Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane doesn't particularly enjoy being touted as the hero of Hidden Springs after pulling a suicidal man back from the edge of the Eagle River bridge in front of dozens of witnesses-a few of whom caught the breathtaking moments with their cameras. But the media hype doesn't last long as a new story pushes its way into the public consciousness of Hidden Springs' concerned citizens.
Photos of a dead girl arrive in the mail, and Michael becomes convinced she was murdered by the man he saved. With a killer one step ahead, things in Hidden Springs begin to unravel. Now Michael must protect the people he loves-because the killer could be targeting one of them next. (copy of back cover)
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in A. H. Gabhart's The Hidden Springs Mysteries, Murder at the Courthouse. When I saw Murder Comes by Mail I was very excited to read it. And it was good......but not really what I expected. Of course you get an idea from the back cover that this is a serial killer story. Why this didn't clue me in, I don't know, because I am not a very big fan of mysteries about serial killers. They are normally a.) excessively gory, b.) lacking real clues and leads for the sleuth, and c.) downright creepy!
Well, Murder Comes by Mail wasn't that terrible. It wasn't much gorier (is that a word?) than Ms. Gabhart's first mystery, and it had a few clues (though definitely less than Murder at the Courthouse). I think the main downside was the letdown from the first book. I LOVED the cute, small town feel of Murder at the Courthouse, but there was a lot less of that coziness in Murder Comes by Mail. It almost seemed like a city mystery set in a small town; the dynamic of the series changed a lot in this novel. I know this change will appeal to a lot of people, and this book was a very interesting, engrossing read. But for myself, a lot of the reasons I liked the first Hidden Springs Mystery weren't valid for Murder Comes by Mail.
I know, I'm doing a lot of comparison here. I guess that's what happens when you read books in the same series. If you haven't read Murder at the Courthouse, than the things I'm talking about probably won't bother you.
Okay, now for what I liked. Well, I like the main character. Michael Keane is mature and steady, and his decisions are (normally) sound. He is loyal, and he protects his friends. The anxiety the killer caused him was remorse for the victims and worry for those close to Michael. Michael never worried about himself. In a hero, this is a very admirable quality.
We really got a better view into Michael's emotions in this book. All of the tension and fear caused by the murders set him on edge, so he wasn't as controlled as he normally is. Being able to see his character in a trying situation was really neat.
On the whole, I enjoyed Murder Comes by Mail. It creeped me out a little, but I thought it was well written and an enjoyable read. Looking forward to seeing what Ms. Gabhart does with her next installment.
*I received a free copy of this book in order to review it.
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