Burton and Fielding: Book 1

Dead to Me is full of lies. I have never met a group of characters that lie as much as these guys do! Every time you think you have it figured out, yet another lie is revealed.  It’s a crime mystery in true “whodunit” style that will keep you flipping the pages as you try to figure out who the killer is.

Pamela Murray’s writing has an old-school feel to it. While the story is action-packed with one dead body after the other, it doesn’t feel rushed. This makes for a relaxing read as you slip into a world of lies and deception. The story is slightly predictable, but the author adds some creative twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Caroline Watkin’s plans what she believes to be a fun night out for herself and her three long time friends. They haven’t gotten together in a while and Caroline is looking forward to seeing them. However, Maria is not too happy about visiting an astrologer. With the help of Selena and Barbara Caroline convince Maria that it will be a laugh. The evening is anything but a laugh when Maria ends up dead before she even makes it home.

Detective’s Burton and Fielding are assigned the case and when more bodies turn up, they discover no one is being completely honest with them. As the body count grows, more suspects are added to the list and the detectives face a challenging puzzle as they try to unravel the pieces in an attempt to get to the truth.

Dead To Me is a relaxing “whodunit” read that leaves you curious. There is no rush as you turn the pages. You have a good idea of who the killer is, yet you are driven to keep reading as little twists are subtly worked into the story. The book had an old-school feel which made it a pleasant escape.

There are a lot of characters in this book. I enjoyed the side-line romance between Burton and Fielding which added a lighter touch and the promise of more books to come. I was a little disappointed with the conclusion of some of the murder victims – they played a small role but still deserved more. Dr Ben Adamson, the pathologist, brought a smile to the story with his light-hearted comments and relaxed manner.

Picking a favourite, I would have to select Caroline Watkins, her feisty tongue and bossy nature made her stand out.  However, I also enjoyed Madam Ortiz/ Marilyn Parkinson and her shameless flirting.

While Dead To Me is a crime mystery, I found it to be a light, relaxing read that kept me entertained as I escaped into the hunt for the killer.

The book will appeal to older crime mystery fans as well as anyone who enjoys a good old-school “whodunit” mystery.