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131st out of 291 books
—
968 voters
A Grand Murder (Catherine O'Brien Mystery #1)
by
Stacy Verdick Case (Goodreads Author)
A Grand Murder is the first book in the Catherine O'Brien mystery series.When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Saint Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit and her partner...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
August 9th 2011
by Before the Fall Books
(first published August 8th 2011)
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Apr 28, 2012
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
Stacy Verdick Case
Shelves:
book-review
Stacy Verdick Case has a strong ability to create a novel that will pull the reader into the story instantly. I loved that. I loved being able to jump in to the heart of the story and become a part of the characters' lives. I wasn't sure what to expect, though, as I've seen so many different opinions on the book. However, giving it a shot myself, really proved that it's worth the read!
Catherine O'Brien is a sassy, tough gal when it comes to her police investigations. She and her detective partn...more
Catherine O'Brien is a sassy, tough gal when it comes to her police investigations. She and her detective partn...more
Catherine O'Brien, described as vertically-challenged and perpetually disheveled, is partnered with Louise Montgomery, a tall black woman who is always impeccably dressed—even after being up all night. This first book in a new series about this unlikely pairing begins when they have already been partnered for three years and have grown into friends. Catherine is short, but feisty; and as the first-person POV character in this story, we see all the action through her eyes. She's also very grumpy...more
Now, I don't remember a whole lot about Cagney and Lacey, but they were the first ones I thought of when I met Detectives (Catherine) O'Brien and (Louise) Montgomery. Catherine is married to a saint of a man (Gavin) who puts up with her crazy hours and dangerous jobs with understanding and foot rubs, though he does admit it is not what he imagined marriage to be. Louise is single and always seems to be put together, with not a hair out of place, regardless of how much sleep she has or hasn't had...more
My review:
A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case is a first book in Catherine O'Brien mystery series. I know that it must sound weird, but it was a fun book to read, even though it's about murders. It was smoothly written and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the characters and the humor in the book.
Regarding the plot:
Catherine and her partner Louise are getting a murder case of a prominent businessman and they have only two days to solve the case. It does not help that the murdered businessman...more
A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case is a first book in Catherine O'Brien mystery series. I know that it must sound weird, but it was a fun book to read, even though it's about murders. It was smoothly written and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the characters and the humor in the book.
Regarding the plot:
Catherine and her partner Louise are getting a murder case of a prominent businessman and they have only two days to solve the case. It does not help that the murdered businessman...more
A well-connected businessman is murdered on his doorstep and the police investigation reveals that the victim has more enemies than one person should have in a lifetime. Someone murders the dead man’s business partner, and the police have little to go on in a case where the command chief demands that everything be wrapped up within two days.
PLAYERS: Catherine O’Brien is a smart, but abrasive cop, who has little patience and a huge caffeine habit. She has a softer side that’s reserved for her hu...more
PLAYERS: Catherine O’Brien is a smart, but abrasive cop, who has little patience and a huge caffeine habit. She has a softer side that’s reserved for her hu...more
This is the first time I've read a book by this author. I want to say thank you to Stacy Verdick Case for providing this book for me to give an honest review for a book tour.
I enjoyed the storyline and it was a good mystery about two lady detectives, Catherine and Louise, out to catch the killers. Catherine was good at her job, but capricious enough to be interesting.
The book had some laugh-out-loud moments, which made it a fun and funny book to read. I wasn't sure who the guilty person was rig...more
I enjoyed the storyline and it was a good mystery about two lady detectives, Catherine and Louise, out to catch the killers. Catherine was good at her job, but capricious enough to be interesting.
The book had some laugh-out-loud moments, which made it a fun and funny book to read. I wasn't sure who the guilty person was rig...more
Cameron's Audiobook Review from What the Cat Read
When Stacy asked me to review the audio edition of this book for her virtual book tour I will admit to a bit of hesitancy on accepting the task, mostly because it is really easy for me to zone out while listening to an audiobook. However, upon starting the book, I found myself getting wrapped up in both the storyline and the reader herself. Justine Huxley does a fantastic job of grabbing the listener’s attention, giving each character their own to...more
When Stacy asked me to review the audio edition of this book for her virtual book tour I will admit to a bit of hesitancy on accepting the task, mostly because it is really easy for me to zone out while listening to an audiobook. However, upon starting the book, I found myself getting wrapped up in both the storyline and the reader herself. Justine Huxley does a fantastic job of grabbing the listener’s attention, giving each character their own to...more
A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case is a murder mystery with an unlikely pair of detectives, as opposite as they can be. A man is murdered on his doorstep and the clues left make it seem like a robbery gone bad but with further investigation it is anything but a robbery. The police chief wants the murder to be solved within 48 hours, which does not leave a lot of time but the victim is a friend of his so he wants the case solved fast. All the time spent on investigating keeps Catherine from her...more
In the first book of the Catherine O’Brien mystery series, the detective finds herself involved in investigating a high profile murder. A prominent business man is found dead at his Grand Avenue Hill home and the chief of police want Catherine and her partner Louise to quickly solve this case.
As Catherine and Louise get deeper into the investigation, they find the victim had quite a few enemies and the suspect list keeps getting longer. They don’t have much to go on, but it’s not long before the...more
As Catherine and Louise get deeper into the investigation, they find the victim had quite a few enemies and the suspect list keeps getting longer. They don’t have much to go on, but it’s not long before the...more
Catherine O’Brien is a petite St. Paul Detective whose hair is never right, wears clothes that are more masculine than feminine, lives on Starbucks coffee, thinks laundry, cooking and housework are punishments to be avoided at all times, and has a husband who loves her just the way she is.
Louise Montgomery is her partner who never goes home yet her hair and clothes are always perfect. She is tech savvy and hell on wheels literally. Every time Catherine gets in the car with Louise behind the whee...more
Louise Montgomery is her partner who never goes home yet her hair and clothes are always perfect. She is tech savvy and hell on wheels literally. Every time Catherine gets in the car with Louise behind the whee...more
A very satisfying read.
The writing is decent and the plot engaging. It's got all the elements I like to see in a good murder mystery: a weird murder, lots of suspects with suspicious behaviour, red herrings, clues that are open to interpretation, and to top it all off, a quirky investigator who has to make sense of it all to catch the killer.
Catherine is a tough, but very likeable, lead character and her dry sense of humor makes this book not just a suspenseful read, but a funny one as well. Alt...more
The writing is decent and the plot engaging. It's got all the elements I like to see in a good murder mystery: a weird murder, lots of suspects with suspicious behaviour, red herrings, clues that are open to interpretation, and to top it all off, a quirky investigator who has to make sense of it all to catch the killer.
Catherine is a tough, but very likeable, lead character and her dry sense of humor makes this book not just a suspenseful read, but a funny one as well. Alt...more
This is the first book I have read by this author. Two female detectives from St Paul have 2 days to solve the murder of a judge. They are easy to like and you want to see them do well from tje start of the book. It made for a fast read trying to figure out what was going to happen. I had a feeling early on who the murder might be. There were some laugh out loud moments which made it over all a decent book.
There were two things that held me back a bit ,a lot of swearing which I can deal with som...more
There were two things that held me back a bit ,a lot of swearing which I can deal with som...more
2.6 actually.
I enjoyed the book. It was about 2 female detectives in St. Paul, Minnesota solving a double murder. The two main characters are polar opposites and I really enjoyed their interactions - quite humorous. The plot was pretty good and there were some sub-plots that I am sure will be developed further in books to come. The thing that kept me from rating it higher is the fact it did not seem to make it to an editor's desk. I guess because I am a bit anal I got stuck on typos, dialog that...more
I enjoyed the book. It was about 2 female detectives in St. Paul, Minnesota solving a double murder. The two main characters are polar opposites and I really enjoyed their interactions - quite humorous. The plot was pretty good and there were some sub-plots that I am sure will be developed further in books to come. The thing that kept me from rating it higher is the fact it did not seem to make it to an editor's desk. I guess because I am a bit anal I got stuck on typos, dialog that...more
Imagine a Columbo meets Cagney and Lacey mystery written by Agatha Christie and you get a glimpse into the latest gumshoe novel by Stacy Verdick Case. With an emphasis placed on character development and detecting, A Grand Murder quickly settles into easy and fun reading. This ‘whodunit’ manages to keep a healthy pace of intrigue throughout a corporate multiple-murder case. Betrayal, cooked books, and cooked gooses will no doubt make this an armchair detective’s favorite.
"Come out, come out, wh...more
"Come out, come out, wh...more
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Mar 14, 2012
Nancy
added it
Catherine O'Brian and Louise Montgomery, St Paul Mn police detectives, must solve a case in two days. Two men from the same company are murdered. One seems to be a good guy, the other not. The bad guy was blackmailing many people some from his work and the wives of some from his work. He was not killed by any of them, rather a personal assistant in the business. The bad guy was siphoning off money the assistant found out and knew the company would fold, including her pension, and killed the bad...more
This was a decent read. The plot moved forward at a good pace.Cathrine and Louise were good characters. Although I liked Louise better than Cathrine, which is a little disappointing because Cathrine is the main character. I just found Louise more likeable. Cathrine was so tough and hardened so when it came to the scenes where she was supposed to come off compassionate or upset it felt weird. I guess the author was trying to show a different side of her, but it just didn't work for me. I did like...more
One might call A Grand Murder a cozy mystery as it certainly is an easy book to curl up with and read in one sitting. If ever you want something light and highly entertaining in a mystery, I definitely recommend A Grand Murder! I'm happy to inform you that it is but the first in what will be here-to-fore known as the "Catherine O'Brien Mysteries". The next in the series to be released soon is Murder is a Family Affair, and Stacy is currently working on the third.
Warning to sensitive readers: som...more
Warning to sensitive readers: som...more
Two homicide detectives are sent out on a priority killing. Catherine O'Brien and partner, Louise have two days to solve the crime or make their Chief unhappy.
This was a fast-moving, humorous, and interesting murder mystery. It is hard to find humor with the subject of death, but in this case it was handled by descriptions of various interviews with possible suspects and witnesses.
I expect this series will continue to be even sharper with time.
This was a fast-moving, humorous, and interesting murder mystery. It is hard to find humor with the subject of death, but in this case it was handled by descriptions of various interviews with possible suspects and witnesses.
I expect this series will continue to be even sharper with time.
I finished this last night. Definitely a quick read. It wasn't bad, but nothing particularly memorable.
I just started this book last night (Kindle tells me I'm 13% in) - anyway, short comment for the author and editor: at 7% in, "Leather sofa's flanked two of the walls" - sofas, people. No apostrophe.
I just started this book last night (Kindle tells me I'm 13% in) - anyway, short comment for the author and editor: at 7% in, "Leather sofa's flanked two of the walls" - sofas, people. No apostrophe.
This is a good book that was fun to read. A 4 star book for sure! It will leave you wanting to read more about its main characters. If you like John Sandford and Robert Crais you will like this book. A definate must read for Murder Mystery junkies.
This is my first book so I love it like a child. I will not give it a star rating because I hate when authors do that to pump up their reviews. I will let actual readers rate it so you get the true measure of the book.
Very basic mystery book. I usually like reading books that take place here in minnesota, but not much was talked about for landmarks, so it really didn't make much difference.
Very fun and enjoyable thriller to read. A great quick one day read that will have you sleuthing along with Catherine to figure out who did it.
A great mystery.....I really enjoyed this. Some parts were just a tad slow, but otherwise I really liked this.
I enjoyed this book, it was a great weekend getaway read and it captured some good Minnesota humor! Looking forward to the next book to see where she goes.... Catherine reminds me of Beckett from Castle keep the books coming! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrOSSr...
A predictable murder mystery but I enjoyed the characters and the pace.
Sep 16, 2011
Aileen
marked it as to-read
Received as a Goodreads giveaway.
enjoyed....kept interest
A good mystery, lots happening and the plot line kept the reader wondering what would happen next. And to top that off, it is a book based in Minnesota.
I enjoyed the story. The characters were believable and you quickly became involved and cared for them. The story was fun to try and figure out. I had an idea early on as to who the killer would be but as, the detectives worked the case, it made me wonder. The language was realistic but I could have done without all the swearing. I will probably not recommend it because of the language.
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Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.
Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O’Brien mystery, A Grand Murder, is available from Before the Fall Books. Her second Catherine O’Brien mystery M...more
More about Stacy Verdick Case...
Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband and her daughter. Her Catherine O’Brien mystery, A Grand Murder, is available from Before the Fall Books. Her second Catherine O’Brien mystery M...more
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