Third Degree

Murder 101 Mystery #5

by Maggie Barbieri

On her way to meet her boyfriend’s parents, college professor Alison Bergeron stops by a coffee shop to steel her resolve. It’s a big event. Not only is it the first time she’s met NYPD detective Bobby Crawford’s entire family, but it’s coming on the heels of a wedding proposal that she has left unanswered so far.

Then, as she steps into the shop, a brawl breaks out that ends in the death of Carter Wilmott, a merciless and loathed local blogger. The case couldn’t be any simpler, and Alison witnessed the whole thing, but when Wilmott’s car explodes in the aftermath, what looked to be a crime of passion becomes something far more complicated and maybe even premeditate.

With Alison and Bobby involved in the case and with each other, readers are in for a treat. Third Degree, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s charming mystery series, is one heated mystery with plenty of steamy romance and cunning villains who are about to get burned.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Romance, Chick Lit, Crime

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Maggie Barbieri is the author of the Murder 101 series, which is comprised of Murder 101 (2006); Extracurricular Activities (2007), Quick Study (2008), Final Exam (2009) and Third Degree (due November 2010.) She lives in the New York metro area/Hudson Valley with her husband, and two children. By day she's a writer and editor of college textbooks. She is currently at work on the sixth book in the series, still untitled.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an overall good mystery. Lots of people to keep up with. I enjoy the characters and Allison is very relatable. It's interesting that there is a small town vibe to these books even though that's probably not really the case considering how close they are to NYC. I was happy with the resolution to the mystery and that at least one aspect of Alison's personal life had a happy ending. Hopefully things will get resolved satisfactorily for Father Kevin in the next book.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disappointing.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like I said in my review of the first four books, even though this series isn't really that well written - something about them is compulsively readable anyway! The characters and their crazy shenanigans really are addicting, and I enjoyed reading the books. Usually character contradictions and the telling of emotions versus the showing and feeling of them are both big deal breakers - but somehow I keep forgiving Maggie Barbieri for her shortcomings as long as she keeps coming through and making me laugh.

Sometimes Alison and her random relationship issues are annoying, but I really love Crawford so really I'm just reacting to her pulling away. I want more of him! Luckily...he never lets her get too far before he yanks the sense back into her.

The mystery in this was fairly interesting - I had a couple of surprises along the way to the resolution. But...mainly I really did keep reading this books because Alison makes me laugh and I'm always wanting to see what she does next.

So, like I've already said - if you're a Stephanie Plum/cozy mystery reader, these books are worth taking a look at. They aren't perfect, but they'll make you laugh!

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Allison witnesses a murder at her favorite coffee shop, and she can't decide whether or not to marry Crawford, and Father Kevin disappears, and blah blah blah. The zing of the first book in this series is no longer apparent.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite cozy series and this installment was another solid read. I will note that this was the first book in the series that I listened to on audiobook and I was not a huge fan or the narrator. She did an ok job but did not really add anything to the story.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know someone who is a magnet for mayhem?? Yeah, me too!

This is a good, cute, funny mystery whose main character is just that magnet. And it is all done so well.

Please read if you like to smile.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in this series with Professor Alison Bergeron as sleuth. It also features her NYPD detective boyfriend. I enjoyed it, not quite as much as the others though. I think I’m having the sustainability issue I often have with modern mysteries. There are really only so many ways a professor at a small college can keep coming into contact with dead bodies.
Even in NYC.

And after the first couple of them I really start to wonder why the cops just don’t arrest her outright at the scene. No way someone stumbles across 5 bodies (one an ex husband) in what appears to be a less than 12 month period, unless they are somehow involved in the deaths.

I think this book seemed a bit of a stretch for me. The reason for seeing the body is clear enough, could happen to anyone, but the motive to investigate seemed forced.

[Jessica Pritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!! We gotten to know more about Allison! We also learned Max's middle name!! I happy to say it the same as a Youtuber that I watch regularly! I can definitely see why she was questioning her choice about Crawford. To me it made since but it was also understandable what the answer would be. I feel like Crawford likes it when Allison is a bit melding on things. I think he should find it concerning that she finds out more than the police at times.. Lol. I know he doesn't like it when she put herself in danger, but nonetheless interested in what he does sort of.. Anyway great book!!! Captivating, mysterious, and funny!!

[Ione DeOllos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a humorous story of a college professor attempts to solve a crime, all the while hosting two unexpected house guests. Add in a dog and a boyfriend, and this books kept me up late wanting to know what happens next.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for the brief political snarky tidbit about Liberals, the book was a great read. (When writers put any sort of political "smell" in their books I get irked -- unless I'm reading something that involves politics. Leave politics out of mystery books.)

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting mystery, a victim that a lot of people tried to get killed. Not quite so easy to figure out.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series!

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm definitely enjoying the humour and mishaps in this delightful, high quality cozy mystery series. All the suspects really keeps the pages interesting.

[Stephanie Seabolt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the entire series so far (And plan to continue reading the rest) and as much as I like the series there are things that I could do without. These are all matter of opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.

Do I recommend this? Yes. The series is good,

Am I passionate about the characters? Apparently!

1) Alison continually lies to Crawford. She promises him she won't meddle, then as soon as they part she meddles, and then gets upset that Crawford is mad at her. He knows she's going to meddle, so he should probably stop asking her to make promises he knows she can't keep BUT she needs to stop making empty promises and purposely breaking them. She's so upset when he pushes her away but I don't blame him. (sure, Crawford's lie was bigger, but does that make it okay for her to have a zillion little lies?)

2) Max. Why are they still friends? She's self-centered, rude, bossy, and thinks that the things she does are perfectly okay and Alison should be understanding? This spoiler kinda reviews a whole chapter/Max's behavior in general. She painted her room black and red in the previous book and was upset that Alison didn't like it, then thinks it's Alison who was in the wrong for being mad. THEN she invites someone to stay with Alison without even consulting her first, just brings her in and goes "She needs a place to stay." THEN has the audacity to bring her whole freaking tv crew to Alison's house for a meeting, and when Alison kicks them out and asks her why she didn't even ask Max has the gall to say "Well so and so is staying here so it's her house too." UM NO. That would be the moment my friendship was over with someone. BYE FELICIA! Alison let's Max walk all over her, because she's nice, she has no one else, Max is like her sister, etc. I guess I just don't like Max, she irritated me in #4 then #5 just made me hate her.

Third DegreeMaggie Barbieri

[Sarah McConnaughey · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an atheist I felt there was too much mention of religion, and the main character came off as very narcissistic. I also felt that the author paid too much attention to appearances and the size of various body parts. Either the author is extremely shallow or she just writes her characters like that. It was like I was reading a book written by a male, and I generally try to avoid books like that. The women who were "ideal" in the body department were put on pedestals and glorified no matter what they said or did. While the women who were apparently less than appealing were treated like lepers. If all of Maggie Barbieri's books are like this one, it's safe to say I will not be reading anymore of her works.
Nonetheless, I loved the fact that the main character supported LGBT rights (being bisexual myself and an avid supporter as well). And I loved that there was a female couple in the story, I just wish they hadn't been pushed into the background like so many other books I've read by other authors. The only other part I liked about this book was the murder mystery. If it hadn't been that keeping my attention I would have stopped reading after the first chapter. By the end of the book, however, I was not surprised by who did it, because I had a feeling throughout the whole book that that character had been the one due to hints here and there.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 5th entry in the Alison Bergeron series featuring a divorced professor of English at a small Catholic college just north of NYC, it's the end of August, a new school year is about to start, and Alison is avoiding giving Crawford an answer to his marriage proposal, given a few months prior.

On the day she is set to meet the entire extended Crawford family, she watches a man die at a local coffee shop, which seems on the surface to be a fairly clear-cut case of a fist fight gone bad.

In typical Alison fashion, though, she gets sucked into the story. We see a lot less of Crawford in this entry, aside from his occasional frustrated efforts to pin her down, and very little of the college, except for an unrelated side plot in which her best friend Father Kevin is removed from his duties under mysterious circumstances.

The mystery is solved by Alison, but not before her life is endangered in a dramatic way that actually does relate back to the seemingly unimportant beginning drama with her avoidance of the Crawford clan. I appreciate the fact that it was not the life-threatening incident which allowed her to understand her feelings about Crawford and marriage--but that she had actually come to a decision before that, and was almost prevented from letting him know.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third Degree
By: Maggie Barbieri
Publisher by Minotaur Books
Copyright December 2010

No matter where Alison Bergeron goes she just seems to get into trouble. Stopping off one morning for coffee at Beans, Beans should have been simple and quick. So why did she end up with a black eye and a dead body on the floor next to her? Just what she needs when she’s supposed to be meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Carter Willmott (the dead man) is not a very well liked person in her town. His blog specializes in berating, belittling, and tearing down anything and anyone who gets in his face, and even if they don’t.

So begins book five in the life and misadventures of Dr. Alison Bergeron, a professor of English at a Catholic College. The twists and turns of this outstanding story will leave you dizzy and breathing hard while waiting for the next book in the series to show itself on your local bookstore’s shelves or in the library of your choice.

I highly recommend Maggie Barbieri and her books to anyone looking for a wonderful afternoon or evening’s entertainment.

I borrowed this book from my local library for the purpose of enjoyment and review.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The writing was quick and fast paced with new and old familiar characters.

The plot was interesting and I bought the "who dunnit" at the end.

Alison spends a lot of her time pondering about whether she should married Crawford or not. This comes at a hard time of year for her, the month her mother had died a few years ago.

I'm not a fan of her friend, Max, who wasn't in this book all that much. Yay! A few times Crawford asked Alison why they are friends and she said it's because they'd been through so much together.

Alison's friend, Father Kevin, is in some trouble because he is being accused of getting too close to a student but it doesn't get resolved by the end of the book (sorry for the spoiler). That was a bit frustrating.

Alison is still a bit too nosy ... it doesn't make sense that she would board a boat that doesn't belong to her, not once but twice.

Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2011/12...

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of Maggie Barbeiri that I've read. The main character Alison is a pistol, as periodically she gives an understated fact about herself followed by a comment like, "in case you didn't know" drawing the reader into her walk. It begins when an unpopular restaurant critic blogger is murdered in a coffee shop he frequents regularly, but speaks terribly about, as is the case with the majority of his reviews. The main character Alison is hurt (black eye) from a fight between him and another man, prior to his death. Cause of death should be cut and dry, but at the request of the wife who's husband will be charged with the murder, and a few pieces of this case that just did not fit together right, this college professor/sleuth starts digging. It was filled with action, and the characters are delightful yet when I put the book down the ingredient that pulls me back quickly was not there. The book is very good, and an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, kind of sarcastic wit murder mystery.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Maggie Barbieri, both as a friend and a writer. Her wacky sense of humor is one I share, which is why it's always fun to read another of her Alison Bergeron Mysteries. I am happy to say that Maggie's latest, THIRD DEGREE, does not disappoint. In it, a much despised blogger named Carter Wilmott is apparently killed in an altercation with another man. Alison, who has a nose for trouble, is at the coffee shop when the fight occurs and ends up with a black eye as a result (she gets the door pushed into her face). Alison can't let go what she's witnessed and feels awful for Carter's seemingly adoring wife. She ends up discovering just how many people wanted Carter Wilmott dead--and by a variety of methods--so that the issue of who actually killed him becomes less open-and-shut and more like a three-ring circus. THIRD DEGREE is the perfect example of a modern traditional mystery with wit and sass. Pick this up and you won't want to put it down until you've finished.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Ally is a professor at a Catholic University and is very much in the style of Stephanie Plum--which I mean as a huge compliment. The books are all charming and fun and I totally recommend them (all of them--this is a review for the entire series!) *this is the same as I reviewed her first book but the plot line is similar, in the Evanovich style*

Rating: 10

What worked: Everything. I had no idea where this book was going to go and was extremely happy about that--I'm a good guesser. Allison is an interesting character and I love her best friend. I'm a sucker for strong female friendship in books.

What didn't: I liked the whole thing--but I am extremely worried for Kevin and Allison with the new Father! So nervous!

Extras: None but I'm not sure what there would really be

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allison Bergeron has seen dead bodies before, but when a brawl in a local coffee shop ends with a death it shakes her. People related to the dead man keep showing up in her life. And as if that weren't enough, Allison is supposed to commit to the ring-pop proposal from Crawford. Has a girl to keep up?

I found "Third Degree" entertaining as usual. It is my least favorite of the Murder 101 series, if only for the fact that the main characters by now have become predictable. I found the addition of certain characters to be a little obvious as expansions for future books. This makes me optimistic for the next sequel and how those characters might play in. Solid, fun continuation of Allison's story, I give "Third Degree" by Maggie Barbieri 4 of 5 stars.

[CJ Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth in Maggie Barbieri's series about college professor Alison Bergeron and her boyfriend, Detective Bobby Crawford. This story opens with Alison going to the local coffee shop, where she gets in the middle of an altercation between a city employee and a blogger/restaurant reviewer. Alison ends up with a black eye while the blogger/reviewer dies. Add to that a sprained wrist, a proposal from Bobby, which she avoids, her friend, Father McManus, missing and a Hooters waitress/private investigator who uses her house to hide from her abusive husband. Of course, Alison can't keep her nose out of anyone's business, so she seems to create drama where ever she goes. Another fun read.

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Barbieri’s mystery novel, college professor Alison Bergeron is on the threshold of meeting her detective boyfriend’s parents and caffeine is suddenly her best preparation option. Arriving at the local coffee bar, Alison walks in on a brawl between blogger Carter Wilmott and resident George Miller who takes a fatal blow. Boasting a shiner, Alison feels the situation is pretty explanatory until Wilmott’s car explodes outside the coffee house. Before long, secrets, revenge and deadly intent rise to the surface leaving Alison very concerned that she may be in over her head in this situation.

Great installation to the A Murder 101 Mystery series.

[Shani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really in love with this series because it is fast-paced and features a smart heroine! I was eager to catch up with Alison Bergeron because of where the previous book left off--to see where she would end up next. This book left me satisfied though I missed some of the side characters who featured prominently in the other titles. I also missed the campus trials and tribulations! But catching up with Alison, Max and Crawford are my favorite parts about reading this series--and why I'm slowly catching up to the author's most recent book!

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every single page of this quick-paced, humorous murder mystery. It never went the way you expected and I simply adore the characters.

Although it had been awhile since I read the previous book in the series, "Final Exam", however it took only one half page for me to be comfortably back in the 'Village' with Alison and Bobby, Max and Fred, and of course, Trixie.

I loved the ending as well. Long live this series.

[Molly Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison Bergeron isn't thinking about bodies when she stops in a coffee shop to get some caffeine resolve before meeting her fiance's parents. Maybe she should have been braver, because just as she enters the shop, two men break into a fight, Alison gets a black eye, and one of the men collapses and dies. Things go from bad to worse before this case is resolved. "Third" is the fifth in the series, and one of the best.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Jimmy! I was so looking forward to a smart ass remark from him!
No Max and Fred! YAY! They don't do anything for me. I hope Alison painted her room back to the way it was before the evil pixie changed it.

I curious about Fred and what happened to him, but I've learned not to get my hopes up when it comes to side characters.

This is a fun series to read. Alison and Bobby are funny together. I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alison is involved in a murder by accident: She is hit in the eye by a door as two men come barreling out of a coffee shop fighting. One of the men dies a few minutes later. Someone had also wired his car with a bomb. He was also being poisoned with arsenic. Did he die from a blow to the head in the fight, or did the arsenic catch up with him? Alison tries to find the answers while also trying to decide whether to accept her boyfriend's proposal or not.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty darned awesome. Another great plot -- starting with someone dropping dead at a coffee shop, right in front of Alison and going all the way through to the end. The special guest appearances by Max's reality show stars were priceless as well. I am beyond sad that there are only 2 more books left in this series but, at this point, need to see what happens next. Now. Oh library....