~ Manuscript for Murder – A Review

Image from Just the Write Escape

Last week, I read Mrs. Havig’s newest book Manuscript for Murder. (Doesn’t that title have a great sound? It’s got alliteration and rhythm!)

The Author:

Chautona Havig is a contemporary author, living in California. She is married and the mother of nine children and grandmother of three. Manuscript for Murder is only one of her many published books. Others include, Noble Pursuits and Everard. To learn more about Mrs. Havig and her books, visit her website: Just the Write Escape

Technical Details:

Manuscript for Murder is Mrs. Havig’s latest published novel. Although not her first book, it does claim the honor of her first published mystery, as well as the first in the Hartfield Mysteries series. The book is 32 chapters, but since I read an e-book version, I have no idea how many pages it contains.

The Story:

Alexa Hartfield is a successful, well-known mystery writer, living in the small town of Fairbury. Though her books tell of grisly murders and heartless killers, she spends her own days with much more tranquility. Dressed in her favorite Medieval gown, a Regency dress replete with bonnet and shawl, or perhaps clothed in a 1950’s ensemble, she walks to the bookstore or the market, flies to different cities for her book tours, goes to church, and befriends her neighbor’s two children. By most people, she’s considered eccentric at best. Few people really know her though.

Then the unthinkable happens. After a strange experience with a broken light bulb leaves Alexa with a cut hand and a tiny real-life mystery, she decides to twist the experience to fit her newest book. When, however, a woman turns up dead within 24 hours of Alexa writing the scene, the author is angry and confused. Then a second murder follows the second murder in her book… and a third.

The victims have nothing in common, except Alexa’s unpublished book. They don’t even reside in the same town! The newspapers dub him (or her) the Plagiarist Killer. Who is he? What does he want? And who will he strike next?

The Writing Style:

I’ve seen some people comment that the beginning chapters of Manuscript for Murder are slow. I have to disagree. I found the opening chapter just odd enough to be utterly intriguing. We begin by seeing into the killer’s thoughts – a theme that continues throughout the book, dropping us clues to his identity, but never enough to name him.

Throughout the rest of the book, Mrs. Havig follows much the same style as in Ready or Not or Noble Pursuits. She does spend considerable time describing Alexa’s varied and unique wardrobe, but with one exception, it never seemed to bog down the story. Instead it gave a more defined image of the mystery author as we followed her from scene to scene.

Mrs. Havig also managed to be among the few mystery authors to announce the villain before I figured it out. I had my suspicions, but they were shallow and brief. Usually, I know who the villain is before the hero or heroine.

The Characters:

Mrs. Havig has proven before that she’s good at writing believable characters. This book is no exception.

Alexa was well developed and relatable. By the end of the book, the reader was able to get to “know” her well. She’s flawed like the rest of the world, but she has a kind heart and a likable personality. From her relationship with her family, to her reaction to the murders, to how she relates to other people, we see her character from all sides and angles.

Joe, the police officer that we see investigating the most, does seem less three-dimensional than Alexa. He was still well written though, as well as slightly unpredictable. His character seems to slowly emerge, almost as if from hiding.

As to my favorite character… That would be Alexa’s brother, Wes. I liked his relationship with his sister, his compassion, and just his overall personality. Second favorite, is a tie between Joe and Alexa.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this book is a good mystery, with memorable characters and settings. Definitely worth reading.

To the KING be all the glory!