Murder Old and New- Laurie Williamson and Chet Williamson
3.8 Stars
Murder Old and
New is the story of two incidents that take place in a gap of 70 years. Was the
first death a suicide or murder? Are the latest deaths at the senior’s
residence natural or unnatural? Is there a connection between the two? What
does Livy Crowe, the owner of Better Days, a nostalgia shop, think?
In short, that’s
the premise of the book. The story is narrated by Livy, a 45-year-old divorcee
who lives a pretty contented life with her cat, Fudge. Her time is divided
between the shop, visiting Gates Home (senior residence), and going to
auctions. Thrown in Tim, a 30 odd young lad with a crush on her, a mother with
signs of depression and dementia, and an envelope with pictures taken by her
late father; the book starts with the photographs of a dead man hanging from a
tree.
Now, that’s the
kind of beginning I love to read. The story progressed at a slow and steady
pace during the first half. While there were times I wished something happened,
I could see the need to establish the setting and the characters. There are
quite a few interesting characters, including the killer(s). The setting also
plays an important role.
There are
tidbits about old pulp fiction, comics, music, and stuff that I could have
enjoyed even more if I had good command over the topics. Still, it was
informative, and I liked reading about the types of paper and changing
preferences of people over time.
Back to the
mystery, Livy, as she declares it quite a few times, has an overactive
imagination that helps her connect the dots and also takes her focus away from
what is right in front of her. Some clues were too apparent, but she refuses to
consider them and goes off tangent.
That’s the
advantage of writing from the first person POV. The reader knows before the
narrator can focus on it. This frustrated me at times, but then, it shows I was
hooked by the story. The climax had all the elements a thriller should have.
Everything that should go wrong, goes wrong, making it almost impossible for
our leading lady. But she succeeds in her mission and captures the killer.
The loose ends
were handled, even with a small surprise added to the mix. I just wished the
two people who gave Livy some of the most pieces of important information were
also mentioned at the end.
There is a sort
of triangle story that starts sometime in the middle and doesn’t seem to be
going anywhere. I’m just not sure how I feel about it. If the roles were
reversed and Livy was a man, well, he’d lose fans. Still, I don’t have any
major issues with it.
One thing that
stood out odd in the book was an overly graphic scene describing death. While
most of them were glossed over (imagine a book that doesn’t even have cuss
words), this one sticks out like a sore thumb. I don’t see any need for it,
considering it adds nothing to the story. There’s another towards the end, but
it is justified. I have no issues with gore that serve a purpose.
Overall, the
book is worth a read. Be patient in the beginning, and you’ll enjoy the style
of narration is both simple (in a good way) and engaging.
I received an
ARC copy from NetGalley and Cross Road Press.
#MurderOldandNew
#NetGalley
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