Murder

I do enjoy these rapid reads, short stories perfect for a breather after a heavy book.
My only miff with this one is the cover I thought Charlie was a woman based on it but Oh no it is a man. That got me a bit misplaced in the beginning. ( )

This short novel takes place over a two-hour period when radio talk show host, Charlie D, works with the police to find out who's been killing his listeners.

I was disappointed in this one. The plot has many cliches and is not really believable. I think fitting a believeable "who done it" into such a short format was beyond the power of this writer.

This is the second "Rapid Reads" book I've read, so I can't help but compare them. The Middle Ground, by Zoe Whittall, had much more depth of character and packed a lot into the short Rapid Reads format.

So, for the series so far, 50/50. ( )

Charlie D is the host of a successful late night radio show that offers supportive advice to troubled listeners. LOVE YOU TO DEATH takes place during one installment of "The World According to Charlie C" - two hours during which Charlie must discover who is killing some of the most vulnerable members of his audience.
This novella proves that you don't really have to write 350 pages or more to tell a story that really packs a punch. Of course we all know that, but Gail Bowen demonstrates it superbly in LOVE YOU TO DEATH.
In retrospect the police should have been able to work out where to look for this killer who is doing away with those monopolising Charlie D's airtime, without setting a honey trap, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

An excellent shortie from an established Canadian crime fiction writer who is new-to-me. It has whetted my appetite for more. ( )

Charlie D is a late-night radio talk show host. On the air, he is able to help the lonely and the hopeless –- and he can become someone different, rather than a sad man, disfigured by a facial birthmark, who has lost the woman he loved. But someone is killing his regular callers… and he has only one 2-hour talk show to discover the murderer.

This very short book – hardly more than a short story – is part of a new Rapid Reads line of books, designed for busy people and for adult literacy programs. It is engaging, fast-paced, and very well written; if the vocabulary is circumscribed for literacy programs, it is not apparent. The adroit characterizations create a likeable protagonist, and the reader is left wanting to know more about Charlie, his talk show, and his colleague Nova (and several hanging threads suggest the possibility of sequels).

Back in the days when I was working 10 or 12 hour days and would stop on my way home to buy a book that I could read that night, this book would have been perfect. And, although I am not a literacy expert, I know that struggling readers feel a great sense of accomplishment in finishing a book, even if it's a short one. So, I agree that there is a market for this kind of book, but… the list price of $9.95 seems excessive for a book that takes little more than an hour to read. Movies can be rented for under $5, and a 200-300 page easy-to-read book can be purchased for $7-9.

I was impressed by Ms Bowen and I intend to investigate her long-running mystery series. ( )