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The Death Of An Ambitious Woman (2010)

by Barbara Ross(Favorite Author)

4.11 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1594148988 (ISBN13: 9781594148989)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Five Star

review 1: Smooth, well-woven police story--and instead of the bull-headed police boss, there is an antagonistic ego-driven fool of a DA as the thorn in Chief Ruth's saddle--a woman becoming Chief of Police in a town outside Boston--sounds trite, but is not at all--it's fascinating. The tell-all at the end could have been a bit more polished, a bit leaner--there are aspects I still don't clearly get, but it is satisfying and the book is a really good read--seems a first in a series, but does not read like a first novel--the red herrings are well done and not over the top, and the real culprit is a surprise and believable. How Chief Ruth gets to the truth got a bit murky, but the pieces of the puzzle fit well and the whole thing leaves me wishing for more Chief Ruth Murphy myste... moreries!
review 2: It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book as much as “The Death of an Ambitious Woman,” the debut mystery by Barbara Ross. It could be termed a police procedural, but with a twist. The opening scene in chapter one grabs the reader instantly, and Ross doesn’t let up until the very last scene in the book. In the process, she takes us on a hair-raising ride (both literally and figuratively).Acting Police Chief Ruth Murphy is a shoe-in to be named the permanent chief in the small Massachusetts town of New Derby, even though she’s had her ups and downs with the local district attorney. Until she’s called upon to investigate the death of Tracey Kendall, a prominent businesswoman who inexplicably slammed her luxury SUV into a stone wall while talking on her cell phone to her four-year-old son’s nanny. A tragic accident? Ruth doesn’t believe it. Then, the handsome mechanic who recently worked on Tracey’s car disappears. And Ross tosses in a few more suspects to keep the reader guessing: an unfaithful artist husband, a greedy business partner, a jealous best friend, and the husband’s desperate art dealer. The prominence of the suspect list inflames the strained relationship between Ruth and the district attorney, who urges her to term the death an accident or else he’ll do everything he can to stop her promotion.Excellent writing, believable characters, and terrific plotting make “The Death of an Ambitious Woman” a must-read for all lovers of good mysteries. Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine less

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