A Trap for Fools - Softcover

Cross, Amanda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034535947X ISBN 13: 9780345359476

Publisher: Fawcett, 1990

Synopsis

When the body of Canfield Adams, a professor of Middle Eastern culture, is found on he pavement seven stories below his open office window, the police think it was suicide. But those who knew the professor, knew that there were numerous people--on campus and off--who would have relished pushing him. Kate is asked to investigate, and she herself is not sure she wants to succeed. For the murderer may well be a student she cares about...or a colleague...or even a friend....
"If by some cruel oversight you haven't discovered Amanda Cross, you have an uncommon pleasure in store for you."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

About this title

From the Publisher

When I read THE JAMES JOYCE MURDER, I instantly became a fan of Amanda Cross and her protagonist, English professor Kate Fansler. And I continued to devour this wonderful series: THE QUESTION OF MAX, DEATH IN A TENURED POSITION, NO WORD FROM WINIFRED -- and onward. In time, I (and many other readers) came to realize that "Amanda Cross" is a pseudonym for Dr. Carolyn G. Heilbrun, the revered Columbia University professor whose WRITING A WOMAN'S LIFE and other nonfiction volumes are recognized as ground-breaking classics in literary criticism and feminist studies. My admiration for the author grew and grew -- in both her guises. And then a few years ago, I had the great good fortune to become the editor of her "Amanda Cross" half. Which has given me many opportunities to get to know Carolyn personally (it helps that we live only a few blocks from each other). So I've been in the company of this widely beloved author for autograph parties, bookstore events, an honorary dinner, and recently at the ALA (American Library Association) conference, where scores of adoring fans -- librarians and educators -- patiently queued up to get personally autographed copies of THE PUZZLED HEART, the latest Fansler mystery, as well as backlist titles in the series. Even with the resultant writer's cramp, it was a great day for "Amanda." And another cherished memory I have of this charming, gracious, and multitalented author.

--Joe Blades, Associate Publisher

From Publishers Weekly

The ninth mystery featuring English professor Kate Fansler proves why Cross ( No Word from Winifred ) belongs at the top of her class: it is provocative, literate and insightful. During the Thanksgiving weekend, Canfield Adams, a Middle Eastern professor of culture and literature at the Manhattan university where Kate teaches, is found dead on the pavement seven stories below his office window. While everyone is convinced he was murdered, the only suspect in the case is another faculty member, black political activist Humphrey Edgerton, who has no alibi for the night of the crime. But Canfield was universally disliked. With the prospect of his widow filing a lawsuit against the university and the police inquiry at a standstill, the administration asks Kate to investigate. Before she can discover the culprit, a student who was seen in Canfield's building the day he was killed is pushed from her 10th floor apartment. Depressed by the young woman's death and overwhelmed by her impending failure, Kate faces her greatest challenge as an amateur sleuth. Cross, a keen observer of society, has created a potpourri of well-drawn female characters. This is a mystery offering much more than just a puzzle; it is a strong feminist statement abounding with interesting ideas.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fawcett
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 034535947X
• ISBN 13: 9780345359476
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224