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Crime with the Classics #4
Death with Dostoevsky
Professor Emily Cavanaugh makes a horrific discovery while writing her book on Dostoevsky in the entertaining fourth Crime with the Classics cozy.
Professor Emily Cavanaugh has left Windy Corner behind and is back at Reed College on her sabbatical, determined to finish writing her book on Dostoevsky. She is soon reunited with one of her promising students, Daniel Razumov, as well as familiar faces on the teaching staff – her friend, Marguerite Grenier, her half-brother, Oscar Lansing, the abrasive division chair, Richard McClintock, and the predatory Taylor Curzon. Known for her relentless pursuit of young male students, Taylor now has Daniel firmly in her sights.
Emily knows Taylor must be stopped, but as she starts gathering evidence of Daniel's harassment, she has a disturbing flashback, and then makes a gruesome discovery . . . Can Emily catch a dangerous campus killer while also confronting events from her own past?
Professor Emily Cavanaugh has left Windy Corner behind and is back at Reed College on her sabbatical, determined to finish writing her book on Dostoevsky. She is soon reunited with one of her promising students, Daniel Razumov, as well as familiar faces on the teaching staff – her friend, Marguerite Grenier, her half-brother, Oscar Lansing, the abrasive division chair, Richard McClintock, and the predatory Taylor Curzon. Known for her relentless pursuit of young male students, Taylor now has Daniel firmly in her sights.
Emily knows Taylor must be stopped, but as she starts gathering evidence of Daniel's harassment, she has a disturbing flashback, and then makes a gruesome discovery . . . Can Emily catch a dangerous campus killer while also confronting events from her own past?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2019
6 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Bolger Hyde
17 books163 followersKatherine Bolger Hyde is the author of the Crime with the Classics series as well as several books for children. A lifelong lover of literature (and alliteration), Katherine has a degree in Russian literature and works as editorial director for Ancient Faith Publishing. She lives in the redwoods of Santa Cruz County, California, with her husband and the youngest of her four children. Katherine loves to sing and knit, and she dreams of one day designing and building her own storybook cottage in the woods.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 5, 2019
Professor Emily Cavanaugh is back at Bede College, working on a book about Fyodor Dostoevsky and the effect his faith had on his writing. Her life has changed so much since she inherited money and a large Victorian home and moved away from her old life of teaching. The college has no classes during the entire month of January, so it's a good time for her to work on her book. No murder mysteries to solve....just a lot of library time.
Wrong.
Emily meets a student named Daniel and his girlfriend in the library. Daniel is working on a paper about Dostoevsky. Soon Emily is pulled into an issue concerning a female professor who is sexually harrassing Daniel. When the handsy prof is found dead in her office -- her head neatly bashed in -- Emily is on the case to prove Daniel isn't a murderer. So much for a peaceful month of writing and research.....
Death with Dostoevsky is the fourth book in the Crime with the Classics series. Katherine Bolger Hyde has also mixed murder in with Jane Austen, the Brontes and Agatha Christie. I enjoy each book in this series. The plots are always interesting....and the story is sprinkled with many literary references.
This newest story is engaging. The mystery moves along at a bit slower pace, but it still kept my interest. There are plenty of suspects, tangents and clues. The ending had a few surprises.... All in all, another enjoyable book in this series! I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Wrong.
Emily meets a student named Daniel and his girlfriend in the library. Daniel is working on a paper about Dostoevsky. Soon Emily is pulled into an issue concerning a female professor who is sexually harrassing Daniel. When the handsy prof is found dead in her office -- her head neatly bashed in -- Emily is on the case to prove Daniel isn't a murderer. So much for a peaceful month of writing and research.....
Death with Dostoevsky is the fourth book in the Crime with the Classics series. Katherine Bolger Hyde has also mixed murder in with Jane Austen, the Brontes and Agatha Christie. I enjoy each book in this series. The plots are always interesting....and the story is sprinkled with many literary references.
This newest story is engaging. The mystery moves along at a bit slower pace, but it still kept my interest. There are plenty of suspects, tangents and clues. The ending had a few surprises.... All in all, another enjoyable book in this series! I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
August 14, 2019
When a reader encounters an amateur sleuth I think they must accept a few liberties on the part of the author. Clearly, the person taking an aggressive interest in the investigation is behaving in an unnatural manner and the police "acceptance" of their help is beyond imaginable. I readily accept these conventions in most books, but Ms. Bolger Hyde's academic sleuth pushes boundaries that just drove me to distraction.
.. . .. her ready acceptance by the police force stretched my suspension of disbelief to its limits;
. . . her incredibly unprofessional behavior as a gossipy tenured professor was beyond "off-putting" and
. . . her overly intimate relationships with the student population just plain stymied me.
I am a great fan of academic mysteries and, while the references to Dostoevsly and the psychology of his novels was interesting, the main action of the book didn't feel "smart" or engaging at all. If any author decides to use a workplace of any kind as a setting for their book, I feel they need a touch of verisimilitude---this was totally missing in Ms. Bolger Hyde's campus mystery. I found it lacking on all fronts and was very disappointed in this novel.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
.. . .. her ready acceptance by the police force stretched my suspension of disbelief to its limits;
. . . her incredibly unprofessional behavior as a gossipy tenured professor was beyond "off-putting" and
. . . her overly intimate relationships with the student population just plain stymied me.
I am a great fan of academic mysteries and, while the references to Dostoevsly and the psychology of his novels was interesting, the main action of the book didn't feel "smart" or engaging at all. If any author decides to use a workplace of any kind as a setting for their book, I feel they need a touch of verisimilitude---this was totally missing in Ms. Bolger Hyde's campus mystery. I found it lacking on all fronts and was very disappointed in this novel.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2021
It's funny, because sometimes you come across a book that ticks all the boxes of what you like (cozy mysteries - check!; Dostoevsky - check!; amateur sleuthing - check! Faith related content and discussions - check!) and you still don't like the actual product. That was this book for me.
It started out well, but then somewhere around the sexual harrasser professor it started to take a nose-dive for a couple of reasons, one of those reasons is that though the author (Goodreads tells me) has a degree in Russian Literature and named this book for Dostoevsky, she clearly didn't take a leaf from his writing in that she seemingly has no respect for opposing viewpoints or the "villains" of her narrative.
What I mean is, that people who disagree with her faith are left to shout things like "God is dead, Nietzsche proved it!" to which her characters retorts "he stated it, he did not prove it" and adds the old "God is dead - Nietzsche" / "Nietzsche is dead - God" joke.
Basically it is like reading a dialogue written in Facebook comments. These are not compelling discussions between different viewpoints, it simplifies and looks down on the opposing view and only elevates the own view by virtue of being put into the protagonists mouth and the author letting them win because of that.
For someone who's studied Dostoevsky, and presumably read works like The Brothers Karamazov, I find it shameful to not give each side their due. Dostoevsky fascinates beyond lines of conviction because he doesn't assume those who disagrees with him to be stupid, uninformed, or ridiculous. He takes their argument seriously and formulates it with respect. That is how you make a compelling case for your own argument, by showing it CAN hold its ground against even the most clever of arguments from the other side.
When I started this book, I immediately put her book with Agatha Christie on my TBR list, I equally swiftly removed it.
It makes me sad, because as mentioned, all the parts were there but the execution was disappointing. I wasn't expecting Dostoevsky levels of genius, but when you put him in the title you set certain expectations.
It started out well, but then somewhere around the sexual harrasser professor it started to take a nose-dive for a couple of reasons, one of those reasons is that though the author (Goodreads tells me) has a degree in Russian Literature and named this book for Dostoevsky, she clearly didn't take a leaf from his writing in that she seemingly has no respect for opposing viewpoints or the "villains" of her narrative.
What I mean is, that people who disagree with her faith are left to shout things like "God is dead, Nietzsche proved it!" to which her characters retorts "he stated it, he did not prove it" and adds the old "God is dead - Nietzsche" / "Nietzsche is dead - God" joke.
Basically it is like reading a dialogue written in Facebook comments. These are not compelling discussions between different viewpoints, it simplifies and looks down on the opposing view and only elevates the own view by virtue of being put into the protagonists mouth and the author letting them win because of that.
For someone who's studied Dostoevsky, and presumably read works like The Brothers Karamazov, I find it shameful to not give each side their due. Dostoevsky fascinates beyond lines of conviction because he doesn't assume those who disagrees with him to be stupid, uninformed, or ridiculous. He takes their argument seriously and formulates it with respect. That is how you make a compelling case for your own argument, by showing it CAN hold its ground against even the most clever of arguments from the other side.
When I started this book, I immediately put her book with Agatha Christie on my TBR list, I equally swiftly removed it.
It makes me sad, because as mentioned, all the parts were there but the execution was disappointing. I wasn't expecting Dostoevsky levels of genius, but when you put him in the title you set certain expectations.
July 5, 2023
As cliche's go, "OK. I won't let the horse out of the bag." What??
And, no pun intended, but serious (and remember, this is a murder mystery), "I kind of feel I'm at a dead end with regard to the murder..."
And a large part of the background story consists of a college professor making plans with two students to bring down another professor. Yes, the 2nd prof was a particularly nasty piece of work, but why didn't she work with other staff, since "everyone knew" what was going on? And, in the same college, yet another prof is blackmailing students..And, this main prof is urging a 20-yr old student to pursue her dream of becoming a ballet star..at 20?
And I re-read this???? 2023
And, no pun intended, but serious (and remember, this is a murder mystery), "I kind of feel I'm at a dead end with regard to the murder..."
And a large part of the background story consists of a college professor making plans with two students to bring down another professor. Yes, the 2nd prof was a particularly nasty piece of work, but why didn't she work with other staff, since "everyone knew" what was going on? And, in the same college, yet another prof is blackmailing students..And, this main prof is urging a 20-yr old student to pursue her dream of becoming a ballet star..at 20?
And I re-read this???? 2023
October 21, 2019
A classic cozy mystery in the style of Agatha Christie.
At the start I wondered whether the literary references would be overwhelming, but they weren't.
My first novel by this author.
At the start I wondered whether the literary references would be overwhelming, but they weren't.
My first novel by this author.
January 14, 2020
In Death with Dostoevsky, Katherine Bolger Hyde serves up another enjoyable mystery starring former literature professor Emily Cavanaugh. Emily is back at her college temporarily, researching for her book on Dostoevsky. But she is distracted by a troubled former student, Daniel, who is the target of unwanted sexual advances from another professor. When that teacher ends up dead, her head bashed in, the police arrest Daniel. But Emily doesn’t believes Daniel is guilty, and knows that he’s not the only person with a motive to kill Prof. Curzon. With the help of her fiance Luke’s nephew, a Portland police detective, Emily sets out to prove Daniel’s innocence.
Several recurring characters play significant roles in this book. Luke, Emily’s policeman fiance, appears occasionally, but since his job is in Windy Corner, we see less of him than usual. On the other hand, Emily’s friend Marguerite is very helpful throughout the investigation. Emily’s recently discovered half-brother, Oscar, an adjunct professor at Bede, is now dating another professor, and Emily tries to smooth his way. Luke’s nephew (introduced in this book) is charming, and will make a fine detective someday. Hyde’s secondary characters are always well-drawn and realistic rather than caricatures, pushing the series toward the “traditional mystery” rather than the “cozy-lite” end of the cozy-mystery spectrum and helping to make it one of my favorite newly-discovered mystery series.
All the books in the Crime with the Classics series reference the work of classic or well-known authors: Austen, Bronte, Christie, and now Dostoevsky. I haven’t read Dostoevsky, so I’m sure I missed a number of the subtler allusions to his work. But even without that background, the book reads like a tribute to Russian novels generally. The bleak winter setting, some of the personalities and relationships, and the Russian background of several of the important secondary characters all contribute to that impression. (Not incidentally, the author has a degree in Russian literature.)
Hyde brings Emily’s Orthodox Christian faith out a little more in this book. Personally, I found it refreshing — it’s rare to come across a main character in a cozy series whose faith is so clearly part of who she is. The world is full of people of various faiths as well as more secular individuals, after all, and fictional worlds should reflect that diversity. I don’t think readers of other religions, or none, will find it detracts from their enjoyment of the books. Any reflection of Emily’s beliefs occurs within Emily’s POV, making it part of her character rather than preachiness on the part of the author.
A final note: If you’ve read the previous books, you may notice that the name of Emily’s college has been changed in this book. Earlier books had her teaching at (or rather, on sabbatical from) the real-life Reed College. In this book, that institution has become Bede, a fictional college heavily based on Reed College. An author’s note explains that the change allowed Hyde to structure the college both physically and institutionally as she needed to for the plot, rather than trying to make the plot fit the real-life college. (I suspect it also avoids any potential legal unpleasantness.)
You could certainly read Death with Dostoevsky as a stand-alone, but the other books in the series are good, and the relationships develop over time, so why not start at the beginning with Arsenic with Austen?
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
Several recurring characters play significant roles in this book. Luke, Emily’s policeman fiance, appears occasionally, but since his job is in Windy Corner, we see less of him than usual. On the other hand, Emily’s friend Marguerite is very helpful throughout the investigation. Emily’s recently discovered half-brother, Oscar, an adjunct professor at Bede, is now dating another professor, and Emily tries to smooth his way. Luke’s nephew (introduced in this book) is charming, and will make a fine detective someday. Hyde’s secondary characters are always well-drawn and realistic rather than caricatures, pushing the series toward the “traditional mystery” rather than the “cozy-lite” end of the cozy-mystery spectrum and helping to make it one of my favorite newly-discovered mystery series.
All the books in the Crime with the Classics series reference the work of classic or well-known authors: Austen, Bronte, Christie, and now Dostoevsky. I haven’t read Dostoevsky, so I’m sure I missed a number of the subtler allusions to his work. But even without that background, the book reads like a tribute to Russian novels generally. The bleak winter setting, some of the personalities and relationships, and the Russian background of several of the important secondary characters all contribute to that impression. (Not incidentally, the author has a degree in Russian literature.)
Hyde brings Emily’s Orthodox Christian faith out a little more in this book. Personally, I found it refreshing — it’s rare to come across a main character in a cozy series whose faith is so clearly part of who she is. The world is full of people of various faiths as well as more secular individuals, after all, and fictional worlds should reflect that diversity. I don’t think readers of other religions, or none, will find it detracts from their enjoyment of the books. Any reflection of Emily’s beliefs occurs within Emily’s POV, making it part of her character rather than preachiness on the part of the author.
A final note: If you’ve read the previous books, you may notice that the name of Emily’s college has been changed in this book. Earlier books had her teaching at (or rather, on sabbatical from) the real-life Reed College. In this book, that institution has become Bede, a fictional college heavily based on Reed College. An author’s note explains that the change allowed Hyde to structure the college both physically and institutionally as she needed to for the plot, rather than trying to make the plot fit the real-life college. (I suspect it also avoids any potential legal unpleasantness.)
You could certainly read Death with Dostoevsky as a stand-alone, but the other books in the series are good, and the relationships develop over time, so why not start at the beginning with Arsenic with Austen?
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
August 6, 2019
Emily Cavanaugh is slowly becoming one of my favorite protagonists.
I love her generous attitude and her ability to be compassionate to people that she meets.
When Emily arrives in Portland to do some work on a book she is writing, she becomes involved in a previous students private life, only to become involved in a murder investigation, which includes professors she has worked with.
Emily has much experience with these types of investigations, so she eagerly begins asking questions.
Why? Because someone close to her is at the top of the suspect list.
The murderer plans a nefarious deed, very well planned and played out to perfection.
The murderers only mistake? Committing the crime while Emily Cavanaugh was in town.
I enjoyed this book very much and rate it a definite 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.
I love her generous attitude and her ability to be compassionate to people that she meets.
When Emily arrives in Portland to do some work on a book she is writing, she becomes involved in a previous students private life, only to become involved in a murder investigation, which includes professors she has worked with.
Emily has much experience with these types of investigations, so she eagerly begins asking questions.
Why? Because someone close to her is at the top of the suspect list.
The murderer plans a nefarious deed, very well planned and played out to perfection.
The murderers only mistake? Committing the crime while Emily Cavanaugh was in town.
I enjoyed this book very much and rate it a definite 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2019
This is the 4th in a series that I've had mixed feelings about, and I've decided not to read any more. I think this one, more than the others, would be enjoyed more with a familiarity with the title author. There are several literary references, most of which I didn't get, without consulting Google. Emily's friend Marguerite continues to pepper her conversations with French phrases, which, again, I didn't get.
It's not necessary to understand these things, but to me they leave little "holes" in my reading.
Emily solves the crime almost single-handed, leading the detective through his investigation. Since he is the nephew of her fiance, at least there is a good relationship between them, unlike many cozies where the police seem to be idiots.
The mystery was pretty good.
It's not necessary to understand these things, but to me they leave little "holes" in my reading.
Emily solves the crime almost single-handed, leading the detective through his investigation. Since he is the nephew of her fiance, at least there is a good relationship between them, unlike many cozies where the police seem to be idiots.
The mystery was pretty good.
December 1, 2019
Even if it's quite and enjoyable read I found it quite slow and sometimes skipped pages to get to the point.
The setting, the characters are well written and interesting, the mystery is solid and there's plenty of suspects making the read guessing till the end.
The plot was well crafted and, even if it's slow paced in the first part, enjoyable and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The setting, the characters are well written and interesting, the mystery is solid and there's plenty of suspects making the read guessing till the end.
The plot was well crafted and, even if it's slow paced in the first part, enjoyable and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
May 1, 2024
So I don't often list unfinished books, but I did enough of this one I decided to. I did another one of this series and enjoyed it. So I tried this one. I don't understand what happened, because this is dull, and... irksome? Maybe I'm being harsh but I couldn't even bring myself to finish this one.
October 29, 2023
Emily gets embroiled in a murder at the University and a student she hopes will achieve great things is the chief suspect but she is sure of his innocence. She sets out to find the murderer.
April 1, 2020
Our judgmental heroine is back at it again. How convenient for her that everyone she dislikes is summarily disposed of, though she is never the culprit. At least, by the end of this novel, she had the grace to repent a bit of her judgmental nature. The final scene was a little on Dostoevsky's nose, but in all, this one wasn't as bad as the previous two. There is hope for the future.
March 7, 2022
Finally, a cozy that acknowledges (at least somewhat) the oddity of one person who continually runs across dead bodies that is not a physician or a law enforcement officer! Or a serial killer.
She chalks it up to a curse or fate or something. But they address the elephant in the room. Most of us that read cozies know that the typical suburban housewife or bookstore owner or professor that recently inherited a crapload of money do not routinely come across murdered people. In real life, we would have serious concerns about such a thing happening. And law enforcement would look sideways at that person and follow them very, very closely. In cozies? Nah, it's just accepted as normal-ish.
Anyway, I'm rather impressed at how the author can take on the flavor of whatever literary author is indicated in the title. Full disclosure - I have never read Dostoevsky, nor do I have any desire to do so. I don't like dark, psychological books. I especially am not interested in classic Russian literature, as the reputation for such is very dark, very depressing, very deep. Not my cuppa. But I do know enough about Dostoevsky, and this book's characters give enough background into his books and character, that I didn't need to know a whole bunch to see how this plot follows his thematic elements.
She also did a good job keeping the identity of the killer close to the vest until nearly the end. I was still going "well, maybe it is that person or maybe it's that person" until she was ready for me to know for sure who it was.
One quibble I do have for this series is the denouement in each book feels a little clunky. I don't know if that's because she's still trying to keep the flavor of the literature for that particular book as well as tidy things up in a cozy-mystery type of way, but it always feels a bit rushed. Like, "it took me 200-something pages to reveal the bad guy to you, and then... bang, they're arrested."
That is a small quibble indeed. There are A LOT of cozy mystery series out there. A LOT. There are also a lot cozy mystery series that are merely brain candy. This one tries to be a little bit more than that.
I hope she keeps this up through the whole alphabet. Although I do have to wonder if there are 26 classic literature authors to pull from. Or at least 26 that most of us are familiar enough with to make it work. Guess that's not really my problem, but it will be fun to see if she can make it work.
She chalks it up to a curse or fate or something. But they address the elephant in the room. Most of us that read cozies know that the typical suburban housewife or bookstore owner or professor that recently inherited a crapload of money do not routinely come across murdered people. In real life, we would have serious concerns about such a thing happening. And law enforcement would look sideways at that person and follow them very, very closely. In cozies? Nah, it's just accepted as normal-ish.
Anyway, I'm rather impressed at how the author can take on the flavor of whatever literary author is indicated in the title. Full disclosure - I have never read Dostoevsky, nor do I have any desire to do so. I don't like dark, psychological books. I especially am not interested in classic Russian literature, as the reputation for such is very dark, very depressing, very deep. Not my cuppa. But I do know enough about Dostoevsky, and this book's characters give enough background into his books and character, that I didn't need to know a whole bunch to see how this plot follows his thematic elements.
She also did a good job keeping the identity of the killer close to the vest until nearly the end. I was still going "well, maybe it is that person or maybe it's that person" until she was ready for me to know for sure who it was.
One quibble I do have for this series is the denouement in each book feels a little clunky. I don't know if that's because she's still trying to keep the flavor of the literature for that particular book as well as tidy things up in a cozy-mystery type of way, but it always feels a bit rushed. Like, "it took me 200-something pages to reveal the bad guy to you, and then... bang, they're arrested."
That is a small quibble indeed. There are A LOT of cozy mystery series out there. A LOT. There are also a lot cozy mystery series that are merely brain candy. This one tries to be a little bit more than that.
I hope she keeps this up through the whole alphabet. Although I do have to wonder if there are 26 classic literature authors to pull from. Or at least 26 that most of us are familiar enough with to make it work. Guess that's not really my problem, but it will be fun to see if she can make it work.
November 21, 2019
Professor Emily Cavanaugh is spending part of her sabbatical researching information for her passion project – a definitive English-language work on Dostoevsky’s tormented relationship with his Orthodox faith as it played out in his fiction. But her work is side-tracked when she has to deal with an annoying co-worker, Taylor Curzon, who Emily suspects is sexually harassing/assaulting male students.
I was mildly surprised as I reading this story because the requisite murder didn’t happen for quite a while. The first half of the story did a great job in setting up the scene (without ever losing my interest) and once the murder happened, the action continued at a good pace. Because there were several candidates for “who is going to die”, I stayed up reading way past my bedtime to find out who the victim was. And then of course, I had to keep reading to find out who the killer was! I rarely read books in one sitting anymore, so to say that this one had me hooked is an understatement.
There’s also a great cast of supporting characters, including Margot Grenier, Emily’s long-time friend and a member of the French department; Oscar Lansing, Emily’s long-lost brother and a adjunct professor; and Lt. Sheriff Luke Richards, Emily’s fiance, an old flame who is now back in her life. The personalities are as varied as you would expected for a mystery series set on a college campus.
Emily is a great main character – she’s interesting, smart and capable, but doesn’t over-estimate her sleuthing skills or take crazy risks. She’s also had some trauma in her background, which comes into play during this story. I’m not sure if it has been resolved fully so it will be interesting it if comes up again in a future book.
I’m so glad I took the chance on this Death with Dostoevsky because I LOVE that this is a cozy mystery series based on classic literature. I can’t wait to go back and start this series from the beginning!
* Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was mildly surprised as I reading this story because the requisite murder didn’t happen for quite a while. The first half of the story did a great job in setting up the scene (without ever losing my interest) and once the murder happened, the action continued at a good pace. Because there were several candidates for “who is going to die”, I stayed up reading way past my bedtime to find out who the victim was. And then of course, I had to keep reading to find out who the killer was! I rarely read books in one sitting anymore, so to say that this one had me hooked is an understatement.
There’s also a great cast of supporting characters, including Margot Grenier, Emily’s long-time friend and a member of the French department; Oscar Lansing, Emily’s long-lost brother and a adjunct professor; and Lt. Sheriff Luke Richards, Emily’s fiance, an old flame who is now back in her life. The personalities are as varied as you would expected for a mystery series set on a college campus.
Emily is a great main character – she’s interesting, smart and capable, but doesn’t over-estimate her sleuthing skills or take crazy risks. She’s also had some trauma in her background, which comes into play during this story. I’m not sure if it has been resolved fully so it will be interesting it if comes up again in a future book.
I’m so glad I took the chance on this Death with Dostoevsky because I LOVE that this is a cozy mystery series based on classic literature. I can’t wait to go back and start this series from the beginning!
* Thank you to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me with a e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
February 26, 2021
This is the fourth book in the Crime with the Classics series, but the first one I have read. I do wish I had read the others as I know I missed a lot of background, but still enjoyed the story. Professor Emily Cavanaugh is on sabbatical from Bede College, prior to her soon to be retirement. She has recently inherited a large sum of money as well as a huge Victorian Mansion that she wants to turn into a writer's retreat. She heads to the library to do some research on her book she hopes to publish. She meets up with a favourite student, Daniel Razumov and his girlfriend in the library working on his thesis on Dostoevsky. During a conversation it is revealed that Daniel is a target of sexual harassment by one of his professors and in turn, she is also failing his girlfriend. Emily and some of the other professors are trying to get her sanctioned or even fired and begin a clandestine investigation. During this time, they hear some information that implicates her and others in some other questionable activities. When she ends up dead, Daniel is the main suspect and is arrested. Emily is adamant that Daniel is innocent and she plans on proving it with the help of some of her friends.
This was an enjoyable mystery, that was well-plotted and paced. I enjoyed the characters, both MCs and secondary ones. The characters were well-developed, even though I am sure there was a lot more development in the books I missed. This crime had several suspects and I enjoyed the way Emily put the clues together. She worked with a junior detective, who wanted to continue the investigation, even though his superior was sure they were wasting time and resources. I thought I had it figured out, but near the end realized I was on the wrong track. There were enough clues to be able to figure out the murder, just before the final reveal. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous books in this series.
This was an enjoyable mystery, that was well-plotted and paced. I enjoyed the characters, both MCs and secondary ones. The characters were well-developed, even though I am sure there was a lot more development in the books I missed. This crime had several suspects and I enjoyed the way Emily put the clues together. She worked with a junior detective, who wanted to continue the investigation, even though his superior was sure they were wasting time and resources. I thought I had it figured out, but near the end realized I was on the wrong track. There were enough clues to be able to figure out the murder, just before the final reveal. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous books in this series.
November 3, 2019
A Crime with the Classics Mystery #4
Professor Emily Cavanaugh is back at Bede College, not as a Professor, but on sabbatical and trying to work on her book on Dostoevsky.
On her first day in the library, Emily runs into a former student, Daniel Razumov, and his girlfriend Sveta. Daniel is also researching Dostoevsky but from a different point of view than Emily. Emily has always thought Daniel was one of her more promising students, but he seems unwell and distracted.
Emily's new brother, Oscar is here as well as Richard McClintock, the sketchy chair of her division. And the fabulous Marguerite, one of my favorites!
When Emily finds out the reason for Daniel's misery, she confronts fellow professor Taylor Curzon. Taylor is a predator and a very unlikeable person! Taylor could care less about what Emily or anyone else has to say about her shady behavior. She has dirt on everyone and uses it as a weapon.
But someone is tired of her wicked games and soon her job is open! Emily finds her dead on the floor of her office. And the shady people start coming out of the woodwork.
There was no shortage of suspects in this one. Some pretty nasty folks. But also some new characters! Luke's nephew, Colin, also a cop and Oscar's girlfriend Lauren.
When Daniel is arrested for the crime, Emily will try her best to figure out who the real killer is. Hopefully, before he/she realizes that Emily is on to them.
Another great one from this author. Always a pleasure and there is always something to learn!
Well Done!
NetGalley/ Severn House Release December 03,2019
Professor Emily Cavanaugh is back at Bede College, not as a Professor, but on sabbatical and trying to work on her book on Dostoevsky.
On her first day in the library, Emily runs into a former student, Daniel Razumov, and his girlfriend Sveta. Daniel is also researching Dostoevsky but from a different point of view than Emily. Emily has always thought Daniel was one of her more promising students, but he seems unwell and distracted.
Emily's new brother, Oscar is here as well as Richard McClintock, the sketchy chair of her division. And the fabulous Marguerite, one of my favorites!
When Emily finds out the reason for Daniel's misery, she confronts fellow professor Taylor Curzon. Taylor is a predator and a very unlikeable person! Taylor could care less about what Emily or anyone else has to say about her shady behavior. She has dirt on everyone and uses it as a weapon.
But someone is tired of her wicked games and soon her job is open! Emily finds her dead on the floor of her office. And the shady people start coming out of the woodwork.
There was no shortage of suspects in this one. Some pretty nasty folks. But also some new characters! Luke's nephew, Colin, also a cop and Oscar's girlfriend Lauren.
When Daniel is arrested for the crime, Emily will try her best to figure out who the real killer is. Hopefully, before he/she realizes that Emily is on to them.
Another great one from this author. Always a pleasure and there is always something to learn!
Well Done!
NetGalley/ Severn House Release December 03,2019
November 30, 2019
I received an ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. I decided to go back and read through the series in order to be able to give a review on not only this book, but how it compares to its fellows. I enjoyed this book. It definitely read true to a Dostoevsky-like feeling while still holding to its place within the rest of the series. I will admit that it has been several decades since I read Dostoevsky, but the feeling was reminiscent of him without the complexity of a Russian novel (much to my relief). There is a darkness here not present in the other three and the author does a good job of bringing various psychoses and internal torment to mirror the characters in Dostoevsky's novels.
This was also my favorite out of the four book series (so far). The main character has developed nicely and I like that she is finally engaged to her love. It was also fun to see her interact with a new environment instead of having the scene set in her home (where the previous three have occurred).
I have only two points of criticism. I dislike the portrayal of the police. They seem unbearably incompetent with Emily continuing to point out obvious steps that they should have already been taking. I also felt that the portrayal of one of the character's medical issues was extremely unlikely to occur. As a medical professional it bothers me when medical details are unlikely or incorrect.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable cozy mystery. I give it a solid 4.5 rating. I will certainly keep reading the series.
This was also my favorite out of the four book series (so far). The main character has developed nicely and I like that she is finally engaged to her love. It was also fun to see her interact with a new environment instead of having the scene set in her home (where the previous three have occurred).
I have only two points of criticism. I dislike the portrayal of the police. They seem unbearably incompetent with Emily continuing to point out obvious steps that they should have already been taking. I also felt that the portrayal of one of the character's medical issues was extremely unlikely to occur. As a medical professional it bothers me when medical details are unlikely or incorrect.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable cozy mystery. I give it a solid 4.5 rating. I will certainly keep reading the series.
August 18, 2020
This is a split rating. It's three stars for the story--I'm a fool for academic mysteries--even though I saw the culprit long, long before Emily did, Emily being a soon-to-retire literature professor who has helped solve several other cases in her new home along the Oregon coast. She's visiting her old haunts in Portland to research a book when she becomes friendly with a young student, who is the main suspect in the murder of a sexually voracious professor. One star, or less, for the taint of bias I feel in the description of the characters. This is something I regret thinking, let alone writing, as it's so easy to see this where it doesn't exist. But the beautiful girlfriend of Emily's student has a Jewish father (she's Russian Orthodox, not Jewish--a very emphasized point), who is rich, miserly, tribal, eager for his daughter to marry a rich man, and physically not very prepossessing. Hmm? There are two very minor African Americans, one of whom is physically imposing but who has been willing to sleep with the now-dead professor, the other of whom is lazy and doesn't do his job. Again, hmm? The last of this series exhibited a classist attitude, now this? I am very sorry if I am misjudging Hyde, but these are things that I find disturbing.
September 11, 2020
2.5ish this is easily one of the most unliked cozy mysteries ive read, theres the rapist teacher, the cheater teacher and an entire school of people who know but.... dont care? i also feel like had i read any other books in this series it would have been obvious from very early on and even so it wasnt all that hard given all the clues dropped through the book.
however, didnt care for the "oh i forgot these people dont share my religious beliefs" and the nonstop religious references/praying for a book thats not even in any religious genre which is a first, usually its labeled and i just missed it or decided to read it anyways but yea and like tbh the whole scene with her finace is ?? rude af to put it kindly. had something similar happen to me and the person still hates me to this day bc i was truthful but respectful. They can not be respectful however and they made that clear as soon as they demanded to know my beliefs. I dont care if you are or arent religious, i dont care if religion is literally your life, thats rude af.
just found a lot of little things that were constantly annoying or just wrong in this book and it ruined it ngl. the sociopath convo was also pretty crap.
however, didnt care for the "oh i forgot these people dont share my religious beliefs" and the nonstop religious references/praying for a book thats not even in any religious genre which is a first, usually its labeled and i just missed it or decided to read it anyways but yea and like tbh the whole scene with her finace is ?? rude af to put it kindly. had something similar happen to me and the person still hates me to this day bc i was truthful but respectful. They can not be respectful however and they made that clear as soon as they demanded to know my beliefs. I dont care if you are or arent religious, i dont care if religion is literally your life, thats rude af.
just found a lot of little things that were constantly annoying or just wrong in this book and it ruined it ngl. the sociopath convo was also pretty crap.
January 4, 2020
Princess Fuzzypants here: I have enjoyed the previous Crime with Classics where professor Emily discovers she has both a literary mind and a penchant for solving murders. She is back at her home campus researching for a book on Dostoevsky when a particularly abhorrent predatory professor meets an unpleasant demise. She had been harassing one of Emily’s former students trying to sell sex for grades and when Emily tries to help, she becomes engrossed in the investigation. Her former student, of course, is the prime suspect as he had the greatest motive and a statuette of his is the murder weapon.
Emily believes he is innocent and through hard work and instinct she is able to convince one of the detectives, who happens to be a nephew of her fiancé, that the killer is still at large. I do enjoy Emily as she is a smart, intelligent woman who does not blunder into dangerous situations. She uses her brain and her observation skills. I confess I suspected the bad guy from very early on but the entire mystery and its resolution is handled well. It turned out to be a page turner and highly enjoyable.
Five purrs and two paws up..
Emily believes he is innocent and through hard work and instinct she is able to convince one of the detectives, who happens to be a nephew of her fiancé, that the killer is still at large. I do enjoy Emily as she is a smart, intelligent woman who does not blunder into dangerous situations. She uses her brain and her observation skills. I confess I suspected the bad guy from very early on but the entire mystery and its resolution is handled well. It turned out to be a page turner and highly enjoyable.
Five purrs and two paws up..
July 23, 2022
An Improvement on Book 3!
I’m still not enamoured with Emily, but the story was far superior to Cyanide With Christie (book3).
This has a far more intricate plot and, although it took a significant amount of time to actually get to the murder, there was no surprise as to who the victim was.
I have to say that the death and discovery was treated so nonchalantly, that it played out as something that was quite incidental!
Marry that to the number of times that the police said “oh I didn’t think of that” or “I can’t believe that I missed that!” or “I didn’t look into that” and you agree with the sentiments of the perpetrator!
But this was such an improvement on the preceding book, notwithstanding the obvious bigotry among most of the characters.
Definitely written by someone who doesn’t realise that they are coming from an elitist, pompous viewpoint.
I listened to the audiobook version of this title, read by Caroline Shaffer. The narration was fabulous! I especially like the way in which Margo was penned - switching from English to French and back again, seamlessly during her conversations. This was brilliantly reproduced.
I’m still not enamoured with Emily, but the story was far superior to Cyanide With Christie (book3).
This has a far more intricate plot and, although it took a significant amount of time to actually get to the murder, there was no surprise as to who the victim was.
I have to say that the death and discovery was treated so nonchalantly, that it played out as something that was quite incidental!
Marry that to the number of times that the police said “oh I didn’t think of that” or “I can’t believe that I missed that!” or “I didn’t look into that” and you agree with the sentiments of the perpetrator!
But this was such an improvement on the preceding book, notwithstanding the obvious bigotry among most of the characters.
Definitely written by someone who doesn’t realise that they are coming from an elitist, pompous viewpoint.
I listened to the audiobook version of this title, read by Caroline Shaffer. The narration was fabulous! I especially like the way in which Margo was penned - switching from English to French and back again, seamlessly during her conversations. This was brilliantly reproduced.
August 20, 2019
An interesting book with an unusual cast of characters. I liked the intellectual dort of mystery this book brought to the table and appreciated the author's way of introducing possible subjects and then letting the reader be the sleuth. I hate it when mystery books give away the ending before the book has really even had a chance to start because they offer too many clues, and this book was not like that. There were enough clues to keep you curious without solving it for you before you had time to think.
Although this book has a decent group of characters, the author did not stuff so many in that they were impossible to keep up with, so it made for enjoyable reading. Whilst there were sections of this book that I thought could have been fleshed out a bit more, such as the character backgrounds, ultimately, I thought it was a good afternoon read and am happy to recommend it to other readers who enjoy mysteries that are a bit more literature-based.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Although this book has a decent group of characters, the author did not stuff so many in that they were impossible to keep up with, so it made for enjoyable reading. Whilst there were sections of this book that I thought could have been fleshed out a bit more, such as the character backgrounds, ultimately, I thought it was a good afternoon read and am happy to recommend it to other readers who enjoy mysteries that are a bit more literature-based.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
January 25, 2020
Not bad, but I find myself quickly losing patience with Emily as a character. She just isn't particularly likable - what might be an interesting quirk (her hatred of tech, for instance), is so overdone that it becomes annoying rather than endearing. Also, people - even academics - don't randomly make reference to classic literature. At best, they MIGHT make reference to their own research, but not in casual conversation with non-academics with the hope that they will be completely understood. It just seemed ... pretentious.
I also think if this series continues to focus on Emily's faith it should be reclassified as Christian literature. It has moved beyond a way to characterize Emily to become an important theme, which not everyone actually wants to read, especially not without warning.
I also think if this series continues to focus on Emily's faith it should be reclassified as Christian literature. It has moved beyond a way to characterize Emily to become an important theme, which not everyone actually wants to read, especially not without warning.
May 10, 2022
DID NOT FINISH
I read the previous book, had major issues with the protagonist and another main character not to mention some gaping plot holes. However, I'm a sucker for a good murder mystery as well as things with an academic setting so I decided to give this one a try.
What a mistake. This author can write, she can create atmosphere and hold your interest but dear God, the character is overly judgemental to the point where I can't understand how she has any friends. There is this theme of people either being all bad or all good, slut shaming, body shaming, obsession with money. It all became too much.
I also find it unbelievable for a woman as scholarly as the protagonist to be so religious, it just doesn't seem realistic the way she acts.
Will not be revisiting this author. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
I read the previous book, had major issues with the protagonist and another main character not to mention some gaping plot holes. However, I'm a sucker for a good murder mystery as well as things with an academic setting so I decided to give this one a try.
What a mistake. This author can write, she can create atmosphere and hold your interest but dear God, the character is overly judgemental to the point where I can't understand how she has any friends. There is this theme of people either being all bad or all good, slut shaming, body shaming, obsession with money. It all became too much.
I also find it unbelievable for a woman as scholarly as the protagonist to be so religious, it just doesn't seem realistic the way she acts.
Will not be revisiting this author. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
August 2, 2022
This was a nice mystery but I could guess about the killer's identity early on, and I was right! The problem with most female writers is their need to over stretch the dialogues, be it mental or verbal. The same happened with this book. The last 2 chapters were probably unnecessary but of course it had to end as sweetly as it could. Too sweet actually, wasn't really required.
The mystery could have been more dense. The plot was really good but I feel by the end of it, it simply lost it's flavor. It wasn't hard to understand who the culprit was, but the author wanted to build the tension. To some extent she succeeded but you see, readers can lose their patience quickly. I am glad though, that I kept up till the end.
Anyway, it was a nice, light read. Mystery lovers can sure give it a try.
The mystery could have been more dense. The plot was really good but I feel by the end of it, it simply lost it's flavor. It wasn't hard to understand who the culprit was, but the author wanted to build the tension. To some extent she succeeded but you see, readers can lose their patience quickly. I am glad though, that I kept up till the end.
Anyway, it was a nice, light read. Mystery lovers can sure give it a try.
September 1, 2022
I listened to this on audible.
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one I came across, although I thought the story was clever with lots of possibilities. I did however think that it wasn’t too hard to work out who the murderer was going to be.
For me personally I found the very religious element of the book a little off putting, but I understood how it was relevant to the beliefs and personality of the main character, and having looked at the author’s other books, probably the author as well. What I was less keen on though was the possibly unintentional stereotyping of the Jewish character in the story. The portrayal of him made me feel a little uncomfortable. So although I’ve marked this book as a four as I feel it is good of its genre, overall I would probably rate it a three. I probably won’t be reading or listening more, but I might ☺️
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one I came across, although I thought the story was clever with lots of possibilities. I did however think that it wasn’t too hard to work out who the murderer was going to be.
For me personally I found the very religious element of the book a little off putting, but I understood how it was relevant to the beliefs and personality of the main character, and having looked at the author’s other books, probably the author as well. What I was less keen on though was the possibly unintentional stereotyping of the Jewish character in the story. The portrayal of him made me feel a little uncomfortable. So although I’ve marked this book as a four as I feel it is good of its genre, overall I would probably rate it a three. I probably won’t be reading or listening more, but I might ☺️
May 8, 2023
Book number 4 is set away from the Windy Corners home of Emily Cavanaugh. Emily has taken some time to research her book on Dostoevsky at her former workplace, Bede College. (Note: The college was called Reed College in the previous books) Of course, there is a murder committed while she is there. Since her fiance Luke is back home, Emily is "helping" his nephew, Colin Richards, who is a policeman in that precinct. The plot centers around campus politics and how some students are being taken advantage of. There are many people who hated the victim, so it is the usual investigation of several alibis and various evidence. I liked the book, but I missed having Emily working with Luke. At least Emily's friend Marguerite is there for support and humor. I guess I could have enjoyed it a bit more if I knew anything about Dostoevsky's writing, but it made sense anyway.
November 23, 2019
Academia is tough but murder? Well, Taylor Hansen is (was) a professor who harassed young men she found attractive until someone hit her over the head and killed her. Emily, who is back at her university working on her Dostoevsky book during the winter break, is certain that Daniel, one of her students and a main target for Taylor, didn't do it. Who did? Well, this is a cozy so you know there are multiple suspects, all of whom had a reason to want Taylor gone. Emily sorts through it all with the help of her friends, including a love interest. It's a nice done mystery that includes some interesting info about Dostoevsky. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice read for cold winter evenings.
April 14, 2025
Emily is spending the month of January in Portland, Oregon, at her old college, where she hopes to make a good start on writing a book about Dostoevsky. There are no official classes during January, so many students take time off, but others use the period for special projects. In the library Emily meets Daniel, a former student of hers, working on his dissertation. Meetings with other professors confirm Emily in her decision to retire. And when one is murdered, and Daniel becomes the main suspect, Emily is determined to discover whodunnit.
August 10, 2019
A big thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is my first time reading this author. This is a good mystery. It's a little convoluted but that made it fun. It is part of a series so there is a little history that you don't know but it still reads well as a stand alone. This university has some major ethic issues going on!! Emily just seems like a nice lady not nearly tough enough but she manages it! Fun read 4 stars
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