Murder Most Persuasive

Martin Reynolds sold his vacation home in Maryland shortly before he died, with the proceeds to be divided between his three children. When the new owners begin renovations, they find a body buried underneath the pool, which turns out have been the former fiancé of Martin's daughter Reggie. Michael Barrow had disappeared the day after Reggie broke off their engagement, along with a million dollars from the Reynold's family business, where he worked. It was assumed that he'd absconded with the money upon realizing that he'd no longer have a job.

The book is written from the point of view of Elizabeth Parker, Martin's niece. Elizabeth is very, very fond of Jane Austen. She and her Aunt Winnie (Martin's sister) are given to inserting show more quotes from the Austen oeuvre into their daily conversation. Elizabeth also has a reputation in the family as a detective, having "assisted" the police on two earlier murder investigations involving the family.

The detective assigned to the case is Joe Muldoon, who happened to be involved with Martin's other daughter Ann, years earlier. Their relationship was quashed by Ann's aunt Laura, who thought that Joe wasn't good enough for her niece.

This nod to Austen's Persuasion, which one might expect to be awkward or heavy-handed, is actually quite seamless and slips into the plot quite comfortably. Also, the idea of a young woman being discouraged from marrying a man she loves because of his "prospects" is not at all far-fetched in conjunction with a high-society family from the East Coast.

Like Austen, Kiely is snarkily funny. Her Elizabeth is underemployed and has little on which to use her intellect and wit, and so interferes in police investigations and mocks whenever she can. This reviewer will definitely be searching for the previous titles in this series!

*Many thanks to Library Thing's Early Reviewers program for the Advance Reading Copy. show less

Murder Most Persuasive opens with a funeral, but this particular death is not the one that causes concern; rather, it is the body that is found under the family's old pool that sets this narrative in motion. Keeping her tongue firmly in an Austen novel, Elizabeth Parker barely manages to navigate her family while trying to save them from suspicion of murder. In the end it's not Jane Austen, but rather Ben Stiller, that inspires the resolution, and Kiely does an admirable job drawing out the conclusion until things can be satisfactorily summarized. With plenty of pop-culture references, Murder Most Persuasive is not a book that will age well, but for the time being it is an enjoyable cozy.

Eight years ago, the world of the Reynolds family was rocked when Michael Barrows, the fiancé of Regina Reynolds, disappeared after embezzling over a million dollars from the family business. Now Martin Reynolds has died and when a house he owned is sold, the body of Michael Barrows is found buried underneath a pool. The discovery of Barrows’ body raises all kinds of questions (who killed him and did he really embezzle the money); brings up long buried family secrets; and brings Detective Joe Muldoon back into Ann Reynolds’ life. Things will never be the same for the Reynolds family.

“Murder Most Persuasive” is a nicely done cozy mystery. Author Tracy Kiely has created a wonderful novel filled with great characters, a good show more murder mystery, and a tribute to Jane Austen (notably her novel “Persuasion”). What really makes this book shine is the characters and the family dynamics involved. Although the book is set in current day Maryland, in many ways it feels like an old-fashioned English drawing room mystery (think Agatha Christie in the year 2011). All of the characters are interesting from Elizabeth (the amateur detective) to her cousins Ann and the much married Reggie, the outspoken Aunt Winnie, and Marty’s widow Bonnie (who has a penchant for quoting from “Gone with the Wind”). Elizabeth’s sometimes thorny relationship with her sister Kit is very believable and one of the best parts of the book. The Jane Austen touches throughout the book are nicely done – from the echoes of “Persuasion” in the Ann/Joe storyline to the quotes from her books at the start of each chapter, and, (although I’m not overly fond of it) characters quoting from Austen’s books. The mystery itself is well plotted with more than a few surprises – the part where the killer is caught is a bit contrived and doesn’t quite work if you think too much about it, but that’s a minor flaw in an otherwise delightful novel.

“Murder Most Persuasive” is a nicely done mystery and I look forward to reading more of Tracy Kiely’s books. show less

I received Murder Most Persuasive in a drawing here on Library Thing. This was an Advance Uncorrected Proof copy. This book will be available for purchase Aug. 30, 2011
This is the first book that I have read by Tracy Kiely. The book resolves around an extended family in Maryland. Just after burying the head of the family it is discovered that at a house once owned by them was the body of an ex fiancé of one of the daughters.
Ms. Kiely has done a very good job of keeping the story going forward yet bringing in background of the family. In the course of the telling it appears to me that there are scenes that could very well become two more books in this series. I will definitely be getting and reading the first two books.

I was skeptical when I picked up this book. It’s advertised as a cozy murder mystery in the style of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I love Jane Austen, but imitations of her work sometimes fall flat for me. Well, this book was a pleasant surprise.

Elizabeth Parker is a modern day woman who loves to quote Jane Austen in every situation. She’s also notorious for trying to solve mysteries…any mysteries that cross her path. A body is found under a swimming pool – a pool that used to belong to her great uncle. Her family is suspected, and Elizabeth rushes to defend her loved ones.

There’s also a huge case of sibling rivalry, and an old romance rekindled when Detective Joe Muldoon shows up to investigate the body.

Those who are familiar show more with Persuasion will find the romance in this book rather predictable, but the mystery element was new, and kept me guessing. This isn’t “great literature”, but it was a charming book and a great comfort read.

This book is third in a series, I believe, but I felt it stood on its own quite well. Recommended for those who like cozy mysteries, comfort reads, and Jane Austen. show less

This fun whodunit centers around the crime solving adventures of Elizabeth Parker, an amateur sleuth and Jane Austen fan. After Elizabeth's uncle dies, a body is discovered underneath the swimming pool of the recently sold family home. The family is shocked to learn that the body is none other than Cousin Reggie's former husband-to-be, who disappeared eight years earlier under suspicion of embezzlement.

Soon Elizabeth settles in to help her Cousin Ann get Uncle Marty's affairs in order. The intrigue heats up when Ann's former boyfriend, Detective Muldoon, shows up to investigate the case. Unfortunately, it seems that just about everyone is a suspect. Although Elizabeth's aunt and boyfriend try to discourage her from getting involved in show more another mystery, Elizabeth has no choice but to help when her sister, Kit, catches the crime solving bug.

"Murder Most Persuasive: A Mystery" includes an entertaining cast of characters. The action is lively, and there's a little for everyone: sibling rivalry, romance, family secrets, and, of course, murder.

The Bottom Line: This is the third book featuring amateur sleuth Elizabeth Parker, who tells the story in a chatty style. Parker is an avid fan of Jane Austen, and the story is peppered with many references to Austen's works, especially "Persuasion." This was the first book in the series that I have read, and I look forward to reading more. I enjoyed the family dynamics of this clever and witty mystery. "Murder Most Persuasive: A Mystery" is lots of fun; it's a great weekend read. Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. Fans of Jane Austen may also want to check out this series. show less

A funeral, a murder and a Jane Austen theme! Uncle Marty is dead but a body is discovered under his old pool, which had to be put there eight years earlier. Which leads Elizabeth to ask- who commited the murder and why?

Marty's daughter Ann is staying at the house, getting the will in order while her step mother is away at a spa following her husband's funeral. The identity of the dead body is not a stranger to the family, everyone believed he embezzeled money from the family and ran off- but it does not appear to be the case! Cousin Elizabeth has stumbled into murder investigations in the past and thinks she can help solve the mystery.

I liked 'Muder Most Persuasive' more than I thought I would! I was skeptical that the author would be show more able to use JA's Persuasion without over doing it and making it feel forced but Tracy Kiely found a perfect balance. It was a fun whodunit with a touch of Austen- I devoured the book and enjoyed every minute! show less