Review by Esmeralda Cisne -- Arsenic and Old Men

[Esmeralda Cisne]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Arsenic and Old Men" by Glenn Ickler.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Arsenic and Old Men is another book in the “Mitch & Al series” by author Glenn Ickler. Admittedly, this is the first book I’ve read from this author and I am intrigued to read more after this.

The story begins when Minnesota cartoonist Dave Jerome and his friends, St. Paul Daily Dispatch reporter Mitch Mitchell and photographer Alan Jeffrey had “a few days” visit on Martha’s vineyard to settle the affairs of Dave’s octogenarian Uncle Walt. We first meet them with Walt’s lawyer on a clothing-optional beach. Let’s just say everything in the book becomes interesting from that point on. Dave decided to honor his late uncle’s wishes before trying to sell off his newly acquired property. This got them all in trouble with the town loon, “Teddy Roosevelt” who was a squatter in a patch of land owned by Walt Jerome.
When a state-required autopsy revealed that the late Walt Jerome have died of arsenic poisoning - not a heart attack - the trio had to extend their stay at Martha’s Vineyard. Dave being the sole heir became a suspect. Teddy would have been suspect too, had he not died in the same manner Walt Jerome did. Meanwhile, since Walt Jerome was a former editor of the Daily Dispatch, Mitch and Al were ordered to stay on the Vineyard to report on the murder investigation as it progresses.

The main plot revolves around more or less a two-week timeline, and so much has already happened that, like Mitch’s sentiments, it would seem like “forever ago”. The chapters in the book are relatively short, which keeps them from going dull; but long enough to get into necessary details that keep us guessing and turning the pages (whether in actual paperback or our Kindle).
I have not read many murder-mysteries, but Arsenic and Old Men reminds me of one of the most popular series there is in the genre - The Nancy Drew Files by Carolyn Keene. Being a media person is a lot like doing detective work too, among other things. The job of a reporter or a journalist also entails a lot of risks just to get a good, unbiased story.

For now, having just read Arsenic and Old Men in Glenn Ickler’s series, gives me the impression that the heart of the books is about media people who are very passionate about what they do with knacks for solving puzzles, even if murder seems to follow them wherever they go. Reading the references to other cases solved by the trio in this book, even if this was the first story we’ve read from the author, we get the impression that these media people take their jobs very seriously and would stop at nothing to keep us informed. They are soldiers, but instead of guns, they are armed with their pens.

Arsenic and Old Men was evidently written and edited by seasoned professionals. I don't dislike anything about the book and it has, for sure, left me wanting to read all the books from the series.

For being such an entertaining take on a murder-mystery, I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars.

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Arsenic and Old Men
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