Don Taylor’s Murder in Disguise threw you right into the action of the story. You figure out what’s ahead pretty quickly , and we dive into getting to solve the mystery (even if our main character refuses to admit it). Preston Barclay arrives to teach summer classes at a college that his friend taught at—his friend who committed suicide (or so it would seem). After the begging of his friend’s wife, he reluctantly (very reluctantly) looks into what she claims is a murder. Through his “not” detective work, Pres comes to the conclusion that his friend didn’t commit suicide, but can he figure out who’s behind the murder before he is murdered himself?
If I’m honest, this story didn’t grab me like I wanted it to grab me. That being said, it wasn’t a bad story, and it was still entertaining (I did finish it). I liked Pres and the orchestra in his head. I feel like this book needs to be read with a soundtrack! All the references to composers made me want to look up the different scores that were mentioned throughout. I loved too that he ate ham sandwiches for breakfast with his coffee.
More about Murder in Disguise (from GoodReads):
Official verdict: Suicide.
But why would that vigorous department chairman kill himself? To avoid disgrace? Those rumored ventures on the dark side? Some other secret life? Visiting professor Preston Barclay wonders. But his questions bring no answers, only anonymous threats. He has enough problems already, proving himself on a strange campus while radical faculty do all they can to undermine him. Worse yet, that sexy siren assigned as his assistant complicates his courtship of the beautiful Mara Thorn.
While Press keeps asking questions, Mara’s research reveals a cancer of criminal activity that permeates the community and even the campus itself. The more Press questions, the more dangerous the threats against him become, and the more determined he grows to clear his friend’s name.
But can Press and Mara’s stumbling efforts prevail against the entrenched forces of the police, the campus radicals, and an unseen but powerful criminal organization that increasingly puts their lives in danger…?
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More about Donn Taylor:
Donn Taylor led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. Afterwards, he completed a PhD at The University of Texas and taught English literature at two liberal arts colleges. Now retired from college teaching, he writes suspense and mystery fiction as well as literary poetry designed for the ordinary reader. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences and study groups. He lives near Houston, TX, where he continues to write fiction, poetry, and essays on ethics and U.S. foreign policy.
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