CITY OF WHISPERS: A GUEST REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

CITY OF WHISPERS

BY MARCIA MULLER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Private eye Sharon McCone receives an e-mail asking for help from her emotionally disturbed half brother Darcy Blackhawk. She replies . . . but gets no response. As Sharon digs deeper, she discovers that Darcy sent his message from an Internet café in San Francisco, a city he's never been to before. Sensing that her brother is in terrible danger, Sharon begins a search for him throughout the city.

The investigation leads her to the body of a woman at the Palace of Fine Arts, where a witness had told her that Darcy was headed. Then, as she digs deeper, Sharon uncovers a connection to the unsolved murder of a young heiress to a multimillion-dollar banking fortune. Now Sharon must race to solve both murders and ensure her brother's safety, despite the imminent danger that lurks within her own family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marcia Muller, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, is the author of more than twenty novels and many short mystery stories. She has also established a brilliant reputation as an anthologist and critic of mystery fiction. In 1993 she was awarded the Private Eye Writers of America Life Achievement Award, and Wolf in the Shadows was nominated for the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Crime Novel and won the Anthony Boucher Award. She lives with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini, in northern California.

Marcia writes and tells us....

"My first novel (written at age 12) saw a first printing of 5 copies on my Junior Steno typewriter. My relatives are hold them for purposes of blackmail."

"My creative writing instructor at the University of Michigan told me I'd never become a writer."

"My first Sharon McCone novel, Edwin of the Iron Shoes, killed the mystery list at David McKay Company."

"In order to keep up with McCone, I've learned to fly. Imagine a person who's afraid of heights soaring in something that resembles a matchbox with wings at 6500 feet!"

"In researching for books, I've: almost been arrested by an INS agent for straying too close to the US-Mexico border; suffered an overnight trip in what I swear must've been a broom closet on Amtrak; nearly frozen in northern Minnesota (-50 degrees); nearly melted in the California desert (+112 degrees); tried, and almost succeeded, to shoot myself in the foot with a .357 Magnum."

"My greatest fear is that Sharon McCone will show up on my doorstep with her .357 and get even for all the dreadful experiences I've put her through!"

TWENTY YEARS, TWENTY BOOKS...
THE ACCLAIM CONTINUES FOR MARCIA MULLER AND HER SHARON McCONE NOVELS!

Marcia Muller has been called the Mother of the Modern Female Sleuth. Over two decades ago she introduced Sharon McCone, a female detective who was street-smart, emotionally complex, and a brilliant shamus. Muller broke new ground. Other writers soon followed....But Muller has stayed the front-runner with a heroine who continues to evolve, plots that surprise, and writing that dazzles. As the San Diego Union observed, "The years have been good to both the creator and her creation: though widely imitated, they have not been surpassed." Now the first recipient of the Ridley Award and the 1999 recipient of the first Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement in Suspense Award, Muller has written twenty Sharon McCone mysteries. Both author and detective are just entering their prime...

Please visit her Web site at www.marciamuller.com.

MY GUEST REVIEW:

Thanks to Steve Capell for his review of CITY OF WHISPERS. Steve is a family man who loves to read and spend time with his lovely wife where they live in the Kansas City area. Steve has his own blog, TRUE MEDIA SOLUTIONS, where you can visit and see the skill that this expert reviewer, and all-around nice guy, posts his work. Steve makes the stories come to life and gives such an honest review that I can always count on what he says to know if I will like a book or not. Thank you, as always, Steve....now everyone, enjoy Steve Capell's review of CITY OF WHISPERS!

San Francisco Private Investigator Sharon McCone receives a cryptic E-mail from her troubled half-brother Darcy Blackhawk asking for help. The problem that exists is what kind of help does Darcy need and more importantly where is Darcy.  While searching for Darcy, Sharon finds a dead body at a location her brother has been spotted, but there is no sign of Darcy. Sharon finds clues that lead to more deaths and Sharon now thinks that Darcy is on the run from a killer and that may be the reason for his hiding. She is more determined now than ever to get to the bottom of this mystery.

My thoughts...

I wish City of Whispers would read as one fluid piece of well written fiction that kept me on the edge of my seat but sadly the grim reality is that this novel did not deliver the experience I had hoped for. I found the writing style to be rushed in many areas and sentence structure to be short and choppy. I was reading from an advance reading copy and some of this may change in the final publication; however, I can only give you, the prospective reader, my honest assessment of the material that was sent to me. I found several sentence structures that were missing a verb and noun combination. The novel started out with a decent character development of Sharon McCone; however, as more and more characters were introduced the character development was rushed and descriptively lacking in detail. Overall I would say that this book was okay, as the plot did develop into a satisfactory ending.
--Steve Capell

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO BRIANNE AND MY KIND

FRIENDS AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE

ONE COPY OF CITY OF WHISPERS  TO GIVE

AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER OF MY BLOG

 
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
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IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER: 

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT CITY OF WHISPERS  THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

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GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 18

GOOD LUCK!