readers back behind the wheel in her fifth entry, Kiss The Bricks. She works as a freelance writer in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and many cars. Find out more at www.tammykaehler.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 10, 2011
This press continues to find and publish well-written out-of-the-ordinary crime fiction. The novel is well-written. The author’s style for her protagonist fits very well both story and character. Kate Reilly is a likeable, slightly off-kilter woman, in an extremely macho environment, automobile racing.
The dialogue is true to the medium and true to form. Its rhythms and language enhance the tensions of the racing scene and of the murder. Kate Reilly is an upcoming young woman from a troubling background looking for a “ride” as it’s called, a seat in a race car for a team traveling the racing circuit. She’s reached the level of experience that means she, along with lots of competitors, has to hook up with a racing team in order to demonstrate that she should be hired onto a team as a driver.
When a regular driver for one of the teams competing at Lime Rock is found dead and Kate takes his place, the rumor mill explodes. In order to defend herself and prove she is a worthy competitor, she decides to try to assist the local police and nail a killer. There are a few times in this story line when I was troubled by her naiveté and lack of understanding how she was seriously endangering herself. A small caveat.
The subplots are deftly handled and the novel mostly moves with a strong vibrant pace. The solutions to the murder, the subplots and the ultimate race are carefully laid out, and in ways that enhance the feeling of having been in the pits during tension-filled moments of racing. And for readers who don’t really care about the racing scene, fear not, the plot and subplots carry the novel quite well. a fast and satisfying read.
The dialogue is true to the medium and true to form. Its rhythms and language enhance the tensions of the racing scene and of the murder. Kate Reilly is an upcoming young woman from a troubling background looking for a “ride” as it’s called, a seat in a race car for a team traveling the racing circuit. She’s reached the level of experience that means she, along with lots of competitors, has to hook up with a racing team in order to demonstrate that she should be hired onto a team as a driver.
When a regular driver for one of the teams competing at Lime Rock is found dead and Kate takes his place, the rumor mill explodes. In order to defend herself and prove she is a worthy competitor, she decides to try to assist the local police and nail a killer. There are a few times in this story line when I was troubled by her naiveté and lack of understanding how she was seriously endangering herself. A small caveat.
The subplots are deftly handled and the novel mostly moves with a strong vibrant pace. The solutions to the murder, the subplots and the ultimate race are carefully laid out, and in ways that enhance the feeling of having been in the pits during tension-filled moments of racing. And for readers who don’t really care about the racing scene, fear not, the plot and subplots carry the novel quite well. a fast and satisfying read.
October 30, 2020
Digital audiobook read by Nicole Vilencia
3***
From the book jacket: Aspiring race-car driver Kate Reilly goes looking for a full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series – and stumbles over a dead driver. When she takes that driver’s job just hours later, she also takes pole position on the list of suspects in his murder. Suddenly she’s in the hot seat with little time to clear her name or get ready to race a Corvette at lime Rock Park. … Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on – and off – the track as she throttles up both the Corvette’s V8 and a murder investigation…
My reactions:
This was a fun, fast read that taught me a bit about racing.
I liked Kate as a lead character. She’s intelligent, prepared, determined, skilled and strong. I liked the way she thought through the scraps of information she collected to arrive at her conclusions. I also really liked her focus on the job at hand – driving that Corvette as part of a team. I’m not likely to continue the series, as the basic premise just doesn’t interest me that much.
However, I was tickled when Road America was mentioned, as I’ve visited that track about an hour north of Milwaukee, to watch the races a few times. (One of my husband’s friends races his Porsche there.)
3***
From the book jacket: Aspiring race-car driver Kate Reilly goes looking for a full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series – and stumbles over a dead driver. When she takes that driver’s job just hours later, she also takes pole position on the list of suspects in his murder. Suddenly she’s in the hot seat with little time to clear her name or get ready to race a Corvette at lime Rock Park. … Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on – and off – the track as she throttles up both the Corvette’s V8 and a murder investigation…
My reactions:
This was a fun, fast read that taught me a bit about racing.
I liked Kate as a lead character. She’s intelligent, prepared, determined, skilled and strong. I liked the way she thought through the scraps of information she collected to arrive at her conclusions. I also really liked her focus on the job at hand – driving that Corvette as part of a team. I’m not likely to continue the series, as the basic premise just doesn’t interest me that much.
However, I was tickled when Road America was mentioned, as I’ve visited that track about an hour north of Milwaukee, to watch the races a few times. (One of my husband’s friends races his Porsche there.)
March 29, 2012
You don’t have to be a racing fan to enjoy Dead Man’s Switch. Kate Reilly has enough intelligence to steer herself into trouble, before she steers herself back out. The racing sequences prove well-researched enough to satisfy even the most intelligent stock car fan, but it’s not enough to detract from the overall story, nor is it enough to dissatisfy even the most casual reader. Kate’s voice proves a bit young and inexperienced, except when she’s behind the wheel of her Corvette and taking on the more seasoned drivers on the track.
The mystery proves interesting, and coupled with the driving, it increases the pace of the tale, as both Kate and the reader race to the checkered flag. If you enjoy amateur sleuths, and racing, or even if you don’t enjoy racing, you’ll want to pick up this book, otherwise you’ll be sorry you missed out on all the burned rubber.
The mystery proves interesting, and coupled with the driving, it increases the pace of the tale, as both Kate and the reader race to the checkered flag. If you enjoy amateur sleuths, and racing, or even if you don’t enjoy racing, you’ll want to pick up this book, otherwise you’ll be sorry you missed out on all the burned rubber.
April 16, 2011
It's combines motorsport and mystery--what's not to love. :-)
February 22, 2011
"I was female. I was twenty-four. I'd been steadily working my way up the auto racing food chain since I was twelve. I knew myself to be tenacious, aggressive, and stubborn. The racing world saw me as reserved and feminine, yet competent-and I worked hard for it."
A woman race car driver.. What a great idea for a mystery series. First of all, I love the main character, Kate. She's tough but realistic. She's a good driver, knows her car, knows what's she doing, but she has flaws too. She's annoying sometimes.
When she finds a dead driver at the track and ends up getting his spot behind the wheel of the Vette, suspicion for his murder falls on her shoulders. So, not only does she have to try to win a race, but she also has to clear her name. She begins asking questions left and right, running all over the track asking people what kind of rental they have. Seriously, could you be more obvious?
Naturally, with the entire race world knowing she is trying to find the killer, that she is in possession of the dead driver's notebook, and knows what kind of rental the killer most likely drove, her life is in danger now too. And it won't be from a wet track, but a killer who feels she's getting too close to the truth.
LOVED the interview with Seventeen Magazine. Laughed with glee at this remark here as well, "Hype? Hell, yeah. Haven't you heard? Girls kick ass."
I liked this, but didn't love it. I get that this is a mystery, but the facts got repeated over and over way too much and I also get this is about a race car driver and I love that, but way too much detail about the track, the cars, and everyday goings on at the track. It was a little too much to take in all at once.
You love Nascar? You love Danica Patrick? You love Corvettes? You'll want to read this one.
A woman race car driver.. What a great idea for a mystery series. First of all, I love the main character, Kate. She's tough but realistic. She's a good driver, knows her car, knows what's she doing, but she has flaws too. She's annoying sometimes.
When she finds a dead driver at the track and ends up getting his spot behind the wheel of the Vette, suspicion for his murder falls on her shoulders. So, not only does she have to try to win a race, but she also has to clear her name. She begins asking questions left and right, running all over the track asking people what kind of rental they have. Seriously, could you be more obvious?
Naturally, with the entire race world knowing she is trying to find the killer, that she is in possession of the dead driver's notebook, and knows what kind of rental the killer most likely drove, her life is in danger now too. And it won't be from a wet track, but a killer who feels she's getting too close to the truth.
LOVED the interview with Seventeen Magazine. Laughed with glee at this remark here as well, "Hype? Hell, yeah. Haven't you heard? Girls kick ass."
I liked this, but didn't love it. I get that this is a mystery, but the facts got repeated over and over way too much and I also get this is about a race car driver and I love that, but way too much detail about the track, the cars, and everyday goings on at the track. It was a little too much to take in all at once.
You love Nascar? You love Danica Patrick? You love Corvettes? You'll want to read this one.
July 6, 2011
Tammy Kaehler delivers a solid debut with Dead Man's Switch, featuring racecar driving protagonist Kate Reilly. The story opens when Kate gets a much needed chance to accelerate her racing career after veteran driver Wade Becker turns up suspiciously dead just days before the American Le Mans Series finale.
Kate isn't a total rookie. She's shown her driving skill in earlier races and has made herself available for this one, hoping to score an invitation to drive. Granted, she didn't expect her invitation to come because another racer turned up dead. But, like her grandad always says, beggars can't be choosers.
Turns out, the racing community isn't full of hugs and brotherly love. Plenty of racers on the circuit are jealous. Did Kate sleep her way into the Corvette's driver's seat? Maybe she killed Wade to get a shot at the big league? Rumors fly around the track about as fast as the cars. Kate has to keep her thinking clear and focus. She has a car to learn, a track to learn, and a team to learn . . . all in four days, when she'll finally get her chance to drive in the spotlight, *if* she can keep a persistent police detective off her back.
Dead Man's Switch is a great pick for fans of strong female protagonists, amateur sleuths, all things racing, and those who like to be first to find promising new mystery authors. Two thumbs up! Vrooom.
Kate isn't a total rookie. She's shown her driving skill in earlier races and has made herself available for this one, hoping to score an invitation to drive. Granted, she didn't expect her invitation to come because another racer turned up dead. But, like her grandad always says, beggars can't be choosers.
Turns out, the racing community isn't full of hugs and brotherly love. Plenty of racers on the circuit are jealous. Did Kate sleep her way into the Corvette's driver's seat? Maybe she killed Wade to get a shot at the big league? Rumors fly around the track about as fast as the cars. Kate has to keep her thinking clear and focus. She has a car to learn, a track to learn, and a team to learn . . . all in four days, when she'll finally get her chance to drive in the spotlight, *if* she can keep a persistent police detective off her back.
Dead Man's Switch is a great pick for fans of strong female protagonists, amateur sleuths, all things racing, and those who like to be first to find promising new mystery authors. Two thumbs up! Vrooom.
July 9, 2011
If you like your mysteries fast-paced and high octane, then Dead Man's Switch: A Kate Reilly Mystery is your perfect summer read. Professional race car driver Kate Reilly has the opportunity of a lifetime —a full-time position in the American le Mans series. Unfortunately, it comes with a dead man in the bargain. How Kate manages both the race and her investigation into the crime creates the tension in this story. A cast of suspicious secondary characters makes a fine suspect pool, but for me, the behind-the-wheel descriptions of racing were what made this novel so irresistible — whether or not Kate would manage to triumph in the race was almost as suspenseful as whether or not she managed to catch a killer. If you like a spirited sleuth and an adrenaline-fueled plot, pick up Dead Man’s Switch; it’s a great ride.
October 31, 2020
Kate Reilly hopes to get a full time ride on a Le Mans auto racing team, but when she parks her car in order to look over the track, she finds a dead body. Since her tire is almost touching the man, she is the first suspect, and, not surprisingly, rumours fly when she is hired to replace him in the upcoming race, although she had raced for this team once before. But of course, since she is a woman, the murder of Wade is only one of the rumours going around.
Kate (such a surprise here) starts asking questions and trying to determine the real culprit, enlisting the aid of a couple of others. This doesn't go over too well with Det. Jolley, but she perseveres (must be the same thing that keeps her driving--determination and drive). Not only did no one like Wade (making a wide list of potential suspects), but he wasn't the best sport and not above holding grudges.
In the meantime, Kate's father, who she apparently only met about a year before this book starts, shows up and wants to give her something from his late father (what it is constitutes a spoiler), but suffice it to say that her father is at least one part of this book that is a bit of a cliff hanger to get you to read the second book in this series. While there are no parallels other than this, it reminded me a bit of the TV show Alias with the estranged father/daughter relationship at the start of the series.
This is a fun mystery, although a few times I got a bit glassy eyed during the driving chapters, but they weren't written in a really boring fashion.
Kate (such a surprise here) starts asking questions and trying to determine the real culprit, enlisting the aid of a couple of others. This doesn't go over too well with Det. Jolley, but she perseveres (must be the same thing that keeps her driving--determination and drive). Not only did no one like Wade (making a wide list of potential suspects), but he wasn't the best sport and not above holding grudges.
In the meantime, Kate's father, who she apparently only met about a year before this book starts, shows up and wants to give her something from his late father (what it is constitutes a spoiler), but suffice it to say that her father is at least one part of this book that is a bit of a cliff hanger to get you to read the second book in this series. While there are no parallels other than this, it reminded me a bit of the TV show Alias with the estranged father/daughter relationship at the start of the series.
This is a fun mystery, although a few times I got a bit glassy eyed during the driving chapters, but they weren't written in a really boring fashion.
March 19, 2017
Kate Reilly is looking for a “ride” at Lime Rock Park speedway in Lakeville, Connecticut on the 4th of July weekend where the American Le Mans series (ALMS) is racing its Corvettes. Her level of experience means that she must become a part of a racing team in order to be taken seriously as a driver. Turning up at the track says that she is ready and willing just in case a team needs a driver.
As luck would have it, Kate discovers a body by barely hitting it when she arrived and parks her car. That body is Wade Becker, driver of the 28 Corvette on the Sandham Swift racing team. She runs for help and finds Stuart Telardy, VP of operations and communications for ALMS, 33, and handsome. When the police arrive, the detectives question her repeatedly, wondering why she had found Wade’s body. She is incredulous when they ask for her alibi for the previous night. At least she’d been with her friend Holly from Western racing team, who takes Kate under her wing after the police release her on that Saturday morning.
Jack Sandham finds Kate in Holly’s team’s paddock. He hires Kate to drive for Wade for this race with possibilities for the remainder of the series. Kate is thrilled when her dreams come true and she is hired as the second driver. The rumor mill explodes, and Kate is considered a prime suspect in Becker’s murder. However, Wade was not a popular driver, so many will not miss him. They are happy to see what Kate can do. Many others believe a woman does not make a good race driver and let her know it. She’s a 24-year-old female who has been working her way up in the racing world since she was 12 years old. But she knows she is stepping into a chaotic situation full of emotion.
Sandham Swift is a private team racing two C6R Corvettes purchased from the manufacturer, numbers 28 an 29. The cars competed in the GT1 (Grand Touring 1) along with large Ferraris, Vipers, Mazaradis, Astin Martins, and Selenes. Other classes include the GT2 and Le Mans prototype classes 1 and 2. Two drivers share the car in every race, with more drivers for longer races. Kate had joined this team for the third stint at the end of Sebring’s 12-hour race the year before so knew the car, the team, the pit crew, the owner.
Kate immediately meets with the crew, learning more about the car and the track. She will only have an hour to practice in the car before the race. She needed to convince the detectives she didn’t commit murder while getting to know the car and track as best she could.
When race time arrives, we are treated to a step-by-step rundown of what goes on inside the race car. With each turn of the car, Kate describes the actions needed to navigate the turns, the straights, and pit lane. She has done this a million times before she ever attempts it in the car. It is as close to a personal tour of the track as the reader can get without being there.
Reviewed by Sandie Herron
As luck would have it, Kate discovers a body by barely hitting it when she arrived and parks her car. That body is Wade Becker, driver of the 28 Corvette on the Sandham Swift racing team. She runs for help and finds Stuart Telardy, VP of operations and communications for ALMS, 33, and handsome. When the police arrive, the detectives question her repeatedly, wondering why she had found Wade’s body. She is incredulous when they ask for her alibi for the previous night. At least she’d been with her friend Holly from Western racing team, who takes Kate under her wing after the police release her on that Saturday morning.
Jack Sandham finds Kate in Holly’s team’s paddock. He hires Kate to drive for Wade for this race with possibilities for the remainder of the series. Kate is thrilled when her dreams come true and she is hired as the second driver. The rumor mill explodes, and Kate is considered a prime suspect in Becker’s murder. However, Wade was not a popular driver, so many will not miss him. They are happy to see what Kate can do. Many others believe a woman does not make a good race driver and let her know it. She’s a 24-year-old female who has been working her way up in the racing world since she was 12 years old. But she knows she is stepping into a chaotic situation full of emotion.
Sandham Swift is a private team racing two C6R Corvettes purchased from the manufacturer, numbers 28 an 29. The cars competed in the GT1 (Grand Touring 1) along with large Ferraris, Vipers, Mazaradis, Astin Martins, and Selenes. Other classes include the GT2 and Le Mans prototype classes 1 and 2. Two drivers share the car in every race, with more drivers for longer races. Kate had joined this team for the third stint at the end of Sebring’s 12-hour race the year before so knew the car, the team, the pit crew, the owner.
Kate immediately meets with the crew, learning more about the car and the track. She will only have an hour to practice in the car before the race. She needed to convince the detectives she didn’t commit murder while getting to know the car and track as best she could.
When race time arrives, we are treated to a step-by-step rundown of what goes on inside the race car. With each turn of the car, Kate describes the actions needed to navigate the turns, the straights, and pit lane. She has done this a million times before she ever attempts it in the car. It is as close to a personal tour of the track as the reader can get without being there.
Reviewed by Sandie Herron
February 26, 2018
It is so refreshing having an interest in something other than just the same old rut that cozy mysteries tend to copy from one another these days. The actual racing I found myself tense and holding my breath. The main character was a delight as one of the boys rather than some woman making bad judgement calls that a boyfriend or police continue to chastise her about while she somehow pulls it out at the end and becomes the heroine once again. In this book she gathers gossip which becomes clues and allows Detective Jolley to do his job as he should. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) merged with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in 2014 to form the United SportsCar Championship. So I'm thinking the book must have originally been written awhile back; although I just got the most recent reprint. The only thing different the author may consider is having a bit more of mystery then pages of filler with other racers. Otherwise it is a great read. I loved it.
May 6, 2017
As someone who used to run in SCCA club racing and still participates in HPDE events and is working on my second mystery novel this series intrigued me. So many racing themed novel just suck so I wasn't holding out high hope but I was pleasantly surprised. The author managed to capture some of the realities of driving at speed. Rarely in racing novels does the author demonstrate an understanding of the importance of weight transfer and balance or the feel of a car on the limit. MS. Kaehler does a good job of that. Plus another pleasant surprise the writing is good and the story interesting. I down checked it one star because in my opinion the book had a little too much navel gazing by the main character that failed to add to the story. But having said that I enjoyed the book and intend to read more in the series.
April 26, 2020
I actually give this mystery thriller 3.5 stars. It is centered on Kate Reilly, a young race car driver looking for a permanent berth on a team in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). It is July 4th at Lime Rock Raceway, and Kate arrives early to watch, learn, and jump at any opportunity to drive in a race. That opportunity arrives out of the blue, but only after Kate has stumbled over the body of one of the lead racers shortly after arriving. Concerned at being a murder suspect in the minds of her fellow racers and fans and thus jeopardizing her chance to make the temporary race team position permanent, Kate sets out to find the murderer while proving on the track just how well a 'girl' can race. Kate is likeable, the suspects numerous, and the auto racing background unusual and exciting.
What little I know about auto racing I have picked up from watching endless repeats of Top Gear (Brit & US). I was startled to encounter terms familiar from horse racing and not typically coupled with cars: 'paddocks' are where team pit stops are located, and 'corrals' where fans and owners of specific cars can gather (Corvette Corral). Perhaps I should not have been so surprised since no doubt the first auto races was held on the same tracks as horse racing. The author really puts you in the heart of the speed, grease, cars, and racers, as well as introducing the business of racing.
Lime Rock Raceway is near Salisbury, CT, an easy drive from NYC. I may just have to spend a 4th of July at the races sometime. For now, I will continue to read this series I only discovered because of Poll Tally, and see if I can find any books on the women in auto racing, still a bastion of machismo even though superior physical strength or size do not make for a great racer; it is all about strategy and guts.
What little I know about auto racing I have picked up from watching endless repeats of Top Gear (Brit & US). I was startled to encounter terms familiar from horse racing and not typically coupled with cars: 'paddocks' are where team pit stops are located, and 'corrals' where fans and owners of specific cars can gather (Corvette Corral). Perhaps I should not have been so surprised since no doubt the first auto races was held on the same tracks as horse racing. The author really puts you in the heart of the speed, grease, cars, and racers, as well as introducing the business of racing.
Lime Rock Raceway is near Salisbury, CT, an easy drive from NYC. I may just have to spend a 4th of July at the races sometime. For now, I will continue to read this series I only discovered because of Poll Tally, and see if I can find any books on the women in auto racing, still a bastion of machismo even though superior physical strength or size do not make for a great racer; it is all about strategy and guts.
June 17, 2017
A good mystery especially if you love race car driving
November 22, 2020
I am a huge racing fan which is why I bought this book. I enjoyed it and thought the author did a good job of giving a bit of look behind the scenes at what goes on during a race weekend even though that is not the primary purpose of the book. The mystery part of the story was intriguing as well. I've already purchased the author's second book in the series and look forward to reading it next.
August 30, 2025
Good book, fun read.
June 7, 2013
Kate Reilly is an up-and-coming racecar driver, hanging out at the pits, hoping for an opportunity to prove herself by being a substitute or a third-man driver for one of the sponsored teams. I was expecting a strong female protagonist, with a keen mind and courage, swept up in events from which she has to extricate herself - and an inside view of the car racing world. I was hoping for a distaff Dick Francis-style novel, set in the car racing world. This is not that book.
Kate is a young (24), short (5’3”), female who has loved racing cars since she was 12 years old. She is quite good, but is looking for a way to break in to the bigger leagues – to belong to a sponsored team. As she arrives in the early morning at the race course, she bumps into a body, with her car. It is Wade, the number one racer for the Sandham Swift team. Rumors soon start that maybe she killed him so she could take his place. It doesn’t help matters that the team owner picks her as the last-minute fill-in for the race that weekend.
The rest of the novel is set over the four days of the annual American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race being held at that track.
At heart this mystery is a cozy, using the novelty of a female racecar driver as a hook. This novel has the usual driver: that Kate feels she must find the murderer in order to clear her name. The background details of the racing setup and fraternity is sufficiently well depicted that we are not convinced that this is in any way necessary. The police detective does not really suspect her; there is no evidence on her nor did she have opportunity.
It is here that the book goes off the rails a bit. Kate goes around asking snooping, detective-y questions of everyone (and they willingly answer, no matter how inappropriate), and then passes on all this info to the detective, who is surprised and grateful for the information. Really? He wouldn’t have ascertained this info already, using, oh, let’s say, a computer, or asking around himself, in the first several hours?
The initial snooping is tolerable, but becomes more unbelievable as the story continues. Arguably the biggest race of her life is two days away, and she is needlessly detecting and distracted. There is an overbalance of Kate’s internal speculations, such as rehasing and considering options that were ruled out earlier, that would not benefit from her meddling. There is one cringe-worth scene where her inept inquiries has her being admonished like a badly behaved child.
We are introduced to a variety of characters but no real toughness or danger. We spot the possible romantic interest in the first five pages. Too bad. One would have expected someone who has hung around the racing circuit for over 10 years to have developed a stronger self-reliant streak.
The detailed you-are-there description of the race from the driver’s point-of-view is very interesting, and fast-paced. It is during these scenes that the tension builds, and we sense possible danger – to the driver, to the team, to the race. Too bad there wasn’t more of this tension in the book’s mystery.
It is remarked in the book, more than once, that a racecar driver doesn’t need to be big and muscled – that concentration and mental toughness are more important. Where is Kate’s mental toughness? Only in the driver’s seat, it seems.
At times a bit twee, this is a hybrid cozy – the female amateur sleuth, but set in a technical, male-dominated, high-tension world of car racing instead of a small town or village. A first novel for the author and the first in the Kate Reilly series, this is a light, mildly entertaining read.
Kate is a young (24), short (5’3”), female who has loved racing cars since she was 12 years old. She is quite good, but is looking for a way to break in to the bigger leagues – to belong to a sponsored team. As she arrives in the early morning at the race course, she bumps into a body, with her car. It is Wade, the number one racer for the Sandham Swift team. Rumors soon start that maybe she killed him so she could take his place. It doesn’t help matters that the team owner picks her as the last-minute fill-in for the race that weekend.
The rest of the novel is set over the four days of the annual American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race being held at that track.
At heart this mystery is a cozy, using the novelty of a female racecar driver as a hook. This novel has the usual driver: that Kate feels she must find the murderer in order to clear her name. The background details of the racing setup and fraternity is sufficiently well depicted that we are not convinced that this is in any way necessary. The police detective does not really suspect her; there is no evidence on her nor did she have opportunity.
It is here that the book goes off the rails a bit. Kate goes around asking snooping, detective-y questions of everyone (and they willingly answer, no matter how inappropriate), and then passes on all this info to the detective, who is surprised and grateful for the information. Really? He wouldn’t have ascertained this info already, using, oh, let’s say, a computer, or asking around himself, in the first several hours?
The initial snooping is tolerable, but becomes more unbelievable as the story continues. Arguably the biggest race of her life is two days away, and she is needlessly detecting and distracted. There is an overbalance of Kate’s internal speculations, such as rehasing and considering options that were ruled out earlier, that would not benefit from her meddling. There is one cringe-worth scene where her inept inquiries has her being admonished like a badly behaved child.
We are introduced to a variety of characters but no real toughness or danger. We spot the possible romantic interest in the first five pages. Too bad. One would have expected someone who has hung around the racing circuit for over 10 years to have developed a stronger self-reliant streak.
The detailed you-are-there description of the race from the driver’s point-of-view is very interesting, and fast-paced. It is during these scenes that the tension builds, and we sense possible danger – to the driver, to the team, to the race. Too bad there wasn’t more of this tension in the book’s mystery.
It is remarked in the book, more than once, that a racecar driver doesn’t need to be big and muscled – that concentration and mental toughness are more important. Where is Kate’s mental toughness? Only in the driver’s seat, it seems.
At times a bit twee, this is a hybrid cozy – the female amateur sleuth, but set in a technical, male-dominated, high-tension world of car racing instead of a small town or village. A first novel for the author and the first in the Kate Reilly series, this is a light, mildly entertaining read.
March 23, 2014
First, let me say, if anyone reads this book and finds themsevles interested in sports car racing (because really, it's awesome)...don't go looking for ALMS. It no longer exists. It merged with Grand Am....the new series is Tudor United Sports Car series and it is awesome. I highly recommend it.
Now for the book...
I read racing fiction like it's candy (also racing non-fiction for that matter). Any book that takes place in the racing world...I need to get my hands on. Especially if it's about my beloved sports cars. And out of all the books I've read, this one really gets its racing facts straight. It was impressive. Really impressive. While I've never been to Lime Rock, I've been to so many other tracks and race weekends and in a lot ways, she captured it perfectly. There's a lot of racing details in this book and almost all of them were dead on, or at least as close to as I've ever read so kudos for that. (Side note, a few parts did bother me...for example, teams practice driver changes all the time during race weekends, so if she really was unpracticed, there's no way they would have left it till race time...also Ams don't race just for fun, nor would you ever put two ams in a car together...but it was honestly all small things).
The book itself...that's where this one faltered for me.
I liked Kate, I liked her a lot. I wanted to root for her, I wanted to really jump in and feel like I got to know her and wish her the best in racing, as god knows I know how hard it is for anyone to get a ride, let alone a girl.
It just didn't work for me. I never quite understood why she was so dedicated to solving a case. This was the biggest opportunity of her career and she spent most of the weekend distracted trying to clear her name. It would have maybe been a bit more believable if the police had suspected her, but they never did. I understand she wanted the rumors to stop, they can be vicious around racing cycles (although people at the track are much warmer than this book suggested...but I'll give her creative liscence there), but I never quite got her motivation to not just let the police handle it. It just felt silly.
And really repetitive. She kept asking the same question and dicussing the same issues. People kept giving her the same warnings, which she kept ignoring. It was just a lot of...the same thing over and over again with very little progress.
Not to mention the way she approached her questioning was awkward and painful to read. She might have been the worst detective ever and honestly, it's a miracle she figured out anything at all, and I'm still not quite sure why so many people just randomly told her what kind of car they were driving that weekend, like it was a totally normal question.
It just...this book could have been great but it failed.
I might check out the second one...as I said, the racing facts checked out and I appreciated that. I just hope the story is stronger.
Now for the book...
I read racing fiction like it's candy (also racing non-fiction for that matter). Any book that takes place in the racing world...I need to get my hands on. Especially if it's about my beloved sports cars. And out of all the books I've read, this one really gets its racing facts straight. It was impressive. Really impressive. While I've never been to Lime Rock, I've been to so many other tracks and race weekends and in a lot ways, she captured it perfectly. There's a lot of racing details in this book and almost all of them were dead on, or at least as close to as I've ever read so kudos for that. (Side note, a few parts did bother me...for example, teams practice driver changes all the time during race weekends, so if she really was unpracticed, there's no way they would have left it till race time...also Ams don't race just for fun, nor would you ever put two ams in a car together...but it was honestly all small things).
The book itself...that's where this one faltered for me.
I liked Kate, I liked her a lot. I wanted to root for her, I wanted to really jump in and feel like I got to know her and wish her the best in racing, as god knows I know how hard it is for anyone to get a ride, let alone a girl.
It just didn't work for me. I never quite understood why she was so dedicated to solving a case. This was the biggest opportunity of her career and she spent most of the weekend distracted trying to clear her name. It would have maybe been a bit more believable if the police had suspected her, but they never did. I understand she wanted the rumors to stop, they can be vicious around racing cycles (although people at the track are much warmer than this book suggested...but I'll give her creative liscence there), but I never quite got her motivation to not just let the police handle it. It just felt silly.
And really repetitive. She kept asking the same question and dicussing the same issues. People kept giving her the same warnings, which she kept ignoring. It was just a lot of...the same thing over and over again with very little progress.
Not to mention the way she approached her questioning was awkward and painful to read. She might have been the worst detective ever and honestly, it's a miracle she figured out anything at all, and I'm still not quite sure why so many people just randomly told her what kind of car they were driving that weekend, like it was a totally normal question.
It just...this book could have been great but it failed.
I might check out the second one...as I said, the racing facts checked out and I appreciated that. I just hope the story is stronger.
May 30, 2017
This book just didn't work for me. I was so excited about coming across a cozy mystery with a racecar theme. I love racing. Even with this being a racing themed mystery, there was way too much talk about the race, the track, the cars, and the drivers and other personnel. There was so much information that would have been better off not being included and it ultimately took away from my enjoyment of the book.
December 11, 2011
Dead Man's Switch is the debut mystery novel by Tammy Kaehler, first of the Kate Reilly professional car racing mystery series. Kate Reilly, an aspiring race car driver, arrives at the Lime Rock racetrack to observe and enjoy the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). She discovers a racer's body in the parking lot, and reports his death. She is stunned and elated to be offered the chance to drive in his place. What she does not expect is for the rest of the racing community to assume that she killed him for the chance, and for the police to consider her a prime suspect. She resolves to find out the true killer, to remove the stain of nasty rumor from her career. She asks so many questions in her efforts to discover the truth that she offends much of the race community by her snooping, antagonizes the police detective, and almost distracts herself from her job - to race the best she is able, and to represent her team with poise to their sponsors. Kate is a likeable heroine. Her effort to clear her name is understandable and reasonable. Her love of racing is evident. The story describes how much of a racer's duty is off the track, visiting with sponsors and planning for racing.
Of course a woman race driver faces male chauvinism in the sport. A competing driver yells at Kate "Women don't belong on the track - you're in the way of real drivers." However as Kate explains to a team sponsor, "In football or hockey, the athlete's size is everything. You wear sized equipment and your mass helps you advance or defend. In racing, the co-drivers wear the same size car. Once you get into the car, you're all the same in bulk and power. Racing is about concentration, hand-eye coordination, and general fitness - more than the ability to bench-press your own body weight."
The firsthand experience of racing is described in detail as Kate takes her practice laps, starting with all the layers she must wear for safety and how she enters/exits the car and is harnessed inside. She describes the custom "slicks" tires used on dry racetracks and the "wets" tires used in the rain. As she races, the details include her strategy to pass competing racers.
Kate's experience racing enables her to talk freely with racers, media and support crews, and to decipher cryptic notes in the murdered racer's notebook, key clues the police would not have been able to reveal.
The story builds nicely from a detailed description of a race weekend experience to a suspenseful race, and then to the solution of the mystery. I look forward to reading more of the series.
Of course a woman race driver faces male chauvinism in the sport. A competing driver yells at Kate "Women don't belong on the track - you're in the way of real drivers." However as Kate explains to a team sponsor, "In football or hockey, the athlete's size is everything. You wear sized equipment and your mass helps you advance or defend. In racing, the co-drivers wear the same size car. Once you get into the car, you're all the same in bulk and power. Racing is about concentration, hand-eye coordination, and general fitness - more than the ability to bench-press your own body weight."
The firsthand experience of racing is described in detail as Kate takes her practice laps, starting with all the layers she must wear for safety and how she enters/exits the car and is harnessed inside. She describes the custom "slicks" tires used on dry racetracks and the "wets" tires used in the rain. As she races, the details include her strategy to pass competing racers.
Kate's experience racing enables her to talk freely with racers, media and support crews, and to decipher cryptic notes in the murdered racer's notebook, key clues the police would not have been able to reveal.
The story builds nicely from a detailed description of a race weekend experience to a suspenseful race, and then to the solution of the mystery. I look forward to reading more of the series.
February 27, 2017
I liked this mystery. Didn't love it. I would have appreciated more characterization as I read, though by the book's end I was happier with it than at 2/3 through it. I will read the second in this series, 'cause I'm betting her writing improves...
March 23, 2011
DEAD MAN'S SWITCH
This is another promising debut from Poisoned Pen (due out in August). Kate Reilly is an aspiring race car driver in the Le Mans series and attends each race in hoping of getting a spot in a crew. At Lime Rock Park she has both bad and good luck. The bad is finding the body of a racer who's been murdered. When Kate is offered his spot on the Corvette team, she becomes suspect number one. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to find out who wanted Wade dead. Problem is, just about everyone did.
Surprisingly it was the race scenes that most held my attention. Where the book faltered a bit for me was in Kate's sometimes naive and foolhardy investigating. Authors have a difficult job to do when their character is an amateur detective. Just what would drive (hah, a pun) a character to think they could do better then the police? The protagonist as suspect is an obvious route to go and I don't have an issue with that. It was just that Kate kept telling the reader over and over that she had to solve this because she's a suspect, even when she wasn't much any more. Hey I get it. And where it really bothered me was when Kate is supposed to be prepping for her big race and instead is running around hunting clues in the most obvious way. When she has the big denouement with the villain and runs away from where there are actually people, she teetered on the TSTL ledge.
I will read the next book with this character because a lot of this felt like first book issues.
This is another promising debut from Poisoned Pen (due out in August). Kate Reilly is an aspiring race car driver in the Le Mans series and attends each race in hoping of getting a spot in a crew. At Lime Rock Park she has both bad and good luck. The bad is finding the body of a racer who's been murdered. When Kate is offered his spot on the Corvette team, she becomes suspect number one. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to find out who wanted Wade dead. Problem is, just about everyone did.
Surprisingly it was the race scenes that most held my attention. Where the book faltered a bit for me was in Kate's sometimes naive and foolhardy investigating. Authors have a difficult job to do when their character is an amateur detective. Just what would drive (hah, a pun) a character to think they could do better then the police? The protagonist as suspect is an obvious route to go and I don't have an issue with that. It was just that Kate kept telling the reader over and over that she had to solve this because she's a suspect, even when she wasn't much any more. Hey I get it. And where it really bothered me was when Kate is supposed to be prepping for her big race and instead is running around hunting clues in the most obvious way. When she has the big denouement with the villain and runs away from where there are actually people, she teetered on the TSTL ledge.
I will read the next book with this character because a lot of this felt like first book issues.
July 18, 2016
In Dead Man’s Switch, up and coming race car driver Kate Reilly shows up at Lime Rock speedway hoping someone will end up needing a driver. Her hopes come true as she ends up the 2nd driver for a race team she had worked with before. For NASCAR fans not familiar with ALMS- the cars are fielded with teams of two or three drivers (usually dependent on the length of the race) and driver changes are required during the race. I spent a good amount of time in the paddock area at the ALMS race at Laguna Seca last year and was absolutely fascinated while I watched the teams practice the careful but quick ballet of the driver change in their pit areas- it was so coordinated. But I digress. Kate Reilly got the ride she was hoping for because the teams second driver was found dead in the paddock parking at Lime Rock- by Kate herself.
And so begins Kate’s race weekend. Rumors swirl around the young female driver- did she kill a driver to get a seat? Many people think so. Of course Kate knows she didn’t do it and that the only way to clear the suspicion surrounding her is to find out who did. Kate soon finds herself suspicious of nearly everyone she comes in contact with as it seems they had motive. But that is as much as I will tell you because you will want to read the book yourself to find out who did it and why.
While this book is not set in NASCAR I still think that my NASCAR fans who like reading will still enjoy Dead Man’s Switch I know I sure did and I am greatly looking forward to the next book in the series!
And so begins Kate’s race weekend. Rumors swirl around the young female driver- did she kill a driver to get a seat? Many people think so. Of course Kate knows she didn’t do it and that the only way to clear the suspicion surrounding her is to find out who did. Kate soon finds herself suspicious of nearly everyone she comes in contact with as it seems they had motive. But that is as much as I will tell you because you will want to read the book yourself to find out who did it and why.
While this book is not set in NASCAR I still think that my NASCAR fans who like reading will still enjoy Dead Man’s Switch I know I sure did and I am greatly looking forward to the next book in the series!
August 8, 2011
Tammy Kaehler’s debut novel Dead Man’s Switch introduces Kate Reilly. Kate loves racing and although she has had some experience, she is looking for a full-time position with a racing crew. When she pulls into the track at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut where the American LeMans Series is racing on the 4th of July weekend she pulls into a dead man. Or maybe a better phrase would be that she pulls over a dead man.
The corpse under Kate’s car turns out to be Wade Becker, a corvette driver for ALMS. The driver’s death was a shock to everyone but not necessarily counted as a loss since Wade seemed to have a number of enemies in the racing world.
When Kate is offered the position of filling in for Wade, she is thrilled but uncertain how she will be accepted. She finds that the Detective in charge of the investigation is suspicious of Kate since she not only discovered the body but also has taken over Wade’s driving position.
The author takes the readers behind the scenes of racing and puts you behind the wheel with Kate. Kate is trying to concentrate on her driving as well as attempting to clear her name and prove that she is innocent.
Strong characters and a lot of excitement make this book a great read and you don’t have to be interested in racing to enjoy the book and learn a lot about the sport.
The corpse under Kate’s car turns out to be Wade Becker, a corvette driver for ALMS. The driver’s death was a shock to everyone but not necessarily counted as a loss since Wade seemed to have a number of enemies in the racing world.
When Kate is offered the position of filling in for Wade, she is thrilled but uncertain how she will be accepted. She finds that the Detective in charge of the investigation is suspicious of Kate since she not only discovered the body but also has taken over Wade’s driving position.
The author takes the readers behind the scenes of racing and puts you behind the wheel with Kate. Kate is trying to concentrate on her driving as well as attempting to clear her name and prove that she is innocent.
Strong characters and a lot of excitement make this book a great read and you don’t have to be interested in racing to enjoy the book and learn a lot about the sport.
June 13, 2013
Kate Reilly, talented and aspiring race-car driver is following the American Le Mans Series looking for a job driving. When she stumbles over the body of a driver, she ends up getting his job. That not only puts her at the top of the list as a suspect, but possibly in more trouble than just figuring how to drive a Corvette at Lime Rock Park. She finds herself playing catch-up getting to know the car, the track, her teammates, the sponsors, and other drivers. She keeps finding more and more clues, a little black notebook, with possible blackmail victims in it, cars having performance problems at race speed, drivers and crew happy that her predecessor is dead, and at least one jealous husband with his adulterous wife.
This is a great read. I really liked the characters, Kate with her strength and drive, Holly, her friend, with her fierce defense of Kate, and her teammates. Not only is there lots of behind the scenes car racing information, but there is lots of action. This is going to be a good series to follow.
This is a great read. I really liked the characters, Kate with her strength and drive, Holly, her friend, with her fierce defense of Kate, and her teammates. Not only is there lots of behind the scenes car racing information, but there is lots of action. This is going to be a good series to follow.
September 30, 2015
Tammy Kaehler gets to celebrate being published, and by Poisoned Pen Press, at that. After this high water mark, the novel itself is directed to a select audience. Even though it is about auto racing---and let me throw in right now that based on my time on the track, Kaehler knows her racing business and describes it well---this effort is for women more than men. The heroine is written as a bit of a ditz. Perhaps if this were a Wodehouse story we'd laugh, but probably not.
I admit to reading this over a period of a month as a diversion while I waited for my computer to spool up. If I had read it at one go it may have had more appeal, or I may have tossed it on the "Not to be finished" pile. As it is, I'll classify this as a 'cozy' set on a race track, call it unique, and rate it 3 Stars because I do not read 1 or 2 Star books.
I admit to reading this over a period of a month as a diversion while I waited for my computer to spool up. If I had read it at one go it may have had more appeal, or I may have tossed it on the "Not to be finished" pile. As it is, I'll classify this as a 'cozy' set on a race track, call it unique, and rate it 3 Stars because I do not read 1 or 2 Star books.
March 7, 2012
Dead Man's Switch: Kate Reilly is a doozy of a first book by author Tammy Kaehler. Not only does it explore race car driving, an area often ignored by woman writers, the protagonist is a woman. Kate Reilly is an aspiring race car driver. Hoping to gain a full time ride in the American Le Mans Series, she stumbles over a dead driver and then, within a few hours, becomes a prime suspect when she is named to drive in his stead. I enjoyed my trip around the track as I read how about Kate's race to become comfortable navigating her car and trying to clear her name. I'm not alone in my opinion - Dead Man's Switch is a Left Coast Crime Conference finalist for an "Eureka! Award (best first mystery).
July 17, 2012
Kept my interest because it's about auto racing, and a track I know and earned SCCA creds at, and it has a great premise. A young woman driver looking for a ride shows up at a track (Lime Rock) looking for a ride, and discovers the body of a driver. She reports the death to the polwice, and is offered the driver's seat in the race by the team's owner. Suspicion falls on her: did she kill the driver to get the ride? Did she conspire with the owner?
Unfortunately, the story becomes mired in a series of long drawn out conversations where Reilly (our driver) is told to watch her back -- many times, hears gossip about herself --many times, and hears stories about the dead driver's many enemies-- many times.
Too much dialog, both internal and external, and not enough action.
December 18, 2015
After having enjoyed the upcoming entry in this series, I had to go back to the start of the series, which takes place at Lime Rock racetrack on the east coast, a venue I’d only heard of and never visited.
Kate is of course the main suspect, and it’s a little strange to find her younger and not as mature. She gets the dead driver’s ride, which is why she’s the main suspect. As with the other book, the murder mystery is well done but not extraordinary. There were too many characters, and therefore suspects, but in the end the resolution was acceptable. The important thing in these books is the racing detail, which is fantastic. I wish I’d been able to read such vivid descriptions before I took the racing class, would have made things all the more fun.
Kate is of course the main suspect, and it’s a little strange to find her younger and not as mature. She gets the dead driver’s ride, which is why she’s the main suspect. As with the other book, the murder mystery is well done but not extraordinary. There were too many characters, and therefore suspects, but in the end the resolution was acceptable. The important thing in these books is the racing detail, which is fantastic. I wish I’d been able to read such vivid descriptions before I took the racing class, would have made things all the more fun.
September 20, 2011
A friend of mine said about his new electronic toy, "You don't know you needed one until you own it." Dead Man's Switch was like that for me. I love mysteries, but had no idea I'd also love reading all about motorsports in general and the ALMS series in particular. Dead Man's Switch was a compelling mystery, sure, but it was also set in, for me, the foreign land of car racing and it was so vivid, I felt like I'd moved in and taken up residence. Besides that, Kate Reilly is an amazing and unusual heroine, and I was rooting for her, both to reveal the murderer and in the race world where she so wants to succeed. Can't wait to read the next one.
July 15, 2018
This a good start to a mystery series. Kate is an aspiring race car driver. While waiting for her break she likes to hang out at the track.
Unfortunately a driver is murdered, Kate finds the body. She is given the man's spot on a racing team. But she also is suspected of murder.
Kate has to prove she is worthy as a driver. She feels she has to prove herself innocent of murder, she must find the killer. This book has a good amount of detail about the inner workings of racing and driving itself. There is also the hint of Kate's backstory involving her estranged father and the start of a possible romance.
Unfortunately a driver is murdered, Kate finds the body. She is given the man's spot on a racing team. But she also is suspected of murder.
Kate has to prove she is worthy as a driver. She feels she has to prove herself innocent of murder, she must find the killer. This book has a good amount of detail about the inner workings of racing and driving itself. There is also the hint of Kate's backstory involving her estranged father and the start of a possible romance.
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