Title: Homicide in Bronze: A Kira Logan Mystery
Author: J. C. Andrew
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781950101037
Pages: 312
Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Suspense
Reviewed by: Anita Lock
Hollywood Book Reviews
An art commission unwittingly opens a can of worms when an anonymous threatening letter rolls into a flurry of mysterious events and murder in Homicide in Bronze.
Freelance artist Kira Logan accepts a commission to create two bronze sculptures of Bill Medford’s great-great-grandfather and uncle, founding doctors for a hospital in Colinas Verde, New Mexico. The Medfords are a longtime, prominent family in the area, between the hospital and High County Medical, Bill’s medical supply company, which Stan, Bill’s son, oversees.
While Stan and Dee, one of his two sisters, have personal issues to contend with, they see the installation as irresponsible since they fear their parents’ expenditures on the statues will detract support from them and their sister Sandra. Roselyn Mercado, a resident in the area, also believes the statues are a waste of time and energy but for different reasons. She believes she’s related to the Medfords via scandalous connections that ultimately led to the death of her great-great-grandmother and that blocking progress on the installation will right the wrongs of the past and vindicate her family.
A series of dangerous and deadly events unfold that both complicate Kira’s work at Killian Metals, a local foundry, and leave her wondering if the commission will ever get completed. It’s not until she collects clues and begins piecing things together that she realizes the situation is more convoluted than she thought.
Author J. C. Andrew finds yet another way to incorporate her artistic creativity with suspense in the second book of the Kira Logan Mystery series, Homicide in Bronze. Andrew draws her readers in from the get-go, using Kira’s first-person narration, as the principal character introduces herself, her background, and upcoming commission to her audience. The story quickly shifts as other characters (in third-person POV) enter the scene—each with their particular quirks.
There are many features to Andrew’s writing style that keep her storytelling flowy and engaging. While character development rests high on the chart, so too does rich scenery descriptions (i.e., northern New Mexico) that provide a strong sense of setting. In addition, Andrew carefully yet slyly uses her well-developed characters to create red herrings that cast shadows upon the true culprits. Alternating character scenes with light chapter cliffhangers produces plenty of twists and turns that lead to unexpected situations, including the ending.
What sets Andrew’s book apart from other mysteries is the time she takes to explain, a little at a time throughout the story, the elaborate bronze-making process needed to create a statue. This reviewer is sure that her details are educational and build appreciation for the tremendous amount of work and dedication involved at each level of development.
Fans of the Kira Logan Mystery series have plenty to look forward to in this next installment, Homicide in Bronze.