Woman with a Gun

Stacey Kim is a wannabe author looking for inspiration. She finds it in an art museum – a photograph of “Woman with a Gun” taken in 2005. She begins to wonder: did the bride kill her new husband; is she getting ready to hide evidence by throwing the gun in the ocean; is she contemplating suicide? Stacey begins to dig deep into researching the photo and its photographer, Kathy Moran. Thus begins a backtrack into the story of Megan Cahill, the young woman in the photo. Indeed her millionaire husband, Raymond Cahill, had been killed on their wedding night, but Megan has amnesia and is unable to remember what happened. Stacey finds that while some people are more than happy to talk about the investigation, others avoid any show more conversation with Stacey. All she wants is enough detail to formulate a fictional account of the historic murder. What she finds is much more.

This is a fairly light read set in the beautiful, although fictional, Oregon beach town of Palisades Heights. I liked the character of Stacy and her determination to gather details. However, Stacey’s portion in the novel is rather small as the book predominantly covers the investigation and trial of Megan Cahill in 2005. I do think the lawyer’s dialogue could have been a little more realistic. The jump in time caused a bit of confusion – present day Stacey; 2005 when the murder happened; and further back to a court case in which attorneys Jack Booth and Kathy Moran were opposing counsels. Overall, I enjoyed the story line and the author’s very creative concept. I rated Woman with a Gun at 4 out of 5. show less

I've never read anything written by Phillip Margolin, but the photograph on the cover was intriguing so I gave it a shot. I thought the murder mystery was mildly interesting, but found the writing to be rather dry and unemotional. Every other person who has reviewed this book has given it very high ratings, so I guess I'm in the minority here. Based on this book, I don't think I would read any of this author's other books.

I usually quote a portion of the publisher’s blurb for a quick synopsis, but this one read as if the story takes place in the present, and in a way it does by beginning and ending there, but in between are several time lines where the bulk of the story actually occurs and focus shifts to a different primary character…

We begin, briefly, in 2015…
When Stacey, an aspiring writer, decided to spend her lunch hour relaxing at an art exhibit, she never dreamed it would completely change her life. She had moved to New York thinking just being in the Big Apple would spur her creativity, but so far it was one boring day after another, toiling away at a dreary job as a receptionist to pay the bills. Everything changed when she saw a show more prize-winning photo of a woman on a beach holding a gun – there was a story behind that photo, and that would be her novel.

We jump back in time to 2005 and later to 2000 to learn the story behind the photo…
Photographer Kathy Moran is walking on the beach when she see a woman, wearing a white dress gazing, out over the water and holding a gun behind her back. She takes a photo and then offers help to the woman who appears dazed and in shock. We learn it was her wedding night and in a robbery at their home she was attacked and knocked unconscious. When she woke she found her husband dead. There are several suspects but the murder is never solved despite the efforts of prosecutor Jack Booth, who we will learn has a prior history with the photographer, Kathy, in the jump back to 2000.

It sounds complicated, but once the characters are established, the non-linear story line works well. We spend enough time in each period to understand the plot, develop the characters and pick up a few clues.

The mystery was compelling and the jumps in time felt seamless. The shifting points of view – Stacy in the present and Jack in the past – provided plenty of insight and revealed bits and pieces of the story. Photographer Kathy Moran and prosecutor Jack Booth are present throughout and tie the stories together with an eventual resolution of the mystery in the present time line.

I didn’t figure out who the killer was until the end, when enough information was revealed to understand the motive. Now, looking back and thinking about it – revenge, anger, greed – it all falls together. If you like a compelling mystery that keeps you guessing, this is a good choice. show less

A really interesting novel by Phillip Margolin. A little confusing as it jumps back and forth from the past to the present, but this also sets up the storyline for a really big reveal at the end, one I had thought might be possible but I wasn't sure how it could be accomplished. What's most interesting to me is, there is this picture of a woman with a gun. Margolin sees it, falls in love with it, and decides to write a story about it, explaining it. And in the novel, one lead character goes to moma, sees this very same picture, falls in love with it, and decides to write a story about it. Of course she (the lead character that's a writer) solves a ten year old murder mystery while she's at it, but there ya go, finito! I love when this show more happens.....lol.
A very engrossing novel, and I give it 4.5 stars. show less

“Woman with a Gun” is the title of the haunting black-and-white photograph that won Kathy Moran a Pulitzer ten years ago and made her career as a photographer. Currently a focal point in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, the photograph is seen by aspiring novelist Stacey Kim. Intrigued, she is determined to identify the woman and unravel the circumstances that brought her to the edge of the sea where the mesmerizing photograph was taken. With its enigmatic feeling and the fascination of the antique revolver held behind the woman's back, Stacey decides the story behind the prize-winning photograph could be the perfect plot for the novel she has come to New York to write.

But Stacey may never get the chance to put pen to show more paper. Doggedly determined, she heads off to Oregon to find the answers she seeks, but as she gets closer and closer to the truth, there are those who will do anything to keep her from revealing their secrets.

“Woman With a Gun” is a story within a story within a story taking the reader from Stacey’s present-day investigating to the scene of a 2005 murder to a 2000 murder trial and beyond. With a good many twists and turns and a suspenseful plot that’s first-rate, they all tie together in an ending that will surely surprise readers.

Recommended. show less

I have been a fan of Phillip Margolin's writing for many years. I normally find his characters and their stories compelling. This time, though, I just didn't get that connection. Something was lacking here for me.

This book is really a story within a story. We start off with Stacey Kim, a young wannabe writer stuck in a job she dislikes. She comes across the Woman With A Gun photograph at an art gallery and is immediately consumed. Her part just didn't feel believable. She's young and in debt, without a publisher backing her, yet uproots to Oregon in order to research a real case she intends to then fictionalize. Any struggling author out there knows how absurd this is. I still have no idea how she managed to support herself during this show more time.

Once these basics are established, we're transported back a decade to the actual murder case involving the woman in the photo. During the first few chapters, I found myself distracted because I was wondering when this sub-story would connect with Stacey. Eventually, when everything does intersect, I once again found myself seriously questioning Stacey's involvement in this now cold-case murder.

All of the characters fell flat. Stacey immediately meets someone and they apparently fall in love, though this is something I surmised by the events rather than anything I felt or was shown. The characters did basically what they were supposed to do in order to propel the story forward. Most of the dialogue sounded trite or scripted. I missed the quirks and subtle behaviors that make characters feel real.

Overall, I found the story within the center of the book, the characters and details surrounding the murder, far more realistic than the story of Stacey and her obsession with a photo. But a well-written story is usually able to lift me beyond this kind of doubt. In the end, I felt the story was lacking Margolin's usual flare with bringing character's to life. show less

A new direction for Phillip Margolin in this book. Kathy Moran took a picture of a woman holding a gun on the beach at a murder scene. Stacy Kim saw this photo at an exhibit in a New York gallery and it started a mission so to speak for Stacy. It inspired her to write a novel.

The case wasn't actually ever solved and then Stacy's digging began.

I thought this was a good plot, with good characters. The energy builds in a kind of laid back way till towards the later 3rd of the book where it takes off.