A death in Pilsen

Hmmm I have never been a huge mystery fan, and by that I mean that I have never actually seeked it out at a book store, but every time I come across one by accident, or in this case, so review, I always end up enjoying it. As you'll read in my review, I felt the book was nothing superb. Good story line, likeable characters, although the author doesn't tell you enough about them to make you really fall in love with them or hate them, and the ending is pretty good. When I read a mystery, I want to either love or hate the characters so much that when you finally find out 'who done it' your emotions run rampant. To me, a truly powerful book is going to make me jump up and down in my head with happiness that it was 'the jerk in the book who deserved to be caught' or that it was 'that super sweet loveable lady who i would have never thought could have pulled the trigger'. I think that's why I found this book so mediocre; I never really felt that connection with the characters. All and all, it's worth reading because it is enjoyable, so keep my words in mind, but enjoy the story all the same :-)
-ashley

A Death in Pilsen
Robert Goldsborough

In his mystery book, Robert Goldsborough does a great job at including both an entertaining story line as well as some great historical facts. Based in the 1940’s, Tribune police reporter Snap Malek winds up doing some detective work that touches close to home. His cousin’s wife, Edwina, is stabbed to death in their apartment and the cops are convinced it is her husband that is the guilty culprit so they do not lift much of a finger to indict anyone else. Malek is convinced that his cousin would never do such a thing so goes out of his way to interview some likely suspects, only to find himself in a bit of a pickle, and an ending that causes your eyes to go wide with surprise.
While this book was very well written and entertaining to read, I did not find it overly so. I got through it very quickly and took frequent breaks due to a few dry spells. I particularly liked how the back few pages discuss some of the actual historical references that were made throughout the book. It gives the reader a chance to read up on some events that really took place in history. Another positive point was the chapter lengths. I think that having them as short as they were really helped to minimize some of the more dry aspects of the story.
I found that Robert Goldsborough has a unique style for dialoguing in his writing. I felt that when characters were talking to each other, they were using words that one would actually say in a face to face conversation, making it more enjoyable and believable to read. This is something most readers may not pick up, but in a lot of books I find that the dialogue is fine for the story, but is something that would not run as smoothly if it were an actual face to face conversation.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a mystery fan and looking for a good, quick read. There are two other Snap Malek mystery books which I have not had the opportunity to read and may find myself seeking out at some point in time!

check out my review and more at www.frontstreetreviews.com