Theoretically Dead

by Tinker Marks

Book Overview

A tangled web of murdered philosophers, suspicious police, irate college officials - and frozen sperm. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1892281163
• ISBN13: 9781892281166
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: New Victoria Publishers
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Can't wait for the next Tinker Marks book!

I appreciate it when a mystery writer can combine a truly complex whodunnit with character development, humor, and humanity. This Tinker Marks book has it all! I cracked up at some of the one-liners; too many to single one out. I did guess the perp fairly early on, but didn't guess the motive, yet it made perfect sense. Only problem I had was how much of a door mat Claire is for Emma. Nothing's perfect, but I'm already looking forward to the next book by this talented husband/wife team.

Theoretically Dead

Tinker Mark's book happens right here in Iowa....with references to my hometown. The two main characters were real in their every day emotions and life. As a whodunit...it kept me waiting until it was almost too late. Imagine running all over town trying to keep a test tube frozen! And then the humanitarian side where they assist their elderly neighbors in coping with a gay son. It was suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming. Loved it.

The funniest mystery I ever read!!

This book is GREAT!!! Easy-to-read, and hillarious. The plot keeps you glued to the book. The character of Claire comes up with the most remarkable sayings as she tryies to find out who killed a world-famous philosopher at an Iowa college symposium. This is a must-read for anyone who likes a good mystery wrapped in a humorous style.

Leads the reader through a labyrinth

Tinker Marks is a nom de plume for a husband and wife professor team, Mark Montgomery and Irene Powell. Both are professors of economics at Grinnell College. For anyone working in the field of academics, whether as an academic themselves or in a support staff capacity, there is much to make fun of. Montgomery and Powell use a Philosophy Department conference as the setting for this hilariously funny, ribald and comedic mystery. Using the name of Erik Weber (pronounced "Vee-bur" in true Teutonic form), this husband and wife team pull out all the stops to make for a delightful cosy thriller.Set at Hammond College (all names are meticulously close to the mark while still being fictitious), Professor Claire Sinclair, professor of economics and lesbian mate of famed philosopher Emma Harrington, finds herself in the middle of a theater of the absurd murder mystery as she strives to stay as far away as possible from Emma's upcoming conference. This conference, of course, may make or break Emma's chance at a new chair, which would enable her to continue her appointment at Hammond. As the administration strive to deal with keeping public relations under control after Professor Weber's body is found, Claire finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the quagmire:"Claire,' Jack said, I guess that leaves you as the logical choice to talk to the media. Would you be wiling to do that?' I couldn't believe my ears. Would I be willing to run a press conference on the subject of Weber's death? Hell no, I wouldn't! I didn't have anything to do with Philosophy, I didn't have any knowledge of Weber's life, and I didn't have any experience dealing with the press. On the other hand, I didn't have tenure."The Tinker Marks team does a first rate job of creating an enjoyable and witty mystery which plumbs the depths of the academic world. While Claire stumbles through the mess constantly created by her "adorable" partner, Emma, we find a touching love story mixed with the consternation of dealing with people who have been trained to focus on one thing...themselves. The plot thickens nicely, and the Marks team effectively lead the reader through a labyrinth.Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

Well-Drawn Characters Inhabit Witty Campus Mystery

Theoretically Dead is a most engaging read. A Philosophy conference on the campus of a small midwestern college provides a setting ripe with possibilities for murder. Academic rivalries, love, loyalty, and professional ambitions all come into play when a distiguished, but eccentric, philosopher turns up dead.Whereas the notion of following the shenanigans of a cadre of philosophers at an academic conference might seem dry to some readers, the charming but beleaguered narrator keeps the tone light and the perspective amusingly mundane. We are put at ease by her own admission of disinterest in the subject. Theoretically Dead provides a refreshingly personal view of academic life. It peels away the academic stereotypes and presents individuals with distinguished professional careers and quirky insecurities. The characters are well drawn, and they linger in your mind. The Midwestern college setting provides a rich sense of place that reminds me of A Cunning Man or The Rebel Angel by Robertson Davies. Tinker Marks is clearly at home on campus.Like a good Miss Marple tale, this mystery snares the reader more out of curiosity than out of dramatic tension. I found myself taking off from work early to get back to the book. The crime's resolution was both surprising and satisfying. I was able to deduce the who of the whodunnit, as I usually do. I missed by a mile on the why. I wouldn't have it any other way.