From Author Erica Obey
The Brooklyn North Murder is an Amateur Sleuth Mystery. Dr. Mary Watson, adjunct professor at De Sales College in the Hudson Valley, was the reluctant final leg of a triathlon relay. Her idea of fun was five hours in a library, culling through data with her AI creation Doyle, not standing outside in the weather waiting for the swimmers to finish their tasks. But that’s where she was, waiting for a man in a tiny, red speedo to emerge from the campus lake. But he never comes out. And thus begins Watson and Doyle’s first mystery.
Bottom line: The Brooklyn North Murder is for you if you like your mysteries with sharply witty prose wrapped around sophisticated humor.
Strengths of the story. The storytelling style is the shining glory of this mystery. It is fast paced, witty, and clever. The premise is fun. Mary Watson, is a bookish person using her smarts to push library science into next century using AI. AI is personified in Doyle, the virtual partner we all wish we had. He can talk to other computer systems, giving Watson access to just about everything with a pixel or 0/1. Doyle doesn’t just troll the internet, he extrapolates the data into information, but he’s not always 100% spot on. Hey, he’s evolving, give the bot a break.
The third in the party is the college security lead, Mack Byrne. He’s a complex character with a lot going on behind the stoic exterior. The characters are a strong trio, complementing each others skills and personalities.
The story has frequent references to the roots of mystery, which if you geek out on that like I do, you’ll find a true delight. Philo Vance fans celebrate!
Where the story fell short of ideal: This story brings together many classic mystery elements including the swimming pool mystery (in this case a lake), the locked room mystery, red herrings, and the mysterious one-armed man. At times, I found myself a little lost in too much of a good thing. By the end, most of the threads were neatly tied off, but I still had a question or two.
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TG Wolff 