Review of The Faces of Murder

[Patty Allread]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Faces of Murder" by Marilyn Wright Dayton.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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What happens when a cross-country train ride becomes the scene of three gruesome murders? If you're Weezie Hightower, you put on your private investigator hat, grab your buddies, and solve the case.

In The Faces of Murder: A Hightower Mystery Book Two by Marilyn Wright Dayton, Weezie, Bitsy, and Millie, better known as the "Cackle Gang," are traveling by train from California back to their home in New York. They have plenty of sightseeing planned, but when they learn someone brutally murdered two women on the train, they begin gathering clues. Led by Weezie, a retired private investigator, the three senior citizens join forces with local police and the FBI to solve the murders. Who else was murdered? Who is the killer? How are these crimes connected to a Russian gangster named Akim Ruizinho? Weezie and her friends will find out.

One of the things I appreciated about this book is that the three main characters are around seventy years old and live in a senior facility. They are elderly, but they are active, interested, and capable. Their personalities bring the story to life and show that they are more than simply old ladies. Weezie is dedicated and professional. She takes the lead in the investigation. Millie is gentle and grandmotherly, and she has excellent instincts when it comes to reading people. Bitsy is young at heart, but sometimes her friends say she is ditzy. The story revolves around the three of them and how they unravel the clues. The narrative consists mainly of the characters' conversations. This method works very well because it keeps the story moving, and the reader is right there hearing everything.

This book is what I would call "softcore" as a crime novel. It could use more thrilling drama. For instance, Weezie and her friends were never in any danger. Given they were openly working to discover who was the murderer on the train, I think the plot could have included some threats to these ladies or maybe even a kidnapping. Also, when the FBI got involved, they put Weezie in charge of the investigation. I doubted this would happen in real life.

I gave The Faces of Murder a rating of three out of four stars. It was a good read, but it was not excellent for the above reasons. The author could enhance the storyline by adding more elements that directly draw the characters into the action. The book needs professional editing, especially in the first third, where I found several errors. But there were not enough errors to deduct another star.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a mild, entertaining crime story. Those who appreciate the thought process of investigating and solving a mystery will enjoy it. I will resist the temptation to say that older folks will enjoy reading this. I'm sure they would, but I don't think they're the only audience for this book.

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The Faces of Murder
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[Edit_or]

Sounds very interesting. Thank you for the review.

[Amy Luman]

How often are older folks the main character of a contemporary novel of any type? I’m glad to see that this crew seemed to take the murders seriously. You’re right, I doubt that the FBI would put a “civilian” in charge of an investigation which they take over.

[Okoye Chinonso+]

If I'm on a train and a murder occurs, I'm so locking myself in the safest compartment or sealing myself in the bathroom
Curiosity does what to the cat?

[Okoye Chinonso+]

I loveeeeee murder mysteries (doesn't mean I want to solve one though...lol). It has this suspense to it, unconsciously you try guessing who the culprit is, and when your guess turns out to be correct, there's nothing more satisfying.
Thanks for the lovely review, it made me love the book before I've even started.

[Christopherio]

I appreciate how they showed the skills of senior citizens which didn't diminish with age and the comprehensive nature of the review. Murder mysteries are the absolute best. They bring out the detective in me as I try to uncover mysteries. I look forward to this journey as I read the book.

[Suzanne Castle]

Very thorough and descriptive review. It definetly makes me want to read the book. Thanks for pointing out where the editing was an issue. Finding spelling or grammar mistakes is always irritating for me but I'm glad the errors did not take away from your enjoyment of reading the book, and you still chose to reccommend it to others.

[ellimctreph]

If I'm on a train and a murder occurs, I'm so locking myself in the safest compartment or sealing myself in the bathroom
Curiosity does what to the cat?

Haha. True. I'm not Sherlock Holmes.

[Sarah Sonbol]

It's interesting that the protagonists are all old ladies. Uncommon choice. Thanks for the great review.

[Patty Allread]

It's interesting that the protagonists are all old ladies. Uncommon choice. Thanks for the great review.

Yes, for some people, an exciting and adventurous life is the way to live, even in old age. Thanks for your comment.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like the type of novel - possibly the whole series - written for people who like murder mysteries and I hope that the author does another round of proofreading to prevent distractions. Thank you for your great review!