What do you think?
Rate this book
A Susan Callisto Mystery #1
A Crack in Everything
Politics can be deadly--when there are toxic secrets to hide. Susan Callisto is nearly thirty and taking stock since her boyfriend, Police Lieutenant Michael Benedict, left her without a goodbye. Susan, with her own political consulting firm, is too busy to think about love anyway--except on lonely summer nights. Political novice Charles Renfrow asks Susan to help him run for mayor. But a friend says Renfrow's biotech company is dumping deadly toxic waste, and Susan decides to find out the truth before committing herself. Instead of the truth, she finds a corpse, Renfrow's gorgeous assistant. Soon violence is shadowing Susan and people close to her. When Renfrow himself turns up dead, the investigation brings Michael back into her life. Then Susan rescues a client's young daughter from her abductor, the person she now reckons is the murderer--but she's only half right--and she must confront the real killer.
MP3 CD
First published January 1, 2011
6 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 23, 2013
Poisoned Pen Press let me down. I don’t blame the author, although I suppose I could. But the author and I didn’t have a history, an established relationship, a rapport if you will, and from my perspective it was going really well. Poisoned Pen Press published good novels, and I like to purchase and read good novels, so it was what amounted to a beautiful friendship.
I’d met a few of their authors, along with one of their founders and editor-in-chief Barbara Peters, and I’d even been fortunate enough to have two of their authors blurb my debut mystery novel, so if this were a batting cage, I’d be knocking every single ball out of the park. I ended up lost in worlds created by Jon Talton, Frederick Ramsay, Tammy Kaehler, Rachel Brady, and Dana Stabenow, clipping along at a nice, even pace, and then this disaster slammed me into a brick wall, the airbag deployed, and I ended up with a rather severe case of whiplash.
If I had to sum up how I felt while reading A CRACK IN EVERYTHING, I’d say it was similar to being audited by the IRS. Not that I’ve been audited before (and if any IRS employees are Goodreads members, I’d really appreciate your continued support in keeping me off of the naughty list).
So what caused this mother of all letdowns? Like any major car accident, it wasn’t a particular incident that pushed me over the edge, but several little instances that caused the ensuing explosion. The biggest offense (and I thought of my wife as I read this, since she lived in the Boston area by choice and New Mexico by accident) was that it didn’t feel like Boston. Sure, Angela Gerst name-dropped Waltham and Moody Street and Harvard Square and the North End and Charlestown and Newton and Brookline and Chestnut Hill Mall and Copley Place and I believe there might have even been a T reference, as well as other hotspots around the city, but it felt more Mississippi than Massachusetts. This isn’t Robert B. Parker’s Boston, that’s for darn sure. The novel lacked even a basic grit that’s normally present in the Boston area, and certainly nowhere near the caliber of Dennis Lehane, who really lets his love for the city shine through on every single page of his novels. This brings me to another point. Ms. Gerst is originally from New York, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s the mother of all sins to a Boston native. She would have been better off just flat-out lying about that part in her bio (and saying she was from Iraq or Iran), or just eliminating it altogether. This is a feud so hot and heavy that a David Ortiz jersey buried at the new Yankee Stadium made The New York Times.
Let me stop for a moment here. I realize Susan Callisto is from California and so she’s a transplant (as was I for over two years), but she should have adapted to her surroundings. I also realize the novel is written in first person, so she’s not going to use words like idear, or pahking the cah, lobstah, or chowdah. But the people who were natives of the city should have spoken in Boston accents more than one time in the whole novel. Just dropping a word here and there would have added an underlying realism that just didn’t seem to be there. Dunkin’ Donuts, the business of choice for many a Massachusetts resident, didn’t receive a single mention. With over 80 stores in the Boston city limits alone, it was the equivalent of discovering some sort of alternate universe. And maybe that’s what this novel attempted to do all along. If so, it has certainly succeeded. But if it really was supposed to be set in reality, I have included the link to The Wicked Good Guide to Boston English, along with a few choice words and phrases (stolen from aforementioned site), since Boston does indeed have its own language.
Av - an avenue with a long name, for example, Massachusetts Avenue becomes Mass-av; Commonwealth Avenue, Comm-av.
Bubbla - that's a water fountain to you, bub.
Chowdahead - stupid person. The phrase has spread westa Wihsta, but it's definitely of local origins.
Dunkie's - the donut shop on the corner.
Frappe - a milkshake or malted elsewhere, it's basically ice cream, milk and chocolate syrup blended together. The 'e' is silent.
Frickin' - the F-word as an adjective in polite company. "Often paired with 'wicked,' creating the sublime poetry of 'The Ozzy cawncert wuz frickin' wicked!'"
Jimmies - those little chocolate thingees you ask the guy at the ice-cream store to put on top of your cone.
The Pike - the Massachusetts Turnpike. Also, the world's longest parking lot, at least out by Sturbridge on the day before Thanksgiving.
Rotary - a traffic circle. One of Massachusetts' two main contributions to the art of traffic regulation (the other being the red-and-yellow pedestrian-crossing light).
Wicked - a general intensifier: "He's wicked nuts!"
Here’s a link to the full site: The Wicked Good Guide To Boston English
Update 5/15/13 - If you need a good laugh, you should check out the love that this same review has received on Amazon. To view the affection, click here. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I still stand behind my original review, possibly even a bit taller than I did before. And I will say I’m a bit disappointed if this is the best they’ve got.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
I’d met a few of their authors, along with one of their founders and editor-in-chief Barbara Peters, and I’d even been fortunate enough to have two of their authors blurb my debut mystery novel, so if this were a batting cage, I’d be knocking every single ball out of the park. I ended up lost in worlds created by Jon Talton, Frederick Ramsay, Tammy Kaehler, Rachel Brady, and Dana Stabenow, clipping along at a nice, even pace, and then this disaster slammed me into a brick wall, the airbag deployed, and I ended up with a rather severe case of whiplash.
If I had to sum up how I felt while reading A CRACK IN EVERYTHING, I’d say it was similar to being audited by the IRS. Not that I’ve been audited before (and if any IRS employees are Goodreads members, I’d really appreciate your continued support in keeping me off of the naughty list).
So what caused this mother of all letdowns? Like any major car accident, it wasn’t a particular incident that pushed me over the edge, but several little instances that caused the ensuing explosion. The biggest offense (and I thought of my wife as I read this, since she lived in the Boston area by choice and New Mexico by accident) was that it didn’t feel like Boston. Sure, Angela Gerst name-dropped Waltham and Moody Street and Harvard Square and the North End and Charlestown and Newton and Brookline and Chestnut Hill Mall and Copley Place and I believe there might have even been a T reference, as well as other hotspots around the city, but it felt more Mississippi than Massachusetts. This isn’t Robert B. Parker’s Boston, that’s for darn sure. The novel lacked even a basic grit that’s normally present in the Boston area, and certainly nowhere near the caliber of Dennis Lehane, who really lets his love for the city shine through on every single page of his novels. This brings me to another point. Ms. Gerst is originally from New York, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s the mother of all sins to a Boston native. She would have been better off just flat-out lying about that part in her bio (and saying she was from Iraq or Iran), or just eliminating it altogether. This is a feud so hot and heavy that a David Ortiz jersey buried at the new Yankee Stadium made The New York Times.
Let me stop for a moment here. I realize Susan Callisto is from California and so she’s a transplant (as was I for over two years), but she should have adapted to her surroundings. I also realize the novel is written in first person, so she’s not going to use words like idear, or pahking the cah, lobstah, or chowdah. But the people who were natives of the city should have spoken in Boston accents more than one time in the whole novel. Just dropping a word here and there would have added an underlying realism that just didn’t seem to be there. Dunkin’ Donuts, the business of choice for many a Massachusetts resident, didn’t receive a single mention. With over 80 stores in the Boston city limits alone, it was the equivalent of discovering some sort of alternate universe. And maybe that’s what this novel attempted to do all along. If so, it has certainly succeeded. But if it really was supposed to be set in reality, I have included the link to The Wicked Good Guide to Boston English, along with a few choice words and phrases (stolen from aforementioned site), since Boston does indeed have its own language.
Av - an avenue with a long name, for example, Massachusetts Avenue becomes Mass-av; Commonwealth Avenue, Comm-av.
Bubbla - that's a water fountain to you, bub.
Chowdahead - stupid person. The phrase has spread westa Wihsta, but it's definitely of local origins.
Dunkie's - the donut shop on the corner.
Frappe - a milkshake or malted elsewhere, it's basically ice cream, milk and chocolate syrup blended together. The 'e' is silent.
Frickin' - the F-word as an adjective in polite company. "Often paired with 'wicked,' creating the sublime poetry of 'The Ozzy cawncert wuz frickin' wicked!'"
Jimmies - those little chocolate thingees you ask the guy at the ice-cream store to put on top of your cone.
The Pike - the Massachusetts Turnpike. Also, the world's longest parking lot, at least out by Sturbridge on the day before Thanksgiving.
Rotary - a traffic circle. One of Massachusetts' two main contributions to the art of traffic regulation (the other being the red-and-yellow pedestrian-crossing light).
Wicked - a general intensifier: "He's wicked nuts!"
Here’s a link to the full site: The Wicked Good Guide To Boston English
Update 5/15/13 - If you need a good laugh, you should check out the love that this same review has received on Amazon. To view the affection, click here. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I still stand behind my original review, possibly even a bit taller than I did before. And I will say I’m a bit disappointed if this is the best they’ve got.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
May 17, 2011
3.5 Stars!
Susan Callisto is a great addition to the series mystery genre. She is very practical and very well-rounded as a newly developed character. I believed her and couldn't wait to learn more.
Susan has left the security of a law firm in order to run city level political campaigns. She also has a few clients that have followed her from the firm and still takes care of thier needs. She struggles for money but loves what she does.
Enter political novice Charles Renfrow who begs Susan to help him run for mayor. Quote from book blurb:But Renfrow is a scientist, not a politician, and his pockets are far too deep. Susan is tempted--Renfrow knows how to seduce--but her suspicions, if not her libido, are aroused. When a friend insists that Renfrow's biotech company is dumping deadly toxic waste, Susan decides to find out the truth before committing herself.
This is where things get complicated. Murder happens, no one seems trustworthy and even seemingly unrelated events cause Susan to question the closest of friends.
This was surprisingly good for a new author. The writing was well done and the characters felt real. I enjoyed the story but it did get a little slow in the middle. I longed for more action but was still invested in the outcome enough to finish. I look forward to the next installment and am convinced this series will grow and be very popular.
Susan Callisto is a great addition to the series mystery genre. She is very practical and very well-rounded as a newly developed character. I believed her and couldn't wait to learn more.
Susan has left the security of a law firm in order to run city level political campaigns. She also has a few clients that have followed her from the firm and still takes care of thier needs. She struggles for money but loves what she does.
Enter political novice Charles Renfrow who begs Susan to help him run for mayor. Quote from book blurb:But Renfrow is a scientist, not a politician, and his pockets are far too deep. Susan is tempted--Renfrow knows how to seduce--but her suspicions, if not her libido, are aroused. When a friend insists that Renfrow's biotech company is dumping deadly toxic waste, Susan decides to find out the truth before committing herself.
This is where things get complicated. Murder happens, no one seems trustworthy and even seemingly unrelated events cause Susan to question the closest of friends.
This was surprisingly good for a new author. The writing was well done and the characters felt real. I enjoyed the story but it did get a little slow in the middle. I longed for more action but was still invested in the outcome enough to finish. I look forward to the next installment and am convinced this series will grow and be very popular.
September 25, 2011
I will admit that I was a little skeptical going into this book. You never know what you will be getting with an author's first book. I was very pleasantly surprised. This mystery in this book it exciting! It has plenty of murder, suspects, twists, turns and surprises. There are several things happening at once and they don;t seem to be connected. I loved how the author brought it all together to tie things up. The ending...wow! Let's just say that the ending made my jaw drop in amazement. I never saw it coming!
Ms. Gerst has created a great character in Susan. She is a down-to-earth, smart and very relatable character. I liked her relationships with her friends and her loyalty to them. I know that this is a character I look forward to getting to know in later books. I hope that future books give more of her background. I think that was the one thing that I was missing, more back story on Susan that might explain why decided to leave the big law firm and go into politics. The other thing was romance. I wanted more interaction between Susan and Michael.
I definitely recommend this one. I listened to the audio and the narrator was great.
Ms. Gerst has created a great character in Susan. She is a down-to-earth, smart and very relatable character. I liked her relationships with her friends and her loyalty to them. I know that this is a character I look forward to getting to know in later books. I hope that future books give more of her background. I think that was the one thing that I was missing, more back story on Susan that might explain why decided to leave the big law firm and go into politics. The other thing was romance. I wanted more interaction between Susan and Michael.
I definitely recommend this one. I listened to the audio and the narrator was great.
April 16, 2013
Susan Callisto is a Boston attorney/election consultant, disappointed in love, and coping by throwing herself into her work. She is lured into taking on a last minute candidate for mayor, in the person of Chaz Renfrow, biotech specialist, despite some misgivings about his character. Within a few days, he and his assistant are dead. On the personal front, Susan's surrogate grandpa lands in the hospital, badly beaten. Could this incident be connected to his lease dispute? The case is assigned to her ex boyfriend, Detective Michael Benedict, and together, they try to puzzle out what's going on.
A Crack in Everything is tautly composed, only 250+ pages, but crammed with characters, clues, and action. There is no shortage of suspects with motive, or of loose ends that need to be tied together. Angela Gerst is up to the job. She knows lawyering, politics, Boston, and competent writing, and her characters are intelligent, lively, and credible. My only complaint is that I kept getting a couple of them confused, but otherwise, this is a terrific first novel that promises to develop into a fine series.
A Crack in Everything is tautly composed, only 250+ pages, but crammed with characters, clues, and action. There is no shortage of suspects with motive, or of loose ends that need to be tied together. Angela Gerst is up to the job. She knows lawyering, politics, Boston, and competent writing, and her characters are intelligent, lively, and credible. My only complaint is that I kept getting a couple of them confused, but otherwise, this is a terrific first novel that promises to develop into a fine series.
September 14, 2011
A Crack in Everything is the first audiobook in the Susan Callisto mystery series by debut author Angela Gerst. Gerst has created a phenomenal character in Susan.
Visit www.audiobookfans.com for my indepth review and audiobook giveaway! (Giveaway ends 9/20)
Visit www.audiobookfans.com for my indepth review and audiobook giveaway! (Giveaway ends 9/20)
March 17, 2018
I was interested in this book, mostly because of the setting in Massachusetts.
The main character, Susan, is a lawyer/consultant. She receives a request to advise Charles, who wants to run for mayor. She's reluctant, but he offers a large sum of money for her work. Meanwhile, her first client is being pressured to move his restaurant from a building the owner wants to develop. Then the dead bodies start accumulating.
The main character, Susan, is a lawyer/consultant. She receives a request to advise Charles, who wants to run for mayor. She's reluctant, but he offers a large sum of money for her work. Meanwhile, her first client is being pressured to move his restaurant from a building the owner wants to develop. Then the dead bodies start accumulating.
April 22, 2020
This book can have been done within 100 pages. The shit was worst that a Tyler Perry movie as far as developing characters and making their storylines infectious and relatable. Plus, shit happened as random as rain falling.
May 7, 2019
Maybe it was the reader......
June 10, 2020
Good listening.
July 30, 2020
This book just didn’t grab me - too many characters not developed enough. Weird plot.
February 5, 2024
2024 Audio
February 24, 2025
I immediately liked and related to the protagonist, and the mystery aspect was quite good. Perhaps a bit far-fetched, but not your typically predictable outcome.
April 8, 2025
Fine. Not the most likable character but a decent start to a series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2012
In her debut novel Angela Gerst looks at what happens when you combine love, politics and murder.
Susan Callisto is a real estate lawyer but also a small time political campaign consultant and she should have known better when Charles "Chaz" Renfro walked into her office, offering her 20, 000 dollars in order to be part of his campaign, as the election was only a few days away. But charmed by his smooth talking Susan agrees to offer him advice if he can only get the voter signatures needed to run. If Chaz getting the signature was Susan's only issue thing would have been great. However, in a span of a few days she discovers a dead body, is under investigation for murder (which is being investigated by her ex that she doesn't really know how she feels about him) plus working on for all the other campaigns and her lawyer office none of which seems to be going right as well. The more that Susan is able to uncover, the more she becomes the target and the killer is dead set on her not making it out to vote.
This was an interesting read for me. Gerst was able to keep me entertained. Gerst showed a great ability for story telling and plot execution for her debut novel. Everything within the book stems, naturally, from money and the ever searching cure to something that all humans suffer from mortality. No this is not a paranormal novel, it is a mystery novel with some politics thrown in.
This book is a little bit slow in parts as Susun tries to put everything together, plus she has other events in her life that need to be taken care of, both personal and business. I like that Gerst was able to mix real life and the investigation together in the book and still hold my attention. I like the web of lies, maniputation and deceptions that occur throughout the book that Suzy never really knows who she can trust and whether to trust her gut or not. I think that this is where Gerst excels in her manipulation of the plot and the people that you never really know what is going to happen next and where the next lie, manipulation or deception is going to occur or be uncovered.
I liked Susan as a character, she has a witty and fairly dry sense of humor that had me smiling as I read. I liked Susan's ability to just be what people needed her to be for the most part. I think that she got this from being a lawyer and knew how to play up her strengths and down play her weaknesses. Although Susan may appear strong to those around, she is a very depressed woman, who is often living in the past; past events, past mistakes, they all haunt her. It was interesting being in Susan's mind throughout the novel and seeing how she looked at the world, the case and her life.
THANK YOU Angela Gerst for not falling into the ever so common trend these days of page after page of sex scenes. Gerst did it right in this book, some sexual innuendos and scenes that are leading up to sex, but not expanding past that. This is one of the first books i have read in a long time (by a female author) that has done this. I applaud Gerst from moving away from this norm.
The one part I did not really understand was her relationship with Michael. They had pushed each other away and really blamed the other person for it. I just felt very Hot and Cold feelings flowing between them (i'm sure some people would say this could have been helped by having some sex scenes...lol....but that is not the point). I just thought that there was a lack of connection between the characters, maybe they just needed to work through more of their own personal and relationship issues.
This book keeps going right to the end with it overwhelming web of lies that surround everything Susan knows. This book was a constant puzzle (but in a good way), so those looking for something that will have you thinking a little bit harder trying to figure everything out right till the end, will want to pick up this book. This was a good read and I liked the mixture of mystery, politics, money and real life drama. I look forward to Gerst's next book.
Enjoy!!!
Susan Callisto is a real estate lawyer but also a small time political campaign consultant and she should have known better when Charles "Chaz" Renfro walked into her office, offering her 20, 000 dollars in order to be part of his campaign, as the election was only a few days away. But charmed by his smooth talking Susan agrees to offer him advice if he can only get the voter signatures needed to run. If Chaz getting the signature was Susan's only issue thing would have been great. However, in a span of a few days she discovers a dead body, is under investigation for murder (which is being investigated by her ex that she doesn't really know how she feels about him) plus working on for all the other campaigns and her lawyer office none of which seems to be going right as well. The more that Susan is able to uncover, the more she becomes the target and the killer is dead set on her not making it out to vote.
This was an interesting read for me. Gerst was able to keep me entertained. Gerst showed a great ability for story telling and plot execution for her debut novel. Everything within the book stems, naturally, from money and the ever searching cure to something that all humans suffer from mortality. No this is not a paranormal novel, it is a mystery novel with some politics thrown in.
This book is a little bit slow in parts as Susun tries to put everything together, plus she has other events in her life that need to be taken care of, both personal and business. I like that Gerst was able to mix real life and the investigation together in the book and still hold my attention. I like the web of lies, maniputation and deceptions that occur throughout the book that Suzy never really knows who she can trust and whether to trust her gut or not. I think that this is where Gerst excels in her manipulation of the plot and the people that you never really know what is going to happen next and where the next lie, manipulation or deception is going to occur or be uncovered.
I liked Susan as a character, she has a witty and fairly dry sense of humor that had me smiling as I read. I liked Susan's ability to just be what people needed her to be for the most part. I think that she got this from being a lawyer and knew how to play up her strengths and down play her weaknesses. Although Susan may appear strong to those around, she is a very depressed woman, who is often living in the past; past events, past mistakes, they all haunt her. It was interesting being in Susan's mind throughout the novel and seeing how she looked at the world, the case and her life.
THANK YOU Angela Gerst for not falling into the ever so common trend these days of page after page of sex scenes. Gerst did it right in this book, some sexual innuendos and scenes that are leading up to sex, but not expanding past that. This is one of the first books i have read in a long time (by a female author) that has done this. I applaud Gerst from moving away from this norm.
The one part I did not really understand was her relationship with Michael. They had pushed each other away and really blamed the other person for it. I just felt very Hot and Cold feelings flowing between them (i'm sure some people would say this could have been helped by having some sex scenes...lol....but that is not the point). I just thought that there was a lack of connection between the characters, maybe they just needed to work through more of their own personal and relationship issues.
This book keeps going right to the end with it overwhelming web of lies that surround everything Susan knows. This book was a constant puzzle (but in a good way), so those looking for something that will have you thinking a little bit harder trying to figure everything out right till the end, will want to pick up this book. This was a good read and I liked the mixture of mystery, politics, money and real life drama. I look forward to Gerst's next book.
Enjoy!!!
September 2, 2011
A Crack in Everything by Angela Gerst is a mystery suspense novel featuring betrayal, politics, real estate and of course murder. Unfortunately Susan Callisto finds herself dragged into the drama of all of these.
Susan Callisto is a lawyer and political consultant. After working for a few years with a large firm she decided to go solo. Most of her work relates to a few real estate consultations and consulting on political campaigns. Susan is currently dealing with a former elderly client - Nino Biondi - that refuses to leave his restaurant's rental property and an entrepreneur and political candidate - Roddie Baird, while trying to figure out why her relationship with Detective Lieutenant Michael Benedict fizzled out. She must also deal with a walk-in client that appears to want to run for political office but may have a hidden agenda. Charles "Chaz" Renfrow says he wants to run for mayor to allow his business a fair shake but he's left it a bit close as applications must be submitted within four days. Susan advises him on what needs to be done and briefly meets his assistant, Victoria "Torie" Moran, and his son, Glen Renfrow. As if she didn't have enough to deal with she uncovers Torie's body the day after meeting her and a few days later Chaz is dead. The good thing is these investigations have brought Michael back into her life, the bad thing is that her political client Roddie appears to be the prime suspect. Can Susan figure out what is going on to free Roddie and save his political life? What do these murders have to do with real estate? The more Susan uncovers the more mysteries and betrayals she finds. Can she uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim?
There's a lot of drama and action going on in A Crack in Everything. The characters are well developed and even likeable. Regrettably I just couldn't get past the somewhat convoluted storylines. At the end all of the little connections are tied together, but while reading it just seemed like it was a bit much. Look for A Crack in Everything to be released on 09/06/2011 by Poisoned Pen Press.
Susan Callisto is a lawyer and political consultant. After working for a few years with a large firm she decided to go solo. Most of her work relates to a few real estate consultations and consulting on political campaigns. Susan is currently dealing with a former elderly client - Nino Biondi - that refuses to leave his restaurant's rental property and an entrepreneur and political candidate - Roddie Baird, while trying to figure out why her relationship with Detective Lieutenant Michael Benedict fizzled out. She must also deal with a walk-in client that appears to want to run for political office but may have a hidden agenda. Charles "Chaz" Renfrow says he wants to run for mayor to allow his business a fair shake but he's left it a bit close as applications must be submitted within four days. Susan advises him on what needs to be done and briefly meets his assistant, Victoria "Torie" Moran, and his son, Glen Renfrow. As if she didn't have enough to deal with she uncovers Torie's body the day after meeting her and a few days later Chaz is dead. The good thing is these investigations have brought Michael back into her life, the bad thing is that her political client Roddie appears to be the prime suspect. Can Susan figure out what is going on to free Roddie and save his political life? What do these murders have to do with real estate? The more Susan uncovers the more mysteries and betrayals she finds. Can she uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim?
There's a lot of drama and action going on in A Crack in Everything. The characters are well developed and even likeable. Regrettably I just couldn't get past the somewhat convoluted storylines. At the end all of the little connections are tied together, but while reading it just seemed like it was a bit much. Look for A Crack in Everything to be released on 09/06/2011 by Poisoned Pen Press.
January 31, 2013
Susan Callisto has left the law firm where she started out as a real estate attorney for a career as a political consultant, supporting candidates for local office. When Charles Renfrow walks in, asking her to work on his campaign for Mayor of Telford, MA, offering a $20,000 retainer, she should be thrilled. She's not, in part because he's crowding her. But Renfrow is persistent, persuasive, and that $20,000 will make a big difference in her struggle to pay her bills. They make a handshake deal that she'll advise his campaign if he can get the necessary signatures by the filing deadline--just a few days away.
Friends warn her away. Friend and client restaurant owner Nino says Renfrow has cold eyes. Another political consultant tells her Renfrow's biotech company is being investigated for toxic dumping. And before the filing deadline arrives, Susan discovers the body of Renfrow's aide,
As she uncovers one lie after another, from Renfrow, his (ex?)wife, one of her other clients, Roddy Baird, candidate for alderman in Newton, she soon has no idea who to trust.
And if life weren't complicated enough, the murder has brought her former boyfriend, police detective Michael Benedict, back into her life.
There is nice characterization here, and great plotting, plus the fun of it being set in the greater Boston area, by a writer who clearly knows the area. I'm looking forward to reading more of Susan's adventures.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from the library.
Friends warn her away. Friend and client restaurant owner Nino says Renfrow has cold eyes. Another political consultant tells her Renfrow's biotech company is being investigated for toxic dumping. And before the filing deadline arrives, Susan discovers the body of Renfrow's aide,
As she uncovers one lie after another, from Renfrow, his (ex?)wife, one of her other clients, Roddy Baird, candidate for alderman in Newton, she soon has no idea who to trust.
And if life weren't complicated enough, the murder has brought her former boyfriend, police detective Michael Benedict, back into her life.
There is nice characterization here, and great plotting, plus the fun of it being set in the greater Boston area, by a writer who clearly knows the area. I'm looking forward to reading more of Susan's adventures.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from the library.
August 29, 2011
I really enjoyed A Crack in Everything which is the debut mystery novel by Angela Gerst. Susan Callisto is a lawyer and a political consultant in Boston. Her world is turned upside down when possible politician Charles Renfrow walks into her life. Charles or Chaz as he is known is a charmer and he is the head of a biotech company that has questionable environmental concerns on the horizon. His $20,000 retainer is to attractive for the struggling political consultant to pass up. Then the bodies start piling up. And Susan's ex Detective Lieutenant Michael Bennett walks back into her life. As the plot thickens Susan has to examine all of the relationships in her life. All of a sudden people aren't who they seemed to be. As everyone's masks begin to slip, Susan realizes that everything in her life is filled with cracks...
Highly recommend this debut mystery novel. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the Susan Callisto series by Angela Gerst.
Highly recommend this debut mystery novel. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the Susan Callisto series by Angela Gerst.
May 21, 2012
Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Susan is a lawyer and a political consultant working in Massachusetts, first she receives an unprecedented $20,000 retainer and before long her client’s secretary turns up dead. Her ex-boyfriend, who she still cares about, is the police detective working the case. Add into the mix political intrigue and a little bit of fraud and you get an interesting suspense story.
A Crack in Everything is Angela Gerst’s debut novel. It is a suspense story told in a first person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist, Susan Callisto.
This is a standalone story which first introduces the characters and then takes the reader on a wild ride up to an exciting conclusion. I recommend the book as a good read for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story that includes a surprising twist.
For more of my reviews go to http://books-treasureortrash.com
Susan is a lawyer and a political consultant working in Massachusetts, first she receives an unprecedented $20,000 retainer and before long her client’s secretary turns up dead. Her ex-boyfriend, who she still cares about, is the police detective working the case. Add into the mix political intrigue and a little bit of fraud and you get an interesting suspense story.
A Crack in Everything is Angela Gerst’s debut novel. It is a suspense story told in a first person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist, Susan Callisto.
This is a standalone story which first introduces the characters and then takes the reader on a wild ride up to an exciting conclusion. I recommend the book as a good read for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story that includes a surprising twist.
For more of my reviews go to http://books-treasureortrash.com
December 4, 2013
This was an audiobook listen. I thought I had found the equivalent to my grandmother's Janet Evanovich in a go-to series. I like the heroine in this book, even though I have to keep reminding myself this is fiction and not cringe at every lawyer no-no that takes place. It seemed like the makings of a reliable go-to series. Then I visit the author's website and scour the net for some kind of update to see if she'll be continuing the series and, in the world where everything is discoverable, there is a black hole of nothing. It's a reliable read, somewhat predictable, but there are enough bends and avenues to make it more interesting than other books of a cookie cutter formula. I do hope she does more with Susan Calisto.
April 26, 2012
I enjoyed this mystery. It did seem to go all over the place as far as suspects went - nearly everyone involved in the story was a suspect at one time or another. That's probably what kept me interested though, just when I thought, "Oh, that's who killed so-and-so!", they would be cleared with evidence implicating another character. The final conclusion did surprise me though - almost to the point that it wasn't very believable. (Don't want to give anything away!!!).
May 6, 2012
First effort murder mystery--could really use some polish in a lot of different areas, but the protagonist, Susan Castillo, is a unique voice for the genre--she is a political consultant/lawyer, who gets unsuspectingly dragged into a controversy where one of the players ends up dead, and his estranged wife wants her to give back the retainer he paid her--Susan gradually dawns to a lot of the intrigue that at first escaped her, and it is a reasonable first effort for the author.
December 4, 2011
I didn't love it...I felt the characters were introduced too rapidly and with no real introduction or explanation. I didn't care much about most of the characters, so I wasn't very invested in the mystery. Still, I kept reading, so it wasn't all bad!
November 1, 2011
A Crack in Everything is a really goos suspense book. I found the ending really good.
What I loved about this book is that the emotions of the characters are really well done. We could easily picture the scenes and how she lives through it.
What I loved about this book is that the emotions of the characters are really well done. We could easily picture the scenes and how she lives through it.
July 29, 2014
Susan Callisto's consulting firm business is good, but money is short. Asked t help a friend run for mayor, Susan is tempted, but suspicious. What happens next is a surprise. OK novel, but too predictable.
September 10, 2011
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed her writing style and her descriptive sentences were terrific. What's amazing is I rated it so high and I didn't ever warm to the main character!
November 1, 2011
It was well paced and I like that you are still reading a well crafted story, right up til the end.
I like twists and turns, and will look forward to another one from this author.
I like twists and turns, and will look forward to another one from this author.
August 8, 2012
Listened to this on audio books and really liked it.
March 29, 2015
I did not like this book at first. Maybe I was in a cranky mood, but I didn't like the writing or the story. I did end up enjoying the book, and will put the next in the series on my to-read list.
September 11, 2012
A very well - written mystery! Looking forward to the next books.
September 10, 2012
Interesting tangle of lives, the romantic relationship was weak. Character development could be stronger in general. But still an overall enjoyable book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews