The Muted Mermaid
A Ledge Trabue Mystery
Del Staecker
Cable Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9799494-6-7 (0979949467)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799494-6-3 (9780979949463)
Publication Date: February 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis(from
the publisher): Ledge Trabue's idyllic boating vacation ends abruptly
when the body of a young woman floats into his life. Was she murdered?
The Nashville police quickly--almost too quickly--rule her death a
suicide and close the case. But Trabue's suspicions skyrocket when the
young victim's father arrives unexpectedly on Trabue's boat and accuses
him of his daughter's murder!
Soon, Trabue finds himself deeply involved in uncovering the truth and
slowly realizes there is a truly malevolent force pervading the Music
City.
Review: Del Staecker introduces Rutledge "Ledge" Trabue in The Muted Mermaid, an exciting and absorbing mystery of murder among the business elite in Nashville.
While boating down Tennessee's Cumberland River, Ledge comes upon a
fallen tree in the water that has trapped the body of a young woman, a
body that Ledge believes had apparently been dumped in the river with
the expectation that it would disappear over a dam and not be found
until it was miles away. Someone got careless and Ledge is now caught
in the middle.
The woman is quickly identified as Karen Blaine. Karen's father, Win,
just as quickly assumes Ledge is the killer though the police somewhat
inexplicably rule the death a suicide. Though Win doesn't quite believe
that Ledge is innocent, he agrees to allow him to help find the true
cause of his daughter's death. As Ledge starts on his quest, he calls
an old friend, a former cop, for help. Others quickly get involved as
allies in his investigation including a cab driver, his wife, son and
daughter-in-law. Even the medical examiner of Nashville participates in
finding the truth. With this unusual group of people who, like a secret
organization become tight-knit and tight-lipped, they work in their own
way to determine who may have killed Karen, and potentially several
others, and why.
One of the best elements of The Muted Mermaid
is the characters which are so well developed that they become like new
neighbors to the reader. Though each adds their own expertise to the
case, their camaraderie makes their collective investigation more
meaningful. The murder mystery plot is also well done though it is
possibly not as suspenseful (from a "whodunit" perspective) as it might
have been.
Should successive books featuring Ledge Trabue be as character-driven as The Muted Mermaid, it bodes well for a series worth reading now and looking forward to.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Muted Mermaid and to Del Staecker for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
The Muted Mermaid
Cable Publishing (Hardcover), February 2008
ISBN-10: 0-9799494-6-7 (0979949467)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799494-6-3 (9780979949463)
Shaved
Ice
Cable Publishing (Hardcover), August 2008
ISBN-10: 1-934980-12-9 (1934980129)
ISBN-13: 978-1-934980-12-5 (9781934980125)
Omnimystery keywords for The Muted Mermaid ...
Location(s) referenced: Nashville, Tennessee.