Murder at Spouters Point

Miranda Lewis Mysteries #3

by Leslie Wheeler

Miranda Lewis and her boyfriend Nate Barnes spend a weekend visiting friends at the Rhode Island coast. She visits the Spouters Point Maritime Museum and he visits the Native-owned gambling casino. But then things go terribly wrong. Miranda’s friend Erin’s fiancé is murdered and Nate’s friend Jimmy becomes the prime suspect. Tension increases because of the area’s long-time cultural bias against Native Americans (which both Nate and Jimmy are). Miranda must sort through the suspects, which include Nate’s favorite, Luke, Erin’s brother. Third Miranda Lewis mystery. Mystery by Leslie Wheeler; originally published by Five Star
“Romance, danger, a dash of history . . . blends Native American culture, seafaring, and a gutsy heroine into a modern New England mystery.” — Sarah Smith, author

“We could all use a friend like Wheeler’s Miranda Lewis. Against a backdrop of cultural clashes, Wheeler’s intelligent, loyal, and wonderfully human protagonist fights for love and fairness, while trying to curb her impulsive and curious nature.” — Kate Flora, author

“In her tautly crafted and well-paced book, Murder at Spouters Point, Leslie Wheeler takes us into the unfamiliar world of Indian-run casinos, and shows us that some of the casino patrons aren’t all they appear to be.” —Sheila Connolly, author

252 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An historian goes to a pow-wow, with her Native American boyfriend. She wallows in guilt for a bit, then somebody's murdered with a harpoon.

The historian pokes around, and after another murder, finds the real killer.

Not really great.

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miranda is a white woman and Nate, her lover and partner, is Native American. It is already awkward for both of them to be with the family and friends of the other, but when Miranda's friend's fiance is murdered and the suspicion falls on Nate's good friend in the Native community, then everyone has their racial hackles up. Hard to figure out what is going on when it becomes all about racial hostility rather than who killed whom. This affects even Miranda and Nate despite their feelings for each other. Two dead people and a dead dog. A tragic shipwreck. A homeless woman. A pow wow. And then we come to the conclusion and the answers to the questions about who did what. The last chapter in the book was my favorite, an ending that left me pleased and happy as a reader.

[Nancy Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Vermonter passionate about history, and in particular, the long journey-quest of the local Abenaki people to gain respect and official recognition in our state, I've found myself wholly captivated by Leslie Wheeler's Murder at Spouter's Point. Amateur sleuth historian Miranda, a favorite of mine through two other "living history" mysteries is once again her feisty, wholly engaging self. Yet it's her outspoken, volatile lover, Native Amderican Nate Barnes, who pulls me most intensely into the story. I can't help but admire his passion for his people, his culture, and his stubborn loyalty to his tribal friend Jimmy, a victim of bias who flees after becoming prime suspect for the death of a young woman's fiance. Together, Miranda and Nate combat superstition, deep-seated angers and prejudice in their resolve to discover the truth behind the killing. Through superb storytelling and characterization, along with a fascinating lesson in Native American and whaling lore (don't miss those delightul epigraphs from Moby Dick and a variety of sea chanty songs), Wheeler whips the ship of fiction into a heart-pumping climax. This beautifully researched novel has everything: an evocative history, suspenseful mystery, great characters--even a splash of romance. As reader, my only mistake was to take the book to bed with me--turning away sleep until the last thrilling page.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda Lewis is a history writer. She is looking forward to her weekend in Rhode Island with old friends, which include plans to attend some Native American ceremonies and have some fun at the casino.But terror and tensions mount when the body of her friends fiance washes up on shore, brutally murdered with a whaling tool. Native American activist Nate Barnes Miranda,s romantic partner is caught in the middle when suspicion falls upon a close friend of his who has conveniently disappeared. Miranda is determined to help Nate clear his friends name. Her keen eye for detail spots scattered clues to a deeper mystery. What she finds in the victims past leads her to believe the girlfriends brother maybe the killer. That is until a second murder occurs and Miranda realizes she;s neck - deep in dangerous waters - and the target of a deranged killer! Fantastic read, look forward to more books from Lisa Wheeler.

[B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will probably never take off, because it's just plain not PC; given the book's age, some of that can be forgiven. That being said, it reads more like it was written by someone who is ignorant of other cultures than someone who is being deliberately malicious. It would have been better had it had a greater amount of research to back the book, but it wasn't so terrible as to decrease its readability. It's not a brain teaser - it's pretty obvious who the killer is. It's also in support of a toxic relationship, so there's that too, but again, you've got to take into account how long ago the book was written. It's a decent distraction from reality. Not great, nothing to write home about, but decent enough, given the aforementioned concerns.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too slow for me.

[K.B. Inglee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, especially if you like New England history. This combined the whaling industry museum with Native American treatment at the hands of the colonists and on to now. I ended up digging out my book on the Pequot War and rereading the section on the Mystic Massacre.
This series of books combines historic sites with modern murders, so they are not historicals but the characters are historians. KB

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mystery thriller. It wasn't the worst but wasn't the best. I do like the twist and the ending that felt like an action movie.