The Mensa Murders -- Lee Martin

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

20 Oct 2006 06:46 AM

In my continuing search for national fiction that is clean but is neither LDS nor Christian (to increase the variety in my blogs) I picked up this book by Lee Martin. Imagine my surprise when midway through the book, the main character announces that while she's not a regular attendee, when she goes to church, she goes to the Mormon church, and that her son is a Mormon. Honestly, guys, I am trying to give you some more variety, I really am!

Deb Ralston is a forty-something detective with the Fort Worth Police. In her line of work, she's seen everything. Homicides, suicides, kidnapping; you name it, she's seen it. But what she's never seen before is a dead body neatly tucked into bed, hospital corners and all, freshly bathed, in a clean nightgown, with a broken neck. That's a new one for her.

But then it turns out to not be just one. Before she solves the case, three murders have been committed, and in every instance, the house has been scrubbed clean of all fingerprints. Only watermarks show up when the investigators try to take fingerprints. And then Deb discovers that the victim's day time clothing is missing as well, although there is no sign of sexual abuse. Who would snap their victim's neck and then tuck them in bed?

There has to be a connection between the victims, and Deb finds it. All three women are members of the local chapter of Mensa, the organization for the highly intelligent. And two of them were in love with a local doctor, also of that organization. Deb has to consider him a suspect, given his friendship with these women, but he also happens to be the fiancé of Deb's best friend.

With a set of daunting clues in front of her and a new baby keeping her up at night, Deb isn't sure what to do. But then the most obvious clue of all, one that has been staring her in the face for some time, suddenly makes sense.

This book was well written and I plan to read more by this author. There is some mild language but none that I found offensive.

(This book was published in 1993 by St. Martin's Press)

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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