In Elizabeth Daniels Squire's first mystery, a legendary newspaper publisher's bourbon has been laced with cyanide. Because he had dirt on just about everyone, there is no shortage of suspects. His son must find the killer before the deadline runs out and the paper is sold to a shady conglomerate. This is Squire's only mystery NOT starring her absent-minded sleuth Peaches Dann. For the Peaches Dann mysteries, go to her author's page by clicking on her name above.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Award-winning mystery writer Elizabeth Daniels Squire was born into a world of words. Her grandfather, father and one of her aunts were successful authors, but still writing did not come easily to her. Due to a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, schoolwork presented her with great difficulties. Yet, gifted with resilience and a desire to succeed, Elizabeth found ways to cope with her disability and chose a career in journalism. As a reporter she covered murder trials and as a nationally syndicated columnist she wrote about the character and talents revealed in the hands of top celebrities in her classic palmistry how-to book Fortune In Your Hand. But it's her mysteries for which she is best known. Elizabeth drew on her own experiences when writing her mysteries. The idea for her first book came from her grandfather who was shot at by someone upset by one of his editorials. In his case, the murder didn't happen; but in Kill the Messenger (her first mystery, and only one not starring her absent-minded sleuth, Peaches Dann) a newspaper publisher is murdered.
Another of her books, Forget About Murder, was based on the fact that her grandmother hid a still in her attic for a neighbor who moonshining in order to feed his children. One of her dog's tricks gave her the idea for The Dog Who Remembered Too Much, the short story for which she won the prestigious Agatha Award.
Throughout her career, rather than hiding from her dyslexia, she embraced it. Peaches Dann, the sleuth who stars in most of her mysteries, suffers from an extraordinarily poor memory and is forced to find creative ways to overcome her forgetfulness in order to solve her cases.
Elizabeth lived with her husband on an organic farm in the mountains of western North Carolina, where her books are set. She died in February 2001 returning from a book promotion tour to Alaska. In November 2006, she was the first mystery author ever inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.
Isaiah Justice, feisty editor and publisher of the crusading Southern newspaper The Defender , has been murdered, his favorite bourbon laced with cyanide. A network of suspicious events is quickly uncovered by Isaiah's energetic, fearless son Howard who, in this brisk and sometimes manic mystery, heads off in all directions to find the killer. Some signs point to the sinister Gemtrex Corporation, a mammoth newspaper chain with ties to the Mafia; Gemtrex has been making serious buyout attempts on The Defender . But other clues point to any number of vengeful local residents, insulted, injured or seduced by Isaiah over the years. Suspicion is even cast on Howard's chronically bickering siblings, all of whom had reasons to despise their strong-willed father. Howard, along with his father's former mistress, Suzanne, and Leroy, the paper's ambitious investigative reporter, spare no one in tracking down every lead--and eventually discover that Isaiah was being blackmailed over an obscure but potentially damaging incident buried in the past. Journalist and first-time novelist Squire pulls out all the stops and unleashes explosions, floods and unbridled passion in crafting a tale that, while leaving some ends loose, is forceful and engrossing.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 5.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Basement Seller 101, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # 231126122
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Do Furnish A Room, Durham, NC, U.S.A.
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Moderate Edge & Shelfwear. Binding firm. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # 41239
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 20-0312924364-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Foggypaws, Sonoma, CA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Paperback in very good condition. All inside pages are in great shape. Minor shelf wear to the cover. Seller Inventory # mon0000029593
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: medimops, Berlin, Germany
Condition: good. Befriedigend/Good: Durchschnittlich erhaltenes Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit Gebrauchsspuren, aber vollständigen Seiten. / Describes the average WORN book or dust jacket that has all the pages present. Seller Inventory # M00312924364-G
Quantity: 1 available