Till the Butchers Cut Him Down

Rating:
Summary: A Cut Above
Review: It is always a pleasure to start in on another McCone mystery from Marcia Muller. The familiar northern California settings and the now-familiar characters surrounding McCone provide a comfort zone that makes it easy to get into each new tale. I've read all the books that preceded this one and recommend them all. Starting at the beginning is the best way to do it.

Even if you've never read any of the other McCone mysteries, though, this one is very good on its own. Having decided to break from All Souls and become an independent investigator, McCone's first client is someone from her student days at UC Berkeley. "Suits" Gordon has become a corporate turnaround specialist and made some enemies along the way. Now, he thinks someone is trying to kill him and he wants McCone to find out who. The plot keeps twisting and turning right through to the end, with never a dull moment along the way.

This is a very good mystery, whether you're familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area and/or past McCone mysteries or not. There are plenty of surprises, and the pace doesn't let up. I have given 4 stars in past reviews to books in this series, but Mullers has outdone herself this time. Her best yet, in my opinion. Highly recommended with 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Good, if not startling or anything
Review: Marcia Muller has the distinction of being the first woman to successfully write a private eye series where the protagonist was female. The big wave of these books were, of course, prompted by Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton, however. The difference between Muller's books and that of the other two women is difficult to discern, but I believe I have the answer. Paretsky and Grafton write books where there's a private eye who's female, while Muller writes about a woman who's a private eye. This is a subtle distinction: there's no doubt that all three series have a lot in common. For whatever the reason, however, Muller's stuff reads (to me anyway) more like a romance novel with a mystery plot than an actual mystery. Having said that, Till the Butchers Cut Him Down isn't a bad addition to her series at all.

Sharon McCone has struck out on her own, leaving the legal cooperative that employed her in the previous books in the series, and decided to become a real private eye, complete with office and assistant. Her first case involves an old friend, "Suitcase" Gordon, who used to deal in illicit things which he always carried in a suitcase, hence the nickname. Suitcase is now a successful businessman, but not a very popular one, and someone's apparently taken it into their heads to kill him, destroy his business, or both. He comes to Sharon to see if she can stop them, and the book goes from there.

Muller's prose is easy to read and workmanlike. There's nothing really poetic here, and the characters are only semi-well-defined, but the plot is reasonable and she knows how to keep the action moving. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a decent mystery, with an afternoon at the beach to kill.

Rating:
Summary: Sharon opens her own agency
Review: Private Investigator Sharon McCone has grown and matured through the first fifteen books which comprise the series which bears her name. In this offering, Sharon starts her own agency, although she rents space from her former employer, All Souls' Legal Cooperative, and thus stays in touch with her old friends. Her first case involves an old college chum whom she calls Suits. Although he was an unpromising youth, Suits has become a man of some wealth and influence. He specializes in taking over companies and turning them around so that they become profitable entities again. In the process of doing so, Suits usually cuts unprofitable people and activities, thus earning him numerous enemies. When someone starts to harass him in dangerous ways, Suits decides it's time to bring in an investigator to find out who's responsible. Sharon travels the country, talking to people in companies which Suits has turned around. There are more than enough suspects, and Sharon has to do some extensive sleuthing to see who is threatening Suits and his wife. She takes on her nephew as a temporary assistant and continues her unconventional relationship with Hy Ripinski. Muller's fans will not be disappointed in this entry in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Sharon opens her own agency
Review: Private Investigator Sharon McCone has grown and matured through the first fifteen books which comprise the series which bears her name. In this offering, Sharon starts her own agency, although she rents space from her former employer, All Souls' Legal Cooperative, and thus stays in touch with her old friends. Her first case involves an old college chum whom she calls Suits. Although he was an unpromising youth, Suits has become a man of some wealth and influence. He specializes in taking over companies and turning them around so that they become profitable entities again. In the process of doing so, Suits usually cuts unprofitable people and activities, thus earning him numerous enemies. When someone starts to harass him in dangerous ways, Suits decides it's time to bring in an investigator to find out who's responsible. Sharon travels the country, talking to people in companies which Suits has turned around. There are more than enough suspects, and Sharon has to do some extensive sleuthing to see who is threatening Suits and his wife. She takes on her nephew as a temporary assistant and continues her unconventional relationship with Hy Ripinski. Muller's fans will not be disappointed in this entry in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Sharon McCone Sets Up Her Own Agency
Review: Sharon McCone is one of the top detective characters of all time. This book is a critical one in the series, because Sharon moves out of All Soul's to start her own business. This change is a critical one in developing her self-confidence, her relationship with her family and with Hy, and in making the stories more interesting. If you want to read the newer novels, you really should read this one first.

This story must set some kind of record for unexpected twists. I won't go into detail for obvious reasons, but no one and nothing are what they seem. Unlike a lot of mysteries where all of the twisting and resolution occurs in the next to the last or the last chapter, the complications come fast and furious throughout the book.

The main story line relates to an old Berkeley friend of Sharon's reading about her new agency, and sending a helicopter to pick her up. He's now a big corporate turnaround specialist and is working on a deal in the Bay area. But someone seems to be trying to scare or possibly kill him. Why? Who? Those are just the beginning of the mysteries that Sharon must solve.

Along the way, she learns a lot of unexpected things about her client and herself. For example, she flees a romantic 39th birthday with Hy to pursue a lead for her client. Now that's dedication to duty.

In addition to being very well plotted, the characters are at their most appealing. This is one of Marcia Muller's best works! Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Sharon McCone Sets Up Her Own Agency
Review: Sharon McCone is one of the top detective characters of all time. This book is a critical one in the series, because Sharon moves out of All Soul's to start her own business. This change is a critical one in developing her self-confidence, her relationship with her family and with Hy, and in making the stories more interesting. If you want to read the newer novels, you really should read this one first.

This story must set some kind of record for unexpected twists. I won't go into detail for obvious reasons, but no one and nothing are what they seem. Unlike a lot of mysteries where all of the twisting and resolution occurs in the next to the last or the last chapter, the complications come fast and furious throughout the book.

The main story line relates to an old Berkeley friend of Sharon's reading about her new agency, and sending a helicopter to pick her up. He's now a big corporate turnaround specialist and is working on a deal in the Bay area. But someone seems to be trying to scare or possibly kill him. Why? Who? Those are just the beginning of the mysteries that Sharon must solve.

Along the way, she learns a lot of unexpected things about her client and herself. For example, she flees a romantic 39th birthday with Hy to pursue a lead for her client. Now that's dedication to duty.

In addition to being very well plotted, the characters are at their most appealing. This is one of Marcia Muller's best works! Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Usual excellent read
Review: This author always provides the goods. Again, we have a thoroughly worthwhile read with the author's usual compelling characterisations and tight plotting. One minute flaw only - the plotting was a mite confusing. Nevertheless, installments in this series are always welcome additions to my bedside table.

Rating:
Summary: Usual excellent read
Review: This author always provides the goods. Again, we have a thoroughly worthwhile read with the author's usual compelling characterisations and tight plotting. One minute flaw only - the plotting was a mite confusing. Nevertheless, installments in this series are always welcome additions to my bedside table.