Professor Karen Pelletier is up for tenure in the English department at New England’s exclusive Enfield College. Then her rival for the one tenured spot, Professor Joseph Lone Wolf, whose ethnicity gives him minority-preference status, is found dead. Karen, first on the list of suspects, is harassed by a homicide cop with a grudge against Karen’s boyfriend, Lieutenant Charlie Piotrowski. Meanwhile, political passions rage on campus, and two of Karen’s favorite students—Khalida Ahmed, a hijab-wearing Muslim, and Hank Brody, a coal-miner’s son on full scholarship—are caught up in the furor.
Without the presence of her beloved Charlie, now serving in Iraq, will Karen be able to survive the investigation, protect her students, and find a permanent niche in the world of academia? And what if the killer feels the need to strike again?
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"Another enjoyable mystery set in the world of higher education. Loved that her character had to deal with tenure applications and Facebook requests from students while solving yet another murder mystery. Always enjoy her work."
— Joanna (4 out of 5 stars)
“Fans of academic mysteries will savor this one.”
— Library Journal“Everything you’d expect from an academic mystery.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Williams portrays Pelletier as quick talking and sharp voiced, a smart, modern woman…Williams keeps the pace brisk, nicely managing the rhythm of the plot, speeding up when Pelletier is agitated and slowing down to allow listeners to savor the author’s trademark skewers at academia.”
— Booklist audio review" I thought this academic mystery was okay. Not terribly stimulating. "
— Lpage1479, 1/15/2014" light reading. always pleasant to engage in mystery stories esp. when the setting is an english department -- so close to what i know. "
— Maggie, 12/17/2013" Formulaic and not much of a mystery. I hear others in the series are better. "
— Linda, 12/15/2013" Very enjoyable murder mystery starring a female academic going up for tenure. The author, who teaches at Fordham, really knows her academic types. Fun to read. "
— April, 9/20/2013" This was a decent book by one of my favorite authors. It felt formulaic in places, but I loved the thematic questions it raised about lierature, outsiders, identity, and appropriating identity. "
— Ms., 8/26/2013" I am not a great fan of Joanne Dobson but she is a easy read for the beach. She does give me insight in the operations of a university. "
— Arlene, 8/22/2013" Excessively annoying protagonist, especially as an Audio book. "
— Kate, 8/10/2013" An entertaining twist to life in academia. "
— Drnmortongmail.com, 7/24/2013" This is the latest in the series. It took a long time for her to write this one. I hope Dobson is back on the writing track. Great fun read! "
— Ann-Marie, 6/3/2013" I've enjoyed her past mysteries, with their academic setting. But this one is pretty light, even for a light mystery... "
— Giovanna, 4/28/2013" Fairly good mystery, unanswered question though and that bothered me. "
— Pat, 1/30/2013" I enjoy the cast if characters in the Kare Pelletier series and it was good to catch up with them again in this novel. The literary, academic underbelly is endlessly fascinating and the characters feel very real. "
— Cory, 2/11/2012" Plot is so-so, and I couldn't stand the junk that rattles around in the main character's head. "
— pjreads, 2/5/2012" 3.5. So nice to have karen Pelletier back after several years. this is a good one--especially for those who know what it's like to go through tenure review. "
— Leslie, 4/6/2011" I am not a great fan of Joanne Dobson but she is a easy read for the beach. She does give me insight in the operations of a university. "
— Arlene, 3/15/2011" I thought this academic mystery was okay. Not terribly stimulating. "
— Lpage1479, 12/2/2010" This is the latest in the series. It took a long time for her to write this one. I hope Dobson is back on the writing track. Great fun read! "
— Ann-Marie, 9/17/2010" Fairly good mystery, unanswered question though and that bothered me. "
— Pat, 5/9/2010" I've enjoyed her past mysteries, with their academic setting. But this one is pretty light, even for a light mystery... "
— Giovanna, 3/25/2010" 3.5. So nice to have karen Pelletier back after several years. this is a good one--especially for those who know what it's like to go through tenure review. "
— Leslie, 3/19/2010" This was a decent book by one of my favorite authors. It felt formulaic in places, but I loved the thematic questions it raised about lierature, outsiders, identity, and appropriating identity. "
— Ms., 2/23/2010Joanne Dobson, a former professor of English at Fordham University, is the author of the Professor Karen Pelletier mystery series. The first book in the series, Quieter Than Sleep, was nominated for an Agatha Award in 1997 for Best First Novel, and in 2001 the adult readers division of the New York Library Association named her Noted Author of the Year, being the writer whose books they most enjoyed recommending to their patrons.
Christine Williams is a singer and actor based in Ashland, Oregon. Her performance credits include productions at regional theaters and on concert stages across the country and around the world, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Barbican Centre in London to the Aspen Music Festival and the Grotowski Institute in Poland.