Product Description Before her body is found floating in her Jacuzzi, publicist to the stars Lindsey Alexander had few friends, but plenty of lovers. To her former friend, forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose, she was a ruthless, backstabbing manipulator. But even Claudia is shocked by Lindsey?s startling final note: It was fun while it lasted.
It would be easier on the police?and Claudia?to write off Lindsey?s death as a suicide, but Claudia?s instincts push her to investigate further, and she is soon trapped in a far darker scenario than she could imagine. Racing to identify a killer, Claudia finds there?s a price on her head. Unless she can read the handwriting on the wall, she will become the next victim.
Great start to new series September 8, 2008 When Poisen Pen was made available in the kindle format, I bought it and read it right away. I just loved it and can't wait to read her second forensic handwriting mystery "Written in Blood". I have always been interested in understanding people thru body language and handwriting analysis. This book had a great mystery and incorporated interesting tidbits on handwriting analysis. The writing was easy to read. I know this sounds silly but I have read some books where the plot and charactors are good but the writing did not flow, was hard to get thru and overall was sub par.
Poisen Pen is deeper than a cozy (in my opinion), more substance I would say but not graphic in sex or violence. I just really loved it. The story grabbed me right away and I could not put it down. I found myself trying to figure out who done it by following the handwritting clues that were given.
I usually can tell who did it early on in a mystery book. My guess was close but not spot on and I did not guess the motive. My hats off to Sheila's great writing skills. She gave clues so she was fair to readers but still suprised me near the end.
I just love the hand writing information in the books. Great charactors. I also loved the dog so I hope he appears in future books.
I just bought the second one in the series and can't wait to get started.
Cindy
Great read with a nice twist May 31, 2008 Can handwriting be faked to make murder look like suicide? Forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose must answer that question when powerful Hollywood publicist Lindsey Alexander is found dead in a hot tub.
The police believe it's Lindsey's handwriting on the 'suicide note', but not everyone is ready to accept that Lindsey would've taken her own life. Claudia knows first-hand the publicist's ruthlessness and cruelty, so when Ivan Novak, Lindsey's business associate, begs her to prove the note a fake, Claudia's instincts scream at her to run the other way. But Ivan leans hard, and when she accepts the case, Claudia becomes trapped in a far darker scenario than she bargained for. As she digs deeper into suspicious activities and insinuations surrounding the publicist - and even Claudia's closest friends - she begins to believe that Ivan was right about Lindsey's death being murder. As the danger increases, Claudia realizes the killer will stop at nothing to conceal the truth.
In the first of her Claudia Rose series, Lowe gives us a protagonist with enough quirks and flaws to make her fully believable and altogether likable, and is kind enough to give Claudia an interesting romantic foil in the sexy but equally flawed Detective Joel Jovanic (pronounced Yo-VAN-itch) of the LAPD, who begins an investigation into Lindsey's death when Ivan Novak is attacked in Lindsey's penthouse.
Lowe seamlessly infuses her own expertise as a handwriting analyst into the narrative without being too technical, and her storytelling style flows easy and fluid across the pages. On the surface, POISON PEN might come across as a cozy mystery, but there are darker underlying elements throughout, and Lowe does an excellent job of withholding just enough that you don't see the twist coming until it hits you in the face.
How Well Do You Know Anybody? October 21, 2007 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Sheila Lowe keeps you guessing to the very end whether Lindsey Alexander killed herself or was murdered. There are enough good reasons it could be either that you have to race to the end to find out. There are lots of suspects. Lindsey wasn't exactly a rose.
And then there's Claudia Rose, the hero of the piece. She knew Lindsey, maybe too well, then again, maybe not at all. When this onion has been completely peeled, Claudia knows a lot more about everyone around her, as well as herself.
But the coolest things threading through the entire book are all the insights into people through their handwriting. Lowe is a professional handwriting expert and she knows her stuff. Maybe too well. Watch out. You might learn a few things about yourself.
And be careful how many keys you carry.
This was a fast and exciting read.
Good story; slopping editing April 29, 2007 2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I enjoyed reading the book, but I kept being annoyed by inconsistencies. For instance, the beach community Claudia lives in is meant to be Playa del Rey. In the first part of the book, it's called Playa de la Reina; in the second part, it's called Playa del Reina. What? The I Magnin department store referred to contemporaneously closed in the 1980s. There's even a typo in the address of the Claudia Rose website address given on the endpaper: it's spelled "Clausiaroseseries"
Poison Pen April 11, 2007 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
What a delight it was to read this book! I ordered it because I am an avid mystery reader but, also, have studied graphology and have been a medical writer. To read such a well-written first mystery book was indeed a pleasure for me, and I hope that Sheila Lowe will be considered for a first mystery book award, as her book is every bit as good, if not better, than those I have read in that category. I have enjoyed her graphology books as well.
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