Book Review: Tomb with a View by Casey Daniels

Tomb with a View
Casey Daniels
Berkley Prime Crime, July 2010
ISBN 0425235513
Mass Market Paperback

Pepper Martin does not want her current assignment.  It’s the 179th birthday of President James A. Garfield; there is a Garfield memorial at Cleveland’s Garden View Cemetery.  Of course, there will be some celebration of this anniversary.  Unfortunately for Pepper, she has to plan this celebration with Marjorie Klinker, a volunteer with an unpleasant personality and a major jones for Garfield.  Marjorie tends to assume that she is in charge and that she knows more than anyone else on any given topic, and very specifically about James Garfield.   Pepper tries to get out of this, but is not successful.

Somebody else isn’t happy with Marjorie.  Someone else pushes Marjorie off the balcony in the Garfield memorial and kills her.  Pepper has several reasons to track down this killer, and she can be as determined as Marjorie can, if not quite as unpleasant.  Her ex-boyfriend the police detective might disagree, but Pepper isn’t inclined to pay him any mind.

There are a surprising number of suspects, and as many motives.  Pepper has a lot to work with, although the ghost of Garfield is not as helpful as Pepper hoped he would be.  His chief concern seems to be having enough peace and quiet to run the government.

Daniels has quite a nice little series going with Pepper Martin and the ghosts in her life.  Pepper is young, smart, and adventurous.  This doesn’t mean she takes foolish chances, but she is willing to go out on a pretty sturdy limb once in a while.  The background on Garfield is interesting, and fed to the reader slowly and painlessly.  Tomb with a View is an enjoyable read that should hold one’s interest without demanding a great deal.  Take it to the beach, maybe?

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren, June 2010.

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July 18, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews

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