Framework For Death

Tory Travers and David Alvarez #2

by Aileen Schumacher

When a ceiling collapses in a posh El Paso home, two dead women and a baby are pulled from the wreckage in what at first seems to be a bizarre accident. But when a secret room is discovered and the strange connection between the victims emerges, to engineer Tory Travers and detective David Alvarez it begins to look suspiciously like murder.

Genres: Mystery

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Born in Texas, Aileen Schumacher is a registered professional engineer and since 1982 owns as well as manages an engineering consulting firm together with her husband, Richard Blum. She actually graduated in biology as desert study field technician but later switched to civil/environmental engineering. Schumacher has also written A Guide to Hazardous Materials and has formed a technical supply company that supplies equipment and materials worldwide. She lives in Florida with her husband and two children. Her first mystery, Engineered for Murder, introduced her characters Tory Travers, an engineer, and Detective David Alvarez. The series is based at El Paso. Schumacher states that the reason for writing this novel was to promote the visibility of females in non-traditional careers.

Reviews

[Connie]

I quite liked it! I was surprised that it was published in 1998- the writing style/characters, all seemed pretty modern. I guess the use of pagers sort of gave it away... :)

I liked the story. I liked the characters. Jazz was funny: "I don’t want to use up any of my sick days, so I’m calling in dead tomorrow."
I liked how the ending shared some parallels with the intro. I think the only thing that threw me off a bit was the weird chemistry between Tory and Detective Alvarez. They're mad at each other one scene...and all of a sudden wanting the other in the next scene...like high schoolers or something ._.

This was a great read, though! I had the hardcover version. And for some reason, it was suuuuper heavy! Also, a civil engineer wrote this! I am also a civil engineer, and it makes me so happy that there are civil engineers who write mystery books :)

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

Another of those books that turned out to be way better than I was expecting. I don't even know why I buy books that I don't think that I'll think are that great. But I do. Maybe I just want to cross off possible authors from the could read list. They come up good most of the time. I haven't quite finished but unless Schumacher loses in in the last two chapters I'll be looking out for more of her books.

[Beverly]

Aileen was a kindergarten classmate of mine. I really enjoy her style of writing. Wish she would write some more!

[Toesnorth's mom]

so-so, smart ass detective