Murder Old and New- Book Review

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.

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