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Prospect for Murder: A Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Mystery Book 1 |
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Prospect for Murder |
Reviews |
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Audiobook Reviewer - Charla White - 4 Star Review Prospect for Murder by Jeanne Burrows-Johnson is a well written cozy mystery peppered with historical references that are enlightening and engaging. A young woman seeking a place to live visits an apartment complex only to be found dead, lying on top of a vintage vehicle. Her grand-aunt steps in to solve the mystery. The deadly fun begins as Natalie, the grand-aunt, moves into the very apartment her grandniece fell from; guided by interviews of the tenants and her uncanny visions, Natalie delves deeper into the mystery. Methodically moving from tenant to tenant, exploring and researching Natalie makes a horrifying discovery. Taking place in Hawaii, Burrows-Johnson masterfully describes the locations, people and history in vivid detail that flows almost poetically. Although it is a slow-moving cozy mystery, it is captivating. The story moves slowly as it is filled with Hawaiian and Shanghai history focusing around the WW2. Methodical and detailed, Burrows-Johnson reveals each clue until the last clue of the killer is revealed. Furthermore, her character development and back story is well-developed also. This allowed for me to connect to the characters and wish to see justice done. I enjoyed the retired copy, Keoni and Natalie together, and how they danced around their relationship. The supernatural piece was well written into the story. This is a very enjoyable book. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this is a perfect book for you. I enjoyed it immensely. The book does center around an older woman so don't expect any death-defying rumble tumbles. The lack of emotion Natalie displays was a bit odd but in looking back, I find myself detached from emotional moments as well. It is a bit predictable, at one point I wanted to scream - am I the only one who sees what is going to happen? But this was excusable as the book overall was very interesting and entertaining and educational - I had no clue of the history of Hawaii. The narrator, also the author, Jeanne Burrows-Johnson did an excellent job of reading the book. The enunciation and clearness of her speech as well as the passion was not over the top or fake; she not owned the book as an author but as the narrator as well. Her voice was soothing and calming. There were no issues with the audio production or quality of this audiobook. Midwest Book Review - the Mystery/Suspense Shelf An deftly crafted and impressively engaging read from cover to cover, "Prospect for Murder" clearly demonstrates novelist Jeanne Burrows-Johnson as a master of the mystery/suspense genre. While very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs and community library Mystery Fiction collections. Cherie Jung - Over My Dead Body! PROSPECT FOR MURDER is a murder mystery set in Honolulu. Natalie Seachrist is a 50-ish, semi-retired journalist, whose friend Keoni Hewiit, a retired homicide detective, has asked her to help him out on a research project. Suddenly, Natalie's world is impacted by a terrifying vision. Throughout her life, since early childhood, Natalie has experienced visions. This time, the vision involves the gruesome death of someone close to her, her grandniece Ariel. As the local police continue the official investigation without much progress, Natalie devises a plan to carry out her own investigation into Ariel's death. Natalie and her cat, Miss Una, take up residence in the apartment complex where Ariel died. She enlists the help of her friend Keoni. The reader's attention will be captured the on page one of the prologue with the author's descriptive writing style. Readers will quickly warm to the protagonist, Natalie, her cat Miss Una, and the many other memorable characters. The pacing of the narrative was perfect. The characters were well-developed, the storyline plausible, and the author's descriptive writing skill will leave readers wanting more Natalie Seachrist and Miss Una stories-and very likely the reader will wish that they could know Natalie personally. I think Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher fans will be especially delighted with PROSPECT FOR MURDER and I do hope there will be further sleuthing opportunities for Natalie! Joe Kilgore - The US Review of Books Set in the tropical paradise of Hawaii, this convivial mystery unfolds leisurely as Natalie sets out to determine exactly what happen, why, and whether or not foul play was involved. Hiding her connection to the deceased, she rents the actual apartment from which her grandniece fell so she can learn more about individuals who may or may not have been involved in the untimely death. These individuals include a Chinese landlady with a multifarious history, a handyman thought to be religious but also perhaps righteously indignant, a sullen hanger-on with questionable ties to the owners and the property, and a roommate mentioned but inexplicably unseen. Natalie is a protagonist who will inevitably draw comparisons to Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, perhaps even to Agatha Christie's Jane Marple. Similar to those intellectually endowed ladies, Natalie brings precise observation and keen insight to her task. However, she also employs an additional armament not shared by those feminine sleuths. Natalie has visions - visions that enable her to see, sense, and feel more than the average person. The trick is interpreting those visions correctly. In this debut whodunit, Burrows-Johnson displays a fine eye for detail, a sharp ear for dialogue, and a commendable commitment to tie up loose ends. Her descriptions of time, place, history, and more make up in substance what may be lacking in suspense. One suspects this is only the beginning of Natalie's adventures. DJ Sakura - Goodreads "Being a resident of Hawaii, I could not pass up a murder mystery based in Honolulu. It was thrilling while at the same time oddly relaxing to read a story with so many local references to places, food, culture, and traits. I was quickly drawn into the narrative and enjoyed being in Natalie's head as she processed information and formulated her plans. The writing was insightful, observant, emotive, and intelligent. Each scene, task, and event was highly detailed and meticulously described - she really was a close approximation or the Hawaiian version of Jessica Fletcher, as her friend had teased. I savored the sense of familiarity as well as the intriguing storyline." |
Awards |
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| 2017 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist: Fiction (Cozy Mystery) 2017 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Winner - Best Cover Design (Fiction 6x9) |
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