Death of a Crow

by Ursula Curtiss

Laura Fourte believes that her two-year-old stepson holds the key to the murder of her unfaithful husband, a crime that leads to a second death

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Daughter and sister of, respectively, US mystery writers Helen Reilly and Mary McMullen. She worked as a copywriter and columnist before becoming a full-time self employed writer.

Reviews

[Ernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEATH OF A CROW is a solid but subdued late entry in the Curtiss canon. The mystery is there, some of the suspense, the classy house and unreliable in-laws, the female protagonist and her child charge, as well as a fascinating villain, whose eleventh hour reveal is a satisfyingly meaningful surprise. the mood throughout is melancholy, as befits the narrative of a widow not mourning her newly murdered husband, but aware she's a prime suspect: a romantic spark between her and a guy her husband lately tussled with creates a suspect triangle.
as always, Nature is kept to the forefront, this time it's snow in the lead-up to Christmas in Connecticut. the prose is better than ever, every single word carefully chosen and placed like a jigsaw puzzle piece, just so. once again, Curtiss skewers the well-to-do materialists with a few well-chosen words and plot points. also once again, she keeps the focus on feminine acuity, while more than usually targeting the toxicity of male privilege.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this one, a well-to-do young widow named Laura isn't exactly mourning her late husband. She's more worried about being suspected of his murder, since she was planning on leaving his cheating ass anyway, and has no good alibi for his time of death. She's also concerned for the well-being of her stepson Max, a barely articulate toddler who seems to have witnessed the crime. It's slow-paced, and the ending isn't very convincing, but I enjoyed it. (Except for the fact that Laura had to be rescued by a man at the end. She's not exactly a spunky heroine.)

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just re-read this--probably first read it back in the 1980s when I discovered Ursula Curtiss. A little dated now, but I still like the characters, and it has a surprising finish.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is a bit awkward, but the story is interesting. A really quick read too!