Murder in Disguise by Donn Taylor Blog Tour

About the book:

Official verdict: Suicide.

But why would that vigorous department chairman kill himself? To avoid disgrace? Those rumored ventures on the dark side? Some other secret life? Visiting professor Preston Barclay wonders. But his questions bring no answers, only anonymous threats. He has enough problems already, proving himself on a strange campus while radical faculty do all they can to undermine him. Worse yet, that sexy siren assigned as his assistant complicates his courtship of the beautiful Mara Thorn.

While Press keeps asking questions, Mara's research reveals a cancer of criminal activity that permeates the community and even the campus itself. The more Press questions, the more dangerous the threats against him become, and the more determined he grows to clear his friend's name.

But can Press and Mara's stumbling efforts prevail against the entrenched forces of the police, the campus radicals, and an unseen but powerful criminal organization that increasingly puts their lives in danger...?

Learn more and purchase a copy here.

My review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. I like the characters. Barclay is a great protagonist. He is intelligent yet compassionate and is relentless when it comes to solving a mystery. I like Mara too. She's a great sidekick for Barclay. She's got issues from past experiences and I like how Barclay cares for her. And I like their dialog, sharp and funny. I like the plot. It's a mystery with depth yet is not so complicated that I felt lost. There's a twist or two in it too.

I like it when authors add information on current issues in their novels. In this one, Taylor reveals much about the condition of higher education today. It was disconcerting to read about the politics involved in university decisions and who really holds power.

I highly recommend this mystery. You'll be entertained and informed. So grab a ham sandwich and a cup of coffee and dig in. (You have to read the book.)

My rating: 5/5 stars.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read more reviews here.

About the Author:

With a PhD in English literature (Renaissance), Donn Taylor taught literature for 18 years at two liberal arts colleges. Now retired, he has published suspense novels, mysteries, and poetry. His historical novel Lightning on a Quiet Night was a finalist for the 2015 Selah Awards. He is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences. Previously, he led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. He now lives in the woods near Houston, TX, where he writes fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

Find out more about Donn at http://www.donntaylor.com.

Lamplighter Mysteries, 314 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Litfuse.