The Father's Day Murder (A Christine Bennett Mystery)

by Lee Harris

Book Overview

FRIENDS UNTIL DEATH Every year, the Morris Avenue Boys--chums since childhood--gather for a Father's Day reunion dinner. Now late in middle age, these men can bask in the rewards of honest success. So... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449004414
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Fawcett
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.5" x 0.8" x 4.0"

Customer Reviews

13th Chris Bennett mystery is entertaining, pleasant outing

We have previously expressed our enjoyment of the prior dozen escapades of ex-nun Christine Bennett, an amateur sleuth, wife of a brand new (ex-cop) NYPD lawyer, and mother of young toddler Eddie. This springtime story occurs shortly after Father's Day, which witnessed the murder of one of the "Morris Avenue Boys", who had been friends since boyhood for some 40 years and regularly met for reunions all this time. Our leading lady was asked to investigate the murder of one of the nine (by one of the granddaughters), all of whom, except one out-of-towner who did not attend, nor one who had previously died, were obvious suspects and being investigated (more or less, we don't get the details...) by the police.Despite many days of questioning the principals, the widow, the wives and anybody else who might have a shard of knowledge about the group, Chris has almost as many questions as she does answers. Yet her persistence has turned up a few leads that the police have as yet to discover. Thus a pretty good premise leads us through the life and times of the men, especially the murder victim, Arthur Wien, a famous novelist, to a fairly surprising conclusion. Wien's celebrity life, his women chasing, money borrowing, and messy divorce, fueled much of the grounds for motive, still difficult to find among the great chums. We picked up a clue mid-book that gave us an inkling of the outcome, an "eureka" not common to reading the stories in this series. Even with that precognition, we were held in suspense until nearly the final chapter when all becomes clear and Chris once again is the lever that elicits a confession from the apparently guilty party. Interestingly, whether it was really that party or not is somewhat left to the speculation of the reader.We enjoy the very predictability of Lee Harris' stories of which we suppose some might tire. We have often characterized the leading lady and her family as wholesome and caring, creating dependably pleasant tales that don't need violence and gore, nor foul language or explicit sex, to capture and sustain our interest. Isn't that what a good mystery is all about ?!?!

Absolutely wonderful

This book as with all of the Lee Harris books has a good plot, great character development and a wonderful twist.

ANOTHER JOB WELL DONE!!!!!!

This series are so well written! I am at a loss without another Chris Bennett story to follow up with. Like all the other "holiday" murders this is also a great book that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last. I finished this one in one day, I could not put it down. Keep them coming Lee!!

Well-developed plot and interesting characters

Lee Harris' mysteries are always extremely well thought out and involve interesting characters and story lines. This book is no exception. It's a lot of fun following Chris as she starts with nothing and goes on to solve the murder. The way Harris accomplishes this is very credible, because Chris is so well-defined and genuine.

Superb Bennett amateur sleuth tale

A group of boys living on the same block in the Bronx becomes friends, calling themselves the "Morris Ave Boys". They even wear jackets with colors to distinguish themselves from other students. Over two decades later, nine of the boys remain in touch. They hold reunions, bringing their wives to the festivities. Their next meeting is scheduled for New York on Father's Day. Former nun and amateur detective Christine Bennett lives and teaches in the city with her police officer spouse. One of her students asks her to assist his grandfather, the prime suspect in the murder of one of his cronies, a fellow member of the "Morris Ave Boys". Christine begins to investigate and finds that she likes all the group's members and their spouses. Everyone seems nice and harmless. As she digs deeper, she begins to find flaws in their perfect behavior, concluding that one of them has ample reason to commit murder. Lee Harris has the ability to successfully handle a large ensemble cast that leaves the audience feeling they intimately know everyone. The transition between Chris the detective and Chris the mom blend well together and actually enhance the intriguing story line. Even Ogden Nash, after perusing THE FATHER'S DAY MURDER, would say "The Bronx, thonx". Anyone who reads this novel or the other nine tales in the Bennett amateur sleuth series will feel fully entertained and anxious for the next book.Harriet Klausner