The Perfect Suspect
Catherine McLeod Mystery #2
Margaret Coel

Berkley Prime Crime
September 2012 / ASIN: B0052RE5CA
Mystery
Amazon

Reviewed by Cheryl Green

I have found another new-to-me series. At least this time I am starting with the second book in the series and not the ninth. The Perfect Suspect starts off with a bang – yes pun intended. David Mathews is running for governor in the state of Colorado. He is expected to win big. Too bad someone decided to do him in. Ok—wait a minute I need to tell you that the murderer is Ryan Beckman. No, this is not a mistake – the author has decided to tell you upfront who did the deadly deed. Ryan only brought the gun so David would listen to her –how the gun went off is not her fault. Ryan has been having an affair with the candidate and he broke it off – because a scandal might cause him to lose the election.

Anyway, Ryan made sure that she left no evidence of being at the house. In fact she is really on vacation miles away. Too bad she is seen leaving the scene of the crime. Early the next morning, Ryan gets a call from her boss, Sargent Crowley, who wants her to head up an investigation. It seems that gubernatorial candidate David Mathews has been found dead by the housekeeper. Oops – did I forget to tell you that Ryan Beckman just happens to be a detective for the Denver Police Dept.?

Meanwhile Catherine McLeod, investigative reporter for the Denver Journal, receives a call from an unnamed woman who tells her that she saw the killer leave David Mathew’s house and it was Detective Ryan Beckman. She saw the detective on television and recognized her. Catherine will have to track down the source to solve the crime. She will put herself in harm’s way in order to solve the murder, bring down Ryan Beckman and even make her deadline.

This is the first book I have read by the author Margaret Coel – you can be sure it will not be my last. It is a well written mystery – shown from a different angle. It was fast-paced and I had to slow down my reading in order to catch my breath. So if you like a mystery that will keep you turning the pages well into the night, then The Perfect Suspect is for you.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Perfect Suspect [review 1]