A Killer Read (Ashton Corners Book Club Series #1)

by Erika Chase

Overview

An innocent book club meeting soon turns into a crime scene in A Killer Read, the first book in a series of cozy whodunits

When the members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society gather for their first book club meeting at Molly Matthews's Southern mansion, they never expect it to turn into an actual crime scene—the group finds a stranger has been fatally shot and the murder weapon is Molly's very own antique gun. As the six friends set out to investigate, club member Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with a penchant for mysteries, receives cryptic manuscript chapters in her mailbox. Lizzie must decipher the clues and protect her friends from the killer's sights before it's too late.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425247037
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/03/2012
Series:	Ashton Corners Book Club Series , #1
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Erika Chase is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series. The former owner of a mystery bookstore, she has spoken to many book clubs over the years, happily recommending authors and series. Her own book club places chocolate on an equal footing with the books they read. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, and short-listed for awards. She’s been an advertising copywriter, journalist, and community educator, as well as a long-time volunteer with the local police service. She resides in the home of her two Siamese cats.

Editorial Reviews

Thirtysomething reading specialist Lizzie Turner is thrilled to be coordinating a new book group at the home of her beloved older friend Molly. But things go topsy when a strange man wanders inside uninvited, asks to use the phone, and then leaves. He doesn't get far because he has been shot dead in Molly's front yard. The small Alabama town of Ashton Corners is not normally such a hotbed of crime, and the police chief isn't above getting advice from his former high school classmate Lizzie. Meanwhile, someone is stuffing anonymously written chapters of a mystery novel-in-progress in Lizzie's mailbox. She gleans that the manuscript ties in with the recent shooting. Her late father was a journalist, and her own investigative instincts make Lizzie determined to find answers. Danger follows. VERDICT This debut Southern cozy featuring a literacy teacher with an unorthodox book group has an intriguing subplot because of Lizzie's passion for her at-risk students. The historical twist ties in with Lizzie's personal insecurities and makes for an effective sequel lead-in.

Library Journal