Cyanide Wells

by Marcia Muller

Book Overview

National bestselling author Muller returns with her first stand-alone mystery since Point Deception. When Matthew Lindstrom's wife Gwen disappeared, his life was destroyed by innuendo. But 14 years later, Matthew receives a phone call saying Gwen is alive--and well aware of what her disappearance has done to him.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892967811
• ISBN13: 9780892967810
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: Mysterious Press
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

can't put it down

I'll fully engrosed with this mystery. Can't wait to see how it ends.

Secrets and Lies

Fourteen years ago, Matt Lindstrom's wife, Gwen, disappeared without a trace. As a result of the umbrella of suspicion that descended upon him from both police and the public at large, Matt relocated to Brisish Columbia and started a new life.And then one day he received an anonymous call informing him that Gwen was very much alive and living in a town called Cyanide Wells, California.Matt is, of course, compelled to travel to Cyanide Wells to see for himself. No sooner, however, than he discovers her new identity as Ardis Coleman, Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper reporter with a young daughter and a lesbian lover, she disappears again under ominous circumstances. Matt, afraid of becoming a suspect again, forms an unlikely alliance with Carly McGuire, newspaper publisher and Gwen/Ardis's lover, and together they launch a search for the missing mother and child. Their quest uncovers a masterful web of secrets, lies, and deceit perpetrated by Ardis, not the least of which is her connection to the sensational unsolved murder in Cyanide Wells whose coverage won her paper the Pulitzer.This is a delightfully layered and intricately plotted novel of suspense and I wasn't real sure where the author was headed 'til we got there.

RIVETING SUSPENSE

Opening with a map of Soledad County, and a terse, shocking phone call deft mystery writer Marcia Muller hooks readers and then speedily reels them in for an intriguing journey to unlock the past. With more than 30 novels to her credit and the Private Eye Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award pocketed, she's a skillful weaver of tales shrouded in mystery and suspense. Apparently a believer in fast starts Ms. Muller begins her story in Minnesota with a ringing telephone. When Matt Lindstrom answers a voice identifies himself as a Wyoming law officer and asks whether Matt is married to Gwen Lindstrom. Once Matt says that he is, there is this startling message: "Her car was found in my jurisdiction.....Nothing wrong with the vehicle, but there were bloodstains on the dash and other signs consistent with a struggle. A purse containing her identification and credit cards was on the passenger's seat." A body is never found but Matt is branded as a murderer, and his professional career is soon in ruins. Fast forward to 14 years later, and another phone call. This time an anonymous caller tells Matt that his wife is quite alive, and "very cognizant of what she put you through when she disappeared." Further, the voice said she's living in Cyanide Wells under the name of Ardis Coleman. Disbelieving but desperately wanting answers Matt heads for the West Coast. California is a lush state that can be both breathtakingly beautiful and threatening. The same might be said of the Golden State's Soledad County, especially Cyanide Wells. Today that community is home for those with a penchant for the avant garde. In yesteryear it was a gold mining town whose residents found that their water supply had been laced with cyanide. Matt arrives here in hopes of finding Gwen, clearing his name, and exacting a pound of flesh for what he has suffered. What he finds is Carly McGuire, a woman with a past of her own, and a snarled web of deception that he may or may not be able to untangle. Marcia Muller never disappoints, as is shown once more with "Cyanide Wells." - Gail Cooke

Terrific Mystery With Well-Developed Characters

Award winning author Muller takes readers on a journey filled with deception, secrets, and murder. Matt Lindstrom is owner and operator of an excursion boat in Port Regis, B.C. when an anonymous phone call informs him that his wife, Gwen, who disappeared fourteen years prior, is alive and well in Cyanide Wells, California. This news brings back painful memories for Matt, who was implicated in his wife's disappearance, resulting in his estrangement from friends and family. Matt's trip to California takes him to the newspaper office of the SOLEDAD SPECTRUM, where he acquires a job as a photographer, under the assumed name of John Crowe. Through research, Matt discovers that Gwen, known in Cyanide Wells as Ardis Coleman, wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning article in the SPECTRUM, on the murder of a local couple. Through his new employment, Matt sees Ardis from a distance and becomes friendly with her partner, SPECTRUM owner and editor Carly McGuire. When Ardis suddenly disappears, taking her daughter Natalie with her, Carly soon learns of Matt's true identity, and an unlikely alliance forms between the two, as together, they attempt to solve the mystery of Ardis, who has led all those who love her on a road filled with lies and deception. Ms. Muller's ability to write fully dimensional characters amidst a very suspenseful read with complex twists and turns creates a first rate fast-paced mystery.

DEPTH AND RICHNESS IN THIS READING

Pairing performers Sandra Burr and J. Charles proves to be a champion idea as their combined reading gives a depth and richness to this audio of Marcia Muller's compelling thriller. With a wealth of experience on radio, television, and commercial videos Ms. Burr is not only an accomplished performer but directs with equal skill.. Veteran actor J. Charles is also a talented scenic and lighting designer. California is a lush state that can be both breathtakingly beautiful and threatening. The same might be said of the Golden State's Soledad County, especially a small town named Cyanide Wells. Today that community is home for those with a penchant for the avant garde. In yesteryear it was a gold mining town whose residents found that their water supply had been laced with cyanide. Such a history doesn't bode well for the future nor does Matthew Lindstrom's past. Gwen, his former wife, disappeared over a decade ago resulting in Matt being thought a murderer and his career in ruin. He comes to Cyanide Wells in hopes of finding Gwen, clearing his name, and exacting a pound of flesh for what he has suffered. What he finds is Carly McGuire, a woman with a past of her own, and a snarled web of deception that he may or may not be able to untangle. Marcia Muller never disappoints, as is shown once more with "Cyanide Wells." - Gail Cooke