A Sharp Reporter, Suspects and Secrets
Rating:
5 / 5
When a murder in academia leaves Benson College PR person Lane Freeman dead by poison and his wife (the Dean of Agriculture) in prison, no one in small-town Gabriel is surprised, since they were an extremely unhappy couple. Nor does anyone take particular note of the protest happening outside a conference at the school on agricultural biotechnology, until a few bombs destroy part of the campus, and the school's popular and revered head biotech professor is found beaten to death.Not satisfied with the obvious explanations for the murder, Alex Bernier (a saucy twenty-something newspaper reporter whose nose for news puts her right in the thick of things) does a little digging, and comes up with a gaggle of suspects and secrets, including a plan to introduce genetically modified food to an unsuspecting populace. But those who wish their secrets to remain secret will stop at nothing to save themselves. This book is a super five star treat that I think you'll enjoy very much, and you'll more than likely even get a chuckle or two out of it. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
Add a star if you miss Cornell
Rating:
5 / 5
I read this book because the review claimed that the town of Gabriel is really Ithaca, NY and that Benson College is in reality Cornell University, my alma mater. After reading Bad Seed I'm hooked on the charachter of Alex Bernier. She,s tough and intelligent and just insecure enough to make her lovable. Surrounded by her nutty but loyal friends and coworkers she wise cracks her way through this intriguing and suspenseful mystery about a new strain of rice being developed at the Ag School and the mayhem and murder that ensue. I've already ordered Saulnier's previous three books and look forward to the publication of the next Alex Bernier mystery. This story was a great read whether or not you attended Cornell University or lived in Ithaca, but add a star if you did.
Great New Voice in Mystery Writing
Rating:
5 / 5
A complex and involving plot line; an engaging protagonist; and an atmospheric setting. The fourth book in the Alex Bernier series, and the first in hardcover, brings the sharp and irrevent reporter into harm's way as she tries to solve two bombings and a brutal death on the local college campus. She pits her investigative skills, and those of her newpaper cohorts, against a group of shadowy bioterrorists. Filled with great characters, snappy writing, and a compelling story. Couldn't put it down. A great sequel to "Reliable Sources," "Distemper," and "The Fourth Wall," although it can stand alone. A new, young writer to watch.
|