Murder at the University

I didn’t like the crude language in this book. Faith Martin’s other series that I have read use cleaner language. I’m not going to read any more books in this series.

It’s difficult to like this book, no matter how hard one tries. The scenario is excellent. But abruptly, the story switches from being a competent police procedural to a tired character study more suitable for a YA novel. Hillary is in love with Mike, Tommy is in love with Hillary, Janine is a jealous social climber sleeping with Mel, her boss, while Frank is a lazy, drunk, lecherous thief. None of these are spoilers – the author tells us all this within the first few pages, then never misses a chance to reiterate. The squad room has more whiny drama than any group of high school cheerleaders, and the reader gets hit over the head with it again and again. The interplay of the main characters is so coy and repetitively predictable that they lose any interest value, and in the process, any meaningful mystery gets lost. At the end of it all, the characters have become nothing more than tedious cliches.

Which really is a shame, considering the fact that underneath all the junior high angst, there is the skeletal system of a really good story. A young, educated, talented, brainy looker with a sordid double life gets bumped off by person or persons unknown? Egad, how could you throw that setup away?

DI Hillary Greene is sour on everyone, including her own colleagues on the team. She apparently has no respect or compassion for anyone. This is my second book in the series and definitely the last. Half of these books are devoted to the backbiting rivalries in the team rather than coming together to solve the crime. Instead of bringing her team together, DI Greene simply sits in judgment (silently) on each of them with no evidence that she would be disturbed if any of them were killed or injured in the line of duty. She evinces only scorn for everyone except herself. And again, half the book is devoted to this team drama and Hillarys judgments instead of the murder at hand. Im definitely finished with this series.

A student is found dead on the hallowed grounds of OxfordUniversity. The cause of death is not immediately apparent, but a contradiction quickly develops: the dead woman was at the school on a full scholarship, but her wardrobe is bursting with expensive clothes. DI Hillary Greene is on the case and while everyone agrees she is a fine detrctive, she may lack the bureaucratic skills to gain promotion. She likes being a detective and is determined to solve the case overcoming personal and professional challenges. It will not be easy, because the case involves an odd assortment of characters and it is difficult to see how they fit together. This is a fine police procedural.

Between the coarse language and immoral lifestyles, I found this book offensive and totally unappealing. Definitely not a book or author that I want to follow. Too bad a good mystery has to be spoiled by foul language and immoral lifestyles.

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