Review of Murder Among Friends

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Murder Among Friends" by Linda J Burson.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Camille Thurston is eager to get out of Boston and spend the summer in Connecticut with her brother Zach, her sister-in-law, and adorable niece and nephew. Cammy loves spoiling Addie, Drew, and their friend Austin. Then Austin's mother goes missing. Zach is the officer on the case, but Cammy feels confident that her skills as a Private Investigator can help him search for the missing Paula Clemons. But Cammy finds more than clues. As she spends time with Paula's handsome husband, Grant Clemons, she falls in love and is desperate to prove his innocence. Cammy is confident she can find the evidence she needs, but Grant's nosy neighbor and her group of gossip girls stand in the way.

Sherry Winston feels inclined to take care of Grant and Austin. She also has a way of making herself at home in places where she's unwanted, trying to win Grant's affections for herself. As her rivalry with Cammy escalates, tensions rise in the Clemons' house, and loyalties are tested. Someone is hiding the truth about what happened to Paula. Cammy is determined to clear Grant's name and continue their steamy affair, but what will happen when the deepest secrets are revealed?

Murder Among Friends is equal parts crime thriller and sexy romance. I highly enjoyed this well-paced novel by Linda J. Burson. The story was engaging, the characters were well-developed, and the dialogue was fantastic. The witty banter and conversations between siblings Zach and Cammy were realistic and humorous. I also loved Cammy's sassy side, which shone through in her verbal bouts with Sherry Winston and Sherry's clingy crew of four neighborhood ladies. The Sunset Lane ladies, as Cammy refers to them, were intriguing, annoying, and downright crazy, and I loved the contributions they made to the suspect list with their actions and motives. Sometimes I was so shocked by what they said and did, but I enjoyed their Stepford-wives-type vibes.

I don't typically enjoy romance novels that involve affairs, but it was hard not to like the chemistry between Grant and Cammy. I appreciated how the author justified the relationship and her well-thought-out backstories for the characters. I felt like it was easy to emphasize with Grant's and Cammy's plights, so it was easy to cheer on their relationship and hope that everything worked out. The wait was a suspenseful journey because the author did a fantastic job creating tension in their relationship from inner conflict and external pressure, not to mention the ever-looming question of what would happen when they found Paula. It was not immediately clear if she was gone for good or would be coming back despite the outcome implied by the title.

Since the author wrote in the present tense, I felt like it did take me a while to get into the story. I prefer past-tense, but once I got deeper into the novel, I couldn't wait to find out how things would turn out for Grant and Cammy and what had happened to Paula. The author also included some additional twists and shocking reveals that kept me riveted till the final pages. Unfortunately, I found more than ten errors throughout the book, which reduced my rating by one star. Therefore, I give Murder Among Friends three out of four stars.

I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy a blend of suspense and romance because both play a significant role in the plot. Murder Among Friends is an excellent standalone read with a satisfying conclusion. There are quite a few sexual innuendoes, but the sex scenes were only mildly erotic. The book also contains a fair amount of mild and heavy swearing, so you may want to pass if you don't like rated R language.

******
Murder Among Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Amy Luman]

I really try to like romance novels, but they always end up feeling cheesy. Great review, though!

[marta baglioni]

I hoped there was more thriller and less romance, so I might pass on this one. Thank you for your review, anyway

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging thriller and I'm glad that it can be enjoyed by readers who are not into romance. Thank you for your great review!

[Sudhanshu Jaswal]

I have already read this book. You have done a great review.

[Omark]

I really liked this review it's so much interesting because the author Left us in suspense situation.i would like to follow up this book full of romantic aspect nice for nice review.thank you

[Ivy Mokote]

This is a wonderful review. I've read way too many cheesy romance novels and this doesn't seem like one of them. I appreciate the struggle Canmy goes through when she's trying to uncover the murderer, while at the same time, hide the news of a budding romance from her friends. I'll be sure to read this.