Coming Up Murder

The latest college semester is nearing an end and Professor Emmeline Prather is looking forward to the summer off. She has completed her book Words of Their Own, but is struggling to find a publisher. In Coming Up Murder by Mary Angela, Emmeline's life has taken an upswing. Her relationship with Lenny seems to be moving ahead and her students have been interested in her classes. (Coming Up Murder will be released by Camel Press Books on November 12.)

The Shakespearean Festival caps off the semester and it is about to begin. The college has been fortunate to have a visiting copy of the First Folio, a collection of Shakespeare's plays that might have been lost if it were not for his friends. It's quite the honor to have the First Folio at the event. But at one of the first sessions, graduate student Tanner Sparks contends Shakespeare didn't write the plays. As there are Shakespeare scholars at the event, you can image the outrage. Tanner believes the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere was the actual author and he claims he has DNA to prove it. 

When Tanner is found dead the next morning poised on a bench in the maze with liquid dripping from his ear, it is a very Shakespearean moment. As much as Em wold like to stay out of the investigation, her department chair, instead of discouraging her, encourages her to investigate. 

This is a delightful series and Em Prather and her cohorts are entertaining and engaging characters. And this time there is some action in the glacial relationship between Em and Lenny. Yay



Disclosure: I received this book from the author.

A Very Merry Murder

It's almost holiday time in Copper Bluff, South Dakota, and Em is looking forward to university-sponsored holiday concert. In A Very Merry Murder by Mary Angela, Professor Em Prather accompanies her friend and colleague Lenny Jenkins to a reception for the Jazz Underground.

At the B&B where the quartet is staying, Em encounters one of the musicians alone in the front parlor, Miles Jamieson, the leader of the group is Lenny's mentor, although he doesn't appear to be a nice person. He makes an unwanted pass at Em and as he tries to draw her to him, she pushes him away. He stumbles into a table then lands flat on his back on the floor. When he seems to have stopped breathing, Em and Lenny dive in to perform CPR, but to no avail.

When grad student Kim blames Em for killing Miles, she is shocked. She knows she didn't push him hard enough to cause him to strike his head, but the police want a closer look at the circumstances. To Em, it seemed as if Miles was on some type of drug. 

The police investigation shows no drugs in his system, but no cause of death could be determined. This does not sit well with Em and she decides it's time for her to get involved.  Speaking of getting involved, it appears Em and Lenny are taking baby steps towards a relationship. 

Another carefully woven plot by Mary Angela with a tip of the hat to Agatha Christie. 

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Passport to Murder

Poor Emmeline Prather. All her life she has dreamed of going to Paris and now she is on her way. In Passport to Murder by Mary Angela Em is on the plane with her students and some faculty members flying to Paris. Suddenly one of the professors goes into anaphylactic shock from a peanut allergy.

Outspoken Professor Molly Jaspers and her husband Bennett are on the trip because she is going to speak at the Sorbonne on organic gardening. Right before they board the flight, Molly and Andre Duman are overheard arguing. He says, "One day Molly is going to offend the wrong person and find herself in trouble."

One day comes and Molly dies on the plane from her peanut allergy, but everyone thinks it is an accident.  The plane turns back to Minneapolis and everyone thinks it is an unfortunate accident.

When the autopsy shows Molly had not ingested any peanuts and there was no peanut residue on her
clothing, the police change the verdict from accidental to murder. Naturally Em is devastated about having to return and she refuses to believe it was murder and especially doesn't believe Andre should be a suspect.


The sad group returns to South Dakota and their dreams of a week in Paris are dashed forever. As Em investigates, it seems dear Molly was not much loved by her colleagues. When someone else from the group dies, Em is determined to prove Andre is not the murderer.

The one plus in her misadventure is the opportunity to get to know her colleague Lenny Jenkins. While in Minneapolis, Em is invited to hear Lenny play guitar at First Avenue, where Prince got his start. Em even ropes Lenny into helping with the investigation.

When small pieces start to fall into place, Em knows who the killer is and works with the local police to solve the case.

Em is a terrific character - outspoken, funny and fearless except in the affairs of the heart. I hope to read more of Mary Angela's Professor Prather books.

Murder on the Campus

At long last I have found a mystery set in South Dakota, Copper Bluff to be exact. An Act of Murder, written by Mary Angela, features college professor Emmeline Prather. When a Emmeline returns for the new semester, she is excited about her students and her English classes.

One evening Emmeline overhears a threatening conversation with a woman and a man, and she worries about the final comment, "I could make your life a living hell, and you know it." The next day she meets one of her new students, Austin Oliver, a young man from a nearby farm, and she recognizes his voice as one she heard the night before. Still unsure who the woman was, Emmeline decides to throw herself into the new semester and forget about the conversation.

A few days later Austin Oliver is found dead in the theater building. What could cause a seemingly healthy young man to die suddenly? The police begin to investigate and refuse to discuss whether Austin was murdered or died accidentally. Because Austin was one of her students, Em feels an overwhelming need to find out what happened to him.

She enlists the aid of her fellow English professor Lenny Jenkins and they comb the campus looking for clues. The campus abounds with suspects: the fraternity boys in her class, the young actress in the play, her jealous hot-headed boyfriend, the theater director and even some of the faculty.

When Em's apartment is broken into, Em thinks she is moving closer to finding the killer. With Lenny sticking closer to her side, Em continues her search with surprising results.

This is the first in a series and I look forward to the next in the series. Emmeline is a interesting character teaching English, but loving everything French. I feel there might be a relationship growing between Em and Lenny. Stay tuned.

Special thanks to Lori Rader-Day for pointing me in the direction of South Dakota.

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