The Ill-Fated Scientist, Alice Zogg, Aventine Press, 2018, 200 pp
Once again my friend Alice Zogg, self-published mystery writer, has surpassed all her previous books with this new standalone mystery.
Tara Blunt is a syndicated columnist with no private investigator experience who finds herself looking into a mysterious death. A brilliant scientist, in the running to win a $5 million contest, is dead from an explosion in his lab. Tara had arrived to interview him just minutes after the explosion.
I liked Tara right away. She is an interesting modern young woman, with baggage of course, mainly a series of unfortunate relationships with men. She just can't let the death of the scientist go, especially because he had created a product that would replace all types of petroleum-based packaging. In fact, that was the story she had come to interview him for.
She treats her investigation as she would in following down a news story. Soon enough she must determine which of four men she should believe. One of them is bound to want her silenced, probably permanently.
Alice Zogg has always been good at plots. In this book she has amped up her dialogue, her character building and the overall pace. I could not put this one down.
(The Ill-Fated Scientist is available in paperback by order from Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)
It sounds like your friend has a real winner in this one.
ReplyDeleteTruly she does!
DeleteAnd Alice has an alluring cover for her book too! I'm already smitten with the plot. Way to go Alice!
ReplyDeleteShe designs her own covers and they are always great!
DeleteI have read most of Alice Zogg's books. I enjoyed her R.A. Huber detective series,and have really enjoyed her stand-alones. She is a master at hiding clues in plain sight and giving the reader a bunch of very good suspects, but she always makes sure the bad guy or gal is caught because her amateur sleuth recognizes those clues in the end. I am never disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ms Pool for your comment. I think I have met you at a Sisters in Crime event. Congrats on posting your comment. Alice said she could not get hers to post. Perhaps you could help her with that. I too have read most of her books and she just keeps getting better, don't you think?
DeleteJudy, Yes, Alice gets better and better and sometimes her villain is so crafty and cunning that he almost gets away with it. That's great writing.
DeleteSounds like a great read! I've added this author to my reading wishlist.
ReplyDeleteAlice will be thrilled to know this!
DeleteSounds like a good mystery. Glad you liked it. I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteYou are the second one to comment on the cover!
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