Poison Pen

This was a bit of a Mary Sue seeming plot. Claudia Rose the character, like the author makes her living decoding who people are by looking at their writing. It was a fine plot, structurally. A powerful woman in Hollywood is found dead. Everyone thinks suicide except her business associate.

What makes the plot a bit more interesting is that the woman killed is a college 'friend', though she and Claudia had a rocky past. The mystery unfolds from there.

I think part of my problem is that I don't fully believe in handwriting analysis, at least not as the be all and end all. People are so much more complicated than how they cross their t's or if they use loops or swirls. I think concluding anything based solely on handwriting is like telling show more if the perp is guilty by looking into his eyes.

I'll probably read the rest of the series, because she's not a bad writer, but if you're looking for an amazing read, this is not it. show less

I love crime thrillers, mysteries and forensics fiction as long as the main focus is on the story and doesn't get too bogged down in the minutiae of the forensics. Thankfully this book gets the balance dead right with a good helping of interesting details about the art of forensic handwriting analysis, good character presentation and development and a great plot.

The narration was excellent and made the audiobook a pleasure to listen to.

One error that really caught my ear though was at the funeral when Claudia was wondering where her friend Kelly was. "As if she had heard Claudia's mental summons Claudia appeared at her side..." when obviously it was Kelly who appeared. Apart from that little "ooops!" though it was all good.

I enjoyed show more this book very much and look forward to listening to the next in the series.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. show less

Review of eBook

Claudia Rose, Kelly Brennan, and Lindsey Alexander shared a sort of love/hate relationship, based primarily on Lindsey’s propensity for mean-spiritedness. But their iffy relationship doesn’t stop them from questioning why Lindsey would commit suicide.

Lindsey managed to set up and run, with her partner, Ivan Novak, a business representing an A-list clientele. Ivan, her friend, her business associate. The one who is certain that Lindsey did not kill herself.

Ivan convinces Claudia to look into the matter; leaving Claudia to gather samples of Lindsey’s handwriting to compare with the suicide note. Ivan had several reasons for believing the suicide note was not genuine; Claudia recognized several of his reasons as facts show more she knew about Lindsey as well.

But as Claudia tries to find answers . . . often clashing with Los Angeles Police Detective Joel Jovanic . . . she becomes the target of break-ins and attacks. And Ivan is murdered.

Was Lindsey a suicide or was her untimely death an accident? Why was Ivan murdered? Could Lindsey's death be murder as well?

Will Claudia find the answers or will she become the next victim?

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First in a new series, this compulsive tale of secrets, lies, and murder pulls the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset. With well-defined characters, a captivating plot, and the relentless pace of the investigation, the narrative keeps the suspense building and the tension high as the unfolding story takes some surprising twists and turns on its way to a satisfactory denouement.

Claudia’s work as a forensic handwriting examiner gives a unique aspect to the intense, gritty whodunit that draws readers in and keeps those pages turning.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Write Choice Ink, The Book Whisperer and NetGalley
#PoisonPen #NetGalley show less

Poison Pen: A
Forensic Handwriting Mystery
By Sheila Lowe
Obsidian
300 Pages

Are you a "forensic" fan like I am? Well, then you definitely will enjoy the debut of Sheila Lowe's new forensic handwriting mystery series, starting with Poison Pen.

Through a bit of serendipity, I had the opportunity to read both Poison Pen and the follow-up book, Written in Blood this past weekend--what an enjoyable opportunity!

Claudia Rose, our forensic expert, was pulled into action when her former college friend was found dead in her hot tub, seemingly as a suicide. Only her alleged note,

IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED

did not match the personality of Lindsey Alexander. Indeed, most people who knew her would not be surprised if she were murdered--their surprise show more was that she had supposedly committed suicide!

There was only one man who seemed to mourn Lindsey's death--Ivan, her business associate, friend and executor of her will. From the personal side, Ivan was sure that Lindsey had not committed suicide; from a business side, the insurance company refused to pay on a suicide. There was no choice; Ivan had to convince Claudia that she must help him prove whether the suicide note was authentic.

Claudia, as well Kelly, her best friend, had been "burned" once too often by Lindsey and couldn't even pretend to know why they had attended her funeral. But with Ivan's pleas, Claudia forced her memories back to college days when she and Lindsey were still friends and agreed. The one thing she required, however, was hard to find--she needed samples of Lindsey's handwriting in block printing, as the suicide note had been created.

Ivan pointed out that this was a very important reason to assume that the note had been faked--Lindsey always wrote in cursive; in fact, trying to find similar documents forced further and further involvement as Claudia worked with Ivan to find needed evidence. That is, until Ivan was murdered!

And when Kelly admitted that she was afraid she "might" have killed Lindsey, while she has also discovered that another good friend, Zeb, had written Lindsey a threatening letter, Claudia is pulled in well beyond her original task of authenticating writing. On the other hand, working with Detective Joel Jovanic and finding a mutual attraction developing between them, placed her in a difficult spot where loyalty to her two friends forced her to make difficult choices. Especially when Claudia finds she could very well be the next victim!

This is a whodunit that will wrap you tight--into trying to solve the mystery along with Claudia. Even though I was narrowing down my own suspects, I wasn't quite sure what had happened until the very end--after all, among many others, there was the senator who had been blackmailed by Lindsey, or her brother who had once been Lindsey's partner in her schemes!

Poison Pen is a page-turner that will keep you reading! Enjoy!

And, now...I'm on to reading Written in Blood!

G. A. Bixler show less

Claudia Rose is a forensic handwriting expert who is called upon to verify a suicide note. The problem is that it is block printed and the victim rarely printed so a search was needed to find comparable sample. While she is looking several attempts are made on her life and a lot of explosive information is unearthed about Lindsey. Maybe this wasn't a suicide at all. This was a very gritty crime drama with a lot of interesting information about graphology. I wasn't thrilled with a couple of the side characters that are likely to appear in future volumes. Here's hoping they mature into better characters. The love interest was a good character and interested in seeing how that develops.

OH BOY, WAS I FOOLED!! This is my first time reading Ms. Lowe and I was captivated with the first page. I could see why Lindsay was dead and I loved Claudia and her career choice. I loved her independent nature. and I just loved Detective Joel Jovanic!

I liked the forensic handwriting aspect of this cozy. A bit too much about the love life of the protagonist but that seems to be the norm these days... I did manage to figure out who the culprit was about three-quarters of the way through but the true motive escaped me completely.