Category: Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Edita A. Petrick
ISBN-10: 0996637109
Pages: 264
Copyright: July 5, 2015
ISBN-13: 9780996637107
Price:FREE! (eBook)
Some secrets are really skin deep.
When a New York hotel bellhop is found murdered in Lauren’s office at a Connecticut college, she can’t offer the police any connection between her and the dead man. A week later, she finds a gold bullion bar and two scraps of brittle paper stashed in the staff room fridge. The bullion is stamped with an eagle-and-swastika cross--Hitler’s logo. Before surrendering her find to the police, Lauren decides to see a friend at the Metropolitan Museum, to authenticate the gold bar.
Once the museum expert examines the articles he warns that secrets tattooed into patches of human skin that accompany the bullion are deadly--considering who had opted to hide his secrets in such manner. Forty-eight hours later, when her friend dies in a traffic accident, Lauren realizes that someone else than the police wants to recover the articles and she too might have only hours to live.
Professional Reviews
A Cozy Mystery, August 4, 2015
And very enjoyable. Our 'ordinary citizen' in this light mystery is Doctorate-in-making candidate Lauren Sarasohn who is forced from the get-go to put on her amateur sleuth hat when the body of a strange young man is found in her office on the Campus of Winthrop College in Connecticut. What proceeds from there is an unfolding series of event-based clues that spell out a mystery far deeper and more sinister than even a dead body could have foretold. Gold, Nazis, Art & Secrets etched in human flesh are a heady enough mix that Lauren will have to traverse paths and trust people she never thought she would be able to again if she is to solve the murders and safeguard her own life. A terrific venture this turned out to be & I am grateful I received this e-book as a promotional gift in exchange for an honest review.
Thriller from academia to government, November 1, 2015
The Coffin Trader by Edita Petrick is an interesting mystery that kept me interested and anxious to learn more.
Perhaps one of the most positive comments I can make is that I became more and more paranoid as I read. The sense that the protagonist couldn't trust anyone carried over for me and I had to remind myself when I was not reading that I was not, in fact, in a life and death situation and no one was trying to trick me or kill me (well, that I know of). The main thing that kept it from being a 5-star (if Amazon had half stars I would give 4.5) for me was the wrap-up. I thought the twists that resulted in the resolution were phenomenal but they were laid out as a story told to the protagonist rather than revealed gradually to her (and us). I have to admit I am not sure how that would have been handled in this case but it was a little disappointing. That said, it is as much a personal preference of mine than an actual flaw in the book.
I would recommend this for readers of suspense and thrillers as well as those who enjoy stories of dishonesty and conspiracy behind powerful people.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
Fabulous dialogue!, August 11, 2015
This story grabbed me from the very first page. Not only is this novel exciting, it is also easy to relate to and chock full of humor. The dialogue is wonderful and intriguing and draws the reader into the story. It is an interesting mix of the historical and the contemporary so the reader leaves the story feeling a bit more culturally enriched. The emotions are well-described and the sarcasm runs high from her main character as she takes us through the story and makes the us a part of the fear and uncertainty of being a person stuck in the middle of a violent crime. A gripping tale from Petrick that demonstrates a strong handling of words, diction, and pacing that will rock your socks off and leave you panting for the next novel.
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