Mr. and Mrs. Johnathan Luther were viciously murdered in their home. Their son, Chad, discovered their bodies, which brought back horrifying memories of the death of his grandmother years before. He had also discovered her body.

His dad was a collector of miniature railroad trains received a shot gun blast in the midst of his collection. His mother was killed stabbed to death two floors down.

Homicide Detectives Catherine O’Brien and Louise Montgomery of the Saint Paul, Minnesota Police Department wondered why the couple was killed by two different methods.

Shortly after the two detectives began their investigation, an overly enthusiastic reporter caused Catherine to label the media as vultures. The reporter wrote a scathing article which led Catherine’s boss, the Chief of Police, to allow the irritating reporter to follow the detectives as they try to solve the case, much to Catherine’s chagrin.

As the two detectives continued to search for clues as to who killed the Luther’s, the reporter pushed their buttons every chance she could. They also had to deal with witnesses who lied, red herrings that threatened to send their investigation off course, and an interesting gathering of suspects, any of whom could be the killer they sought.

An Intimate Murder is the third mystery book written by author Stacy Verdick Case following A Grand Murder and A Luring Murder. The entertaining mystery moves quickly and smoothly through an interesting plot that holds enough twists and turns to keep any armchair detective turning pages seeking clues in anticipation of solving the murder before the end of the book. Case is adept at placing clues in the best places to keep readers challenged.

The homicide detective duo of Catherine O’Brien and Louise Montgomery are a welcome relief from the sometimes bumbling characters created by other authors. While they banter during the case, they never fall into the silliness that can take away from the plot.

The characters are well-rounded and believable and the ending makes it clear the author understands what her readers want. While the reporter character was annoying at times, she seemed to fit into the overall plot of the novel.

This novel is highly recommended for those who want to spend a pleasant day or so at the beach or curled up in a chair to enjoy a delicious page-turner.

A special thank you goes to Before the Fall Books and Stacy Verdick Case for providing a complimentary copy for our review. If you desire to purchase any of the author’s books, Stacy Verdick Case mysteries are available at Amazon.com