Rating: 
Summary: Smith has always been a great writer; now the world knows!
Review: In her previous novels, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith established her reputation for quirky, original plots and characters. With An American Killing she has gone mainstream without relenquishing her originality. This novel -- fortuitously timely in its subject -- succeeds in being both entertaining and moving, and the characters fulfill Forster's wonderful requirement of "surprising in convincing ways."
Rating:
Summary: Wise, funny, immensely readable and keeps you guessing.
Review: Intricately plotted, with a surprise ending that's perfectly right, as if you knew it all along, when you didn't. Very funny, very wise, a book you don't want to put down, with characters that stay with you long after you've reluctantly finished, and a place you'll never forget, and never want to go to, but know all about even though it doesn't exist. Hope for more Denise Burke, a woman you want to spend a lot more time with.
Rating:
Summary: give me more!
Review: It's been a while since I read this book, but I have no trouble remembering how hard it was to put down. It was a unique read, well conceived characters, swift moving plot, a refreshing brevity of language, ( dare I say for a female author?), and lots of surprises. What more can you ask for, you say? Well, I only ask for more, more, more! Unfortunately, this is the only book that this author has written of this genre. I'll keep looking and hoping though. More, please!
Rating: 
Summary: Why Did An Innocent Man Get Convicted of Murder?
Review: Ms. Smith has a relaxed style of writing that is very comfortable. This is a book that is obviously written by a woman, which is fine with me. Male or feminine approaches to a story are of equal interest to me. Mind you she is not one of those sappy soap opera writers frequently found on the best seller list. Denise Burke is a true- crime novel author whose husband works with the President (Denise sometimes gets phone calls from Hillary, and they have bubbly little chats). Many people think an innocent man was found guilty of a murder, and sent to prison. Her investigation provides some interesting twists and turns. I like her writing style, but Clancy and Ludlum fans should stay away. No hectic pace in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: An American Love Affair
Review: One BIG problem I have with this book is Ms. Smith's amorous perception of the Clintons. Why authors of fiction think I care about their political leanings is beyond me. Ms. Smith goes out of her way to portray the Clintons as a normal family. PLEASE!!!
Just get to the thrust of the story and leave the Clintons in the political hell they have earned.
Rating:
Summary: Not that good
Review: Seemed promising at first, but the authors penchant for veering off the subject to explain events in the past that had no real bearing on the story was irritating. That, plus the odd name dropping, was distracting and took away (I felt) from the central characters and plot.
Rating:
Summary: An up-all-night thriller with a killer edge of wit
Review: Take notes on the conversations in this book - they're so zingy that you'll want to use Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's lines the next time you're at a cocktail party and the verbal dissections start. The people are smart in An American Killing, but it's the plot that keeps you riveted to your seat. It's breathless. I read it in one night. I can't wait until her next one comes out.
Rating:
Summary: Literary writer tries her hand at mystery
Review: The most unique aspect of "An American Killing" lies in the writing. Taking a solid but somewhat common plot, Smith adds a layer of observation and interpretation to make for a rich and thoughtfully paced suspense read. For example, Smith spends what seems, at first, to be an inordinate amount of time describing the declining mill town of New Caxton, Rhode Island. However, as the book progresses, many of the clues to the triple murder lie precisely in what is normal and what was abnormal in the minute details of everyday life in New Caxton. Denise Burke, the narrator/true crime novelist, is very different from Nancy Prichard's new protagonist, Marie Lightfoot. Denise is an interesting and rich personality - not just because she shoots the bull with Hilary Clinton. The book is full of her inner thoughts which are processed in a most female style. Male readers need to be prepared for some very "Venus" type thinking. The book missing a fifth star for a couple of reasons. First, the book starts with the murder of the Congressman, then spends 90% of the book in a relatively linear narrative of events preceeding the murder, and then has a brief post murder wrap-up. Since the real mystery isn't the murder of the Congressman but rather the triple murder, why confuse the issue. Also, while I enjoyed the asides about the Clintons, I think the marketers do the potential readers a disservice. Bill and Hilary have nothing to do with the core of the story. Bottom-line: A nicely written mystery that takes time to think and observe. The pacing may be too slow for some readers.
Rating:
Summary: Literary writer tries her hand at mystery
Review: The most unique aspect of "An American Killing" lies in the writing. Taking a solid but somewhat common plot, Smith adds a layer of observation and interpretation to make for a rich and thoughtfully paced suspense read. For example, Smith spends what seems, at first, to be an inordinate amount of time describing the declining mill town of New Caxton, Rhode Island. However, as the book progresses, many of the clues to the triple murder lie precisely in what is normal and what was abnormal in the minute details of everyday life in New Caxton. Denise Burke, the narrator/true crime novelist, is very different from Nancy Prichard's new protagonist, Marie Lightfoot. Denise is an interesting and rich personality - not just because she shoots the bull with Hilary Clinton. The book is full of her inner thoughts which are processed in a most female style. Male readers need to be prepared for some very "Venus" type thinking. The book missing a fifth star for a couple of reasons. First, the book starts with the murder of the Congressman, then spends 90% of the book in a relatively linear narrative of events preceeding the murder, and then has a brief post murder wrap-up. Since the real mystery isn't the murder of the Congressman but rather the triple murder, why confuse the issue. Also, while I enjoyed the asides about the Clintons, I think the marketers do the potential readers a disservice. Bill and Hilary have nothing to do with the core of the story. Bottom-line: A nicely written mystery that takes time to think and observe. The pacing may be too slow for some readers.
Rating:
Summary: Literary writer tries her hand at mystery
Review: The most unique aspect of "An American Killing" lies in the writing. Taking a solid but somewhat common plot, Smith adds a layer of observation and interpretation to make for a rich and thoughtfully paced suspense read. For example, Smith spends what seems, at first, to be an inordinate amount of time describing the declining mill town of New Caxton, Rhode Island. However, as the book progresses, many of the clues to the triple murder lie precisely in what is normal and what was abnormal in the minute details of everyday life in New Caxton. Denise Burke, the narrator/true crime novelist, is very different from Nancy Prichard's new protagonist, Marie Lightfoot. Denise is an interesting and rich personality - not just because she shoots the bull with Hilary Clinton. The book is full of her inner thoughts which are processed in a most female style. Male readers need to be prepared for some very "Venus" type thinking. The book missing a fifth star for a couple of reasons. First, the book starts with the murder of the Congressman, then spends 90% of the book in a relatively linear narrative of events preceeding the murder, and then has a brief post murder wrap-up. Since the real mystery isn't the murder of the Congressman but rather the triple murder, why confuse the issue. Also, while I enjoyed the asides about the Clintons, I think the marketers do the potential readers a disservice. Bill and Hilary have nothing to do with the core of the story. Bottom-line: A nicely written mystery that takes time to think and observe. The pacing may be too slow for some readers.
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