Murder Benign

by Richard Hunt

Book Overview

When archaeologist Sir Gordon Lignum is murdered in his home and his possessions stolen--among them a clay tablet with rows of cuneiform characters--Detective Chief Inspector Sidney Walsh must... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312146841
• ISBN13: 9780312146849
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable read

In Richard Hunt's "Murder Benign," an archaeologist's last day seems to be devoted to cultivating suspects for his impending murder. First, he is in an accident when he hits a biker. As it is, the biker belongs to a group that is especially upset about the lack of diligence motorists exhibit with regard bikers. Then the archaeologist upbraids two students on a dig when they find a clay tablet with cuneiform writing--a tablet the archaeologist is certain must be a hoax.Before long, Detective Chief Inspector Sidney Walsh and his team are investigating the archaeologist's murder and trying to whittle down the list of suspects. A great deal of their job involves setting up several stakeouts, one of which leads to an incredibly funny scene."Murder Benign" is very well written, and Hunt keeps the pace moving quickly, dangling enough mysteries to keep the pages turning toward the resolutions (though not all are revealed, unfortunately). In the end, I found myself more interested in the authenticity (or lack of the same) of the tablet than in the killer's identity. Since I have no particular expertise in archaeology, I think that fact stands as some level of praise for the book.