Murder Run by Shelly Frome

I had difficulty reading this book. I found the plot to be a bit confusing. The book alternates between two situations. A woman has been murdered and Jed, the handyman the woman hired, is suspected of the murder. That's the major story but we are also taken to another situation in New York involving the mob. For over half the book there seemed to be no connection to the two stories.

I really didn't like the characters. Jed is sort of an anti-hero. He had been in trouble as a youth, been to a youth home, but was now getting a second chance. He is not a strong character at all. He thinks he should try to figure out who the real murderer is but really doesn't know how to go about it. On the mob story we have Sal, a guy who is struggling with Alzheimer's. I never understood why other mob characters put up with him.

I found the author's writing style confusing. There was frequent use of incomplete sentences. There were times when I'd read a paragraph a couple of times before I thought I understood what it said. Much of the dialog is an affected kind of mob speak. At one point, Jed thinks about Angie, “Apart from the fact what she said made no sense half the time...” I felt like Jed often.

Frome's writing style is just one I do not like. There are long sections of prose describing what people are saying. I'd rather have great dialog. There were times when Frome would cause me to anticipate something and then not produce. For example, “Just then, crossing the Hudson over the Tappan Zee Bridge, it all began for him with the huge white-steel girders.” But rather than finding out what all began for him, we read of the bus continuing on, then arriving at the bus depot, then unloading. I just found that style unappealing.

This novel was just not to my liking. Others give it raving reviews. I prefer a mystery I can follow and can even be challenged to figure out who did it. There were just too many parts of this novel that lost me.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book. Click here to view the 'Murder Run by Shelly Frome' Tour Participants.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Shelly Frome is a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, writer of mysteries, books on theater and film, and articles on performing arts. He is also a frequent contributor to writers' blogs and writes the film column for Southern Writers Magazine. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Find out more at http://shellyfrome.com. 

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery Published by: Sunbury Press Publication Date: August, 2015 Number of Pages: 239 ISBN: 1620066165 (ISBN13: 9781620066164) Purchase Links:

                  

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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