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Christine Bennett #11
The Father's Day Murder
FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH
Every year, the Morris Avenue Boys--chums since childhood--gather for a Father's Day reunion dinner. Now late in middle age, these men can bask in the rewards of honest success. So which of them seizes the opportunity that fateful evening to pull out an ice pick and stab to death the group's most celebrated member, novelist Arthur Wein?
As investigator (and former nun) Christine Bennett peels back the layers of the past, forty years' worth of secrets emerge from the shadows--and the web of lies, theft, adultery, and blackmail woven by the once-innocent Bronx playmates rivals even the darkest plot of the dead man's novels. But in real life, this flesh-and-blood villain may never be caught. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
Every year, the Morris Avenue Boys--chums since childhood--gather for a Father's Day reunion dinner. Now late in middle age, these men can bask in the rewards of honest success. So which of them seizes the opportunity that fateful evening to pull out an ice pick and stab to death the group's most celebrated member, novelist Arthur Wein?
As investigator (and former nun) Christine Bennett peels back the layers of the past, forty years' worth of secrets emerge from the shadows--and the web of lies, theft, adultery, and blackmail woven by the once-innocent Bronx playmates rivals even the darkest plot of the dead man's novels. But in real life, this flesh-and-blood villain may never be caught. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 29, 1999
About the author
Lee Harris
96 books77 followersA pseudonym used by Syrell Leahy.
Lee Harris is the author of the mystery novels featuring ex-nun Christine Bennett, who first appeared in The Good Friday Murder, an Edgar Award nominee. She also writes the New York Mysteries, which debuted with Murder in Hell's Kitchen. In 2001, Lee Harris received the Romantic Times magazine Career Achievement Award for her distinguished contribution to crime writing.
Lee Harris is the author of the mystery novels featuring ex-nun Christine Bennett, who first appeared in The Good Friday Murder, an Edgar Award nominee. She also writes the New York Mysteries, which debuted with Murder in Hell's Kitchen. In 2001, Lee Harris received the Romantic Times magazine Career Achievement Award for her distinguished contribution to crime writing.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 22, 2013
The Father's Day Murder by Lee Harris is one of a series...all with holiday-related titles...about Christine Bennett, an ex-nun who has a talent for solving mysteries that others have long given up on. In this one the murder is more current, but Chris still finds herself digging into the past to find the seeds of the present crime.
The Morris Avenue Boys, nine friends who lived in the Bronx on Morris Avenue when they were children, gather every year for a reunion to catch up on old times. This year's celebration takes place on Father's Day--one of the few times these successful middle-aged men could find time in their busy schedules to make it back to New York. All of the "boys" show up except for Fred Beller who grew up to hate New York, left it, and never returned, and George Fried who has passed away. The other seven have all remained close and have always enjoyed their reunion party. Until now...
Someone brings along an extra party favor and takes the opportunity to stab one of the Morris Avenue Boys to death with an ice pick. Arthur Wien was a celebrated author and the most well-known of all the "boys." Now he's making headlines again--this time as the victim in what seems to be a motiveless crime.
Chris, who works as an instructor at a local college, is called in by one of her former students who thinks that her grandfather has been fingered as the most likely suspect. As Chris begins her investigation, she is told over and over again by the "boys" and their wives that Arthur was a great guy, that everybody loved him, that they were all so proud of how well he'd done. No hard feelings anywhere. But if that's true, why did he wind up on the floor of the men's room stabbed with an ice pick? Chris uses her skills as a sympathetic listener and keen questioner to sort through memories and stories of a group of closely-knit friends and discover what could turn a friend into a killer.
These mysteries featuring Chris Bennett are generally fun and light. No matter how difficult the subject matter, Harris never gets gritty when writing about it. And even though this one is a bit more intense, we definitely stay within the cozy realm and the book was easily finished in a single sitting. While it may be said that Chris seems to have a lot of "luck" in her investigations, they are always interesting and her character is very likable and believable. It helps that she really likes what she does and is very compassionate in her dealings with victims and perpetrators alike. I highly recommend this series when you want something satisfying but not too heavy.
(This one was actually finished on 6/18/13....I'm just a bit behind on my review.)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Bloc. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
The Morris Avenue Boys, nine friends who lived in the Bronx on Morris Avenue when they were children, gather every year for a reunion to catch up on old times. This year's celebration takes place on Father's Day--one of the few times these successful middle-aged men could find time in their busy schedules to make it back to New York. All of the "boys" show up except for Fred Beller who grew up to hate New York, left it, and never returned, and George Fried who has passed away. The other seven have all remained close and have always enjoyed their reunion party. Until now...
Someone brings along an extra party favor and takes the opportunity to stab one of the Morris Avenue Boys to death with an ice pick. Arthur Wien was a celebrated author and the most well-known of all the "boys." Now he's making headlines again--this time as the victim in what seems to be a motiveless crime.
Chris, who works as an instructor at a local college, is called in by one of her former students who thinks that her grandfather has been fingered as the most likely suspect. As Chris begins her investigation, she is told over and over again by the "boys" and their wives that Arthur was a great guy, that everybody loved him, that they were all so proud of how well he'd done. No hard feelings anywhere. But if that's true, why did he wind up on the floor of the men's room stabbed with an ice pick? Chris uses her skills as a sympathetic listener and keen questioner to sort through memories and stories of a group of closely-knit friends and discover what could turn a friend into a killer.
These mysteries featuring Chris Bennett are generally fun and light. No matter how difficult the subject matter, Harris never gets gritty when writing about it. And even though this one is a bit more intense, we definitely stay within the cozy realm and the book was easily finished in a single sitting. While it may be said that Chris seems to have a lot of "luck" in her investigations, they are always interesting and her character is very likable and believable. It helps that she really likes what she does and is very compassionate in her dealings with victims and perpetrators alike. I highly recommend this series when you want something satisfying but not too heavy.
(This one was actually finished on 6/18/13....I'm just a bit behind on my review.)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Bloc. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
September 28, 2018
Love this series of books. There is no hiding of clues with a surprise ending no one could have gotten here. This series of books is written as Christine gets the information she needs to solve the problems she is presented with. In this case, a group of nine boys grew up best of friends in NYC. They became not only successful, but remained close friends over 40 years. All except two that is. At the most recent reunion, one of the men is killed by someone who stabs him in the chest with an ice pick. The granddaughter of one of the men pleads with Christine to help find the murderer. Slowly and methodically, she is able to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2023
"The Father's Day Murder (Christine Bennett Mysteries Book 11)" by Lee Harris is certainly showing its age. However, not nearly as bad as others in the series. It does use terms that now would be considered offensive; however, I find it hard to believe this was published in 1999 with these words used as well. It reads like a book written in the early 1990's, 1980's
The mystery was very standard Lee Harris. Super cozy, zero risk for Christine and you felt a little bad for the murderer in the end. It was Father's Day related and kept coming back to a father theme or Father's Day reminder.
The mystery was very standard Lee Harris. Super cozy, zero risk for Christine and you felt a little bad for the murderer in the end. It was Father's Day related and kept coming back to a father theme or Father's Day reminder.
October 12, 2023
This book was not intense. It reflected a secure Chris, growing into a more confident role. I really liked and needed this read right now. Yes, at times she hesitates on the questions that was required but it went smooth. The questions were like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle of facts rather than the who-done it type clues, leaving the reader the same opportunity to digest the facts along with the author. I had narrowed down the suspects, but the ending did end up a tad different than I thought. Every book in this series proves a bit different and always enjoyable.
January 29, 2020
I enjoyed this book but it got a little confusing with possibly nine suspects. The story was good though.
June 3, 2020
I really like this series but this one was a little slow for me. But in the end Chris came through and solved the mystery of the murder...
June 19, 2023
Holiday Read June 2023
Couldn't quite figure this one out.
Was on the right track, just not enough clues to get it.
Cool story.
Couldn't quite figure this one out.
Was on the right track, just not enough clues to get it.
Cool story.
October 19, 2023
Overall a poor writing style. A clue/Scooby Doo type of mystery. Was not engaging regardless of it being a classic whodunit. Do not recommend.
September 16, 2024
Another well written story by Lee Harris. Great plot. Whodunnit is not obvious. Terrific inner monologues and descriptions.
July 23, 2010
13th Chris Bennett mystery is entertaining, pleasant outing...
We have previously expressed our enjoyment of the prior dozen escapades of ex-nun Christine Bennett, an amateur sleuth, wife of a brand new (ex-cop) NYPD lawyer, and mother of young toddler Eddie. This springtime story occurs shortly after Father's Day, which witnessed the murder of one of the "Morris Avenue Boys", who had been friends since boyhood for some 40 years and regularly met for reunions all this time. Our leading lady was asked to investigate (by one of the granddaughters) the murder of one of the nine, all of whom, except one out-of-towner who did not attend, nor one who had previously died, were obvious suspects and being investigated (more or less, we don't get the details...) by the police.
Despite many days of questioning the principals, the widow, the wives and anybody else who might have a shard of knowledge about the group, Chris has almost as many questions as she does answers. Yet her persistence has turned up a few leads that the police have as yet to discover. Thus a pretty good premise leads us through the life and times of the men, especially the murder victim, Arthur Wien, a famous novelist, to a fairly surprising conclusion. Wien's celebrity life, his women chasing, money borrowing, and messy divorce, fueled much of the grounds for motive, still difficult to find among the great chums. We picked up a clue mid-book that gave us an inkling of the outcome, an "eureka" not common to reading the stories in this series. Even with that precognition, we were held in suspense until nearly the final chapter when all becomes clear and Chris once again is the lever that elicits a confession from the apparently guilty party. Interestingly, whether it was really that party or not is somewhat left to the speculation of the reader.
We enjoy the very predictability of Lee Harris' stories of which we suppose some might tire. We have often characterized the leading lady and her family as wholesome and caring, creating dependably pleasant tales that don't need violence and gore, nor foul language or explicit sex, to capture and sustain our interest. Isn't that what a good mystery is all about ?!?!
We have previously expressed our enjoyment of the prior dozen escapades of ex-nun Christine Bennett, an amateur sleuth, wife of a brand new (ex-cop) NYPD lawyer, and mother of young toddler Eddie. This springtime story occurs shortly after Father's Day, which witnessed the murder of one of the "Morris Avenue Boys", who had been friends since boyhood for some 40 years and regularly met for reunions all this time. Our leading lady was asked to investigate (by one of the granddaughters) the murder of one of the nine, all of whom, except one out-of-towner who did not attend, nor one who had previously died, were obvious suspects and being investigated (more or less, we don't get the details...) by the police.
Despite many days of questioning the principals, the widow, the wives and anybody else who might have a shard of knowledge about the group, Chris has almost as many questions as she does answers. Yet her persistence has turned up a few leads that the police have as yet to discover. Thus a pretty good premise leads us through the life and times of the men, especially the murder victim, Arthur Wien, a famous novelist, to a fairly surprising conclusion. Wien's celebrity life, his women chasing, money borrowing, and messy divorce, fueled much of the grounds for motive, still difficult to find among the great chums. We picked up a clue mid-book that gave us an inkling of the outcome, an "eureka" not common to reading the stories in this series. Even with that precognition, we were held in suspense until nearly the final chapter when all becomes clear and Chris once again is the lever that elicits a confession from the apparently guilty party. Interestingly, whether it was really that party or not is somewhat left to the speculation of the reader.
We enjoy the very predictability of Lee Harris' stories of which we suppose some might tire. We have often characterized the leading lady and her family as wholesome and caring, creating dependably pleasant tales that don't need violence and gore, nor foul language or explicit sex, to capture and sustain our interest. Isn't that what a good mystery is all about ?!?!
November 29, 2014
#11 in the Christine Bennett series. Ex-nun Bennett probes the members, and their wives, of a club formed in the Bronx 60 years ago. At a club reunion, one of the members was stabbed to death and the police suspect the member who found him. The suspect's granddaughter was in the poetry class Christine teaches and she calls and requests Christine to investigate. As Christine does her questioning, it is jarring to hear her explain her involvement by saying that Dr. Horowitz' granddaughter was in her poetry class. Above average series entry.
Christine Bennett series - Every year, the Morris Avenue Boys--chums since childhood--gather for a Father's Day reunion dinner. Now late in middle age, these men can bask in the rewards of honest success. So which of them seizes the opportunity that fateful evening to pull out an ice pick and stab to death the group's most celebrated member, novelist Arthur Wien? As investigator--and former nun--Christine Bennett peels back the layers of the past, 40 years' worth of secrets emerge from the shadows.
Christine Bennett series - Every year, the Morris Avenue Boys--chums since childhood--gather for a Father's Day reunion dinner. Now late in middle age, these men can bask in the rewards of honest success. So which of them seizes the opportunity that fateful evening to pull out an ice pick and stab to death the group's most celebrated member, novelist Arthur Wien? As investigator--and former nun--Christine Bennett peels back the layers of the past, 40 years' worth of secrets emerge from the shadows.
June 19, 2016
This is the first Christine Bennett Mystery I have read but is the 11th in the series. Like the Lucy Stone mysteries, I wanted to read a book celebrating the holiday and this was another one for Father's Day.
A group of boyhood friends, now adults, and their wives meet for a reunion every couple of years. In this one they meet on Father's Day. One of their own is murdered and a former student of Christine's asks her to investigate. Christine is an amateur but has had success in previous volumes. Christine is an excellent sleuth, persistent with her investigations. She interviews everyone, often more than once to dig up the mystery of not only who dunit but also why and uncovers other mysteries and secrets in the group. I enjoyed Christine's determination and the fact that answers don't come easily for her.
She never allows her investigations to keep her from being a good mother and wife, interacting and playing with her toddler son and supporting her policeman husband who is studying for the bar exam.
A group of boyhood friends, now adults, and their wives meet for a reunion every couple of years. In this one they meet on Father's Day. One of their own is murdered and a former student of Christine's asks her to investigate. Christine is an amateur but has had success in previous volumes. Christine is an excellent sleuth, persistent with her investigations. She interviews everyone, often more than once to dig up the mystery of not only who dunit but also why and uncovers other mysteries and secrets in the group. I enjoyed Christine's determination and the fact that answers don't come easily for her.
She never allows her investigations to keep her from being a good mother and wife, interacting and playing with her toddler son and supporting her policeman husband who is studying for the bar exam.
June 5, 2016
Fast read. Not my favorite Harris - too many characters in this book and it was hard to keep them all straight. The wrap-up also lacked some of the excitement of her other books.
August 16, 2009
Again, Chris solves the old murder among this group of men. It is always interesting to find the motive.
August 7, 2011
Series about amateur sleuth solving holiday murders. Very light reading, but entertaining,
August 19, 2014
who kills their Dad on Father's Day? No one but maybe the in-law
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews