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Rating: 
Summary: murder in galena
Review: A fun introduction to the Karen Prince series.
Traveling the hills of northwest IL and the city streets of
Chicago with Karen was an exciting trip. I look forward to her next adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Murder in Galena
Review: Great quick read; particularly fun if you're familiar with Chicago or Galena
Rating: 
Summary: First effort, somewhat flat.
Review: I like this book as a First Effort, and support new authors and love Galena, but this short novella truly has some shortcomings. First, Galena is represented by about 20% of the book; this lovely brick-building preserved hilltown in upstate IL is a super setting for a story, so let's hear about it! Most story in Chicago setting, not nearly as exotic as the title-promised Galena. The death scene, although in Galena and sets the stage for the entire short tome, is very stilted and--well, dead. Second, the characters are flat, lifeless. Although we want to like the protagonist (first person so we should know her well), readers have litle sense of what makes her tick, why helping friend to the extent she does, etc. Even when she gets eerie threats, they seem almost perfunctory, rather than life-shaking as they wuold be in reality. Underreaction to almost every aspect of some pretty key life events (no details to avoid spoiler) makes for a very flat ride. Third, show don't tell (the classic writer's canon) is simply not applied here as each character essentially tells our heroine protagonist how they were or were not involved in the murder. No real denoument, no suspense (actions, not words or dialogue, build suspense); in fact, a few chapters (eg painting background story) as patently irrelevent to the story as a whole. Good first effort, however, in fast read (short paragraphs, large text). Bottom line, however, is that details--like fine brushstrokes on a canvas, are missing here, making the story thin and lifeless. Hoping future Karen Prince mysteries ad gobs of nuance, aromas, textures on fingers, fear when appropriate. Let us hear an Irish brogue or a lack of diction in the feeble-minded. Let us breathe with the characters the soggy air of the Galena River. Let us learn from action, not dialogue, how your splendid plot unravels. And critically, let us spend time not galavanting from location to location (even within Chicago, the protagonist goes to umpteen different locations, geez), but basking in the cobbled regalia of Galena. Examples of action driven plots: The Firm. The Fugitive. Read or rent them please.
Rating: 
Summary: Quick Paced Murder Mystery
Review: Murder in Galena is an interesting tale of one friend helping another. The descriptions of the Chicago and Galena areas are captivating, even if you aren't from the area. The twists and turns of the plot keep your attention and keeps you guessing until the final pages.I look forward to Karen Prince's next adventure.
Rating:
Summary: New Sleuth to become a favorite friend
Review: Murder in Galena is an interesting tale of one friend helping another. The descriptions of the Chicago and Galena areas are captivating, even if you aren't from the area. The twists and turns of the plot keep your attention and keeps you guessing until the final pages. I look forward to Karen Prince's next adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Quick Paced Murder Mystery
Review: The mystery MURDER IN GALENA is not only believable, but intriguing. Author Sandra Principe makes the settings come alive with vivid descriptions of Galena and Chicago. The female characters are true girl friends, one working to prove the other's innocence. Twists and turns in the plot confuse the reader just enough so you aren't sure of "who done it." MURDER IN GALENA is a quick paced, light read for any mystery buff.
Rating:
Summary: Murder in Galena- A great new Mystery
Review: With MURDER IN GALENA, author Sandra Principe introduces Karen Prince, a Chicago lawyer-turned-artist, who now lives and works in the rural countryside near Galena, Illinois. An expert in Dutch Florals, Karen has a rewarding professional life, an interesting circle of friends, and a handsome, attentive lover in the city. But her idyllic world is suddenly thrown into turmoil when her best friend, Alice Almonte, is arrested for the brutal murder of Alice's ex-husband, George.
The case against Alice appears to be open and shut, and when the local authorities show little interest in pursuing any other explanation of the crime, Karen is forced to place her own life on the line in a harrowing search for the real killer. The hunt leads her from the pastoral world of Galena to Chicago, Los Angeles and back as she gradually uncovers and exposes a tangled web of greed, adultery and blackmail. Principe, who is herself an artist and a former lawyer, clearly knows her territory. She creates memorable characters and places them in vividly rendered settings in this entertaining debut novel, and her plot moves swiftly to an exciting conclusion that leaves the reader wanting more. Karen Prince is an attractive, unique and intriguing new series heroine; one looks forward to her next adventure.
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