Reviews
Death in the Offing by D.E. Ring is the second book in the Urquhart & MacDonald Murder Mysteries, a perfect read for fans of murder mystery.
Inspector Jimmy Urquhart and Sandy (Notepad) MacDonald are the new couple in town and they head to Manhattan for their honeymoon. Jimmy is worried about Sandy's familiarity not only with the city but with some of the well-known people. They go back to Barrachois for the final week of their honeymoon as guests to the opening of a new hotel. It is a private event and Jimmy and Notepad are making the best of it until a blizzard blocks the road, cutting off power and other forms of communication. The fun is ended when a body of a woman is found, sitting in a chair in her room, with snow on her bare foot. Will she be the last and who is behind the murder?
The story begins with the preparations of the wedding and introduces readers to the key characters and the setting. The circle of friends of Jimmy and Notepad are beautifully explored. Then comes the mystery and the many questions related to the deaths. It is a heady, gripping, and page-turning story that is written in exquisite prose and that features engaging dialogues. I loved the drama, the gorgeously written characters, and the mystery that transforms the story into a propulsive tale. Death in the Offing is the perfect meld of a thrilling detective story and an unforgettable narrative with sophisticated characters, and Ring’s descriptions are detailed capturing elements of the setting as well as the inner worlds of the characters with clarity.
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Matthew Novak for The Book Commentary
Death of the Limping Man by D.E. Ring is an excellent audiobook. It is set in the not-so-small town of Barrachois. Barrachois is often considered to be at the edge of the world. In this town where everyone knows one another, a murder occurs, and the new inspector in town is tasked with bringing the perpetrator(s) to book.
Urquhart, the new inspector in the town of Barrachois (the city at the edge of the world), is given the herculean task of finding the killer of the limping man, a man who was supposedly liked and adored by all. Just like the loose thread concept talked about in the second movie of Enola Holmes, Urquhart soon finds a loose thread. As he keeps pulling on it, more shocking discoveries are made, and at the end of it all, the killer is discovered, and it turns out to be an unexpected one.
I loved everything about the book. The author delivered well on the suspense. The mystery was also such that it could keep one glued to their phone whilst listening. It was such that it could keep one on their toes with speculations as to who the murderer could be. It was also quite realistic; we see this realism explored at the ending part after the killer had been found out and Urquhart said, "This just stinks, if this is winning, then I don't like winning" because even after the killer was found, he was unhappy because of the tragedy that it would cause in the subsequent future.
This audiobook is a spectacular one, one that I enjoyed from the very beginning. I recommend it to just anyone and everyone who likes to read but, most importantly, for lovers of crime, murder, mystery, and suspense.
This book was well presented and was also done in simple diction such that any listener would be able to easily comprehend and enjoy it; therefore, I give this book five out of five stars. It would be a crime if I deduct any stars from my rating, as I did not find any reason to. I did not find any errors while listening to the audiobook.
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Chiwelite Obioma Mgbeoji for Online Book Club
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