"The best cozy debut I've read this year. An engaging heroine, a college setting that will have you aching to go back to school, and a puzzler of a mystery make this a must-read for cozy lovers." - Laura DiSilverio, National Bestselling Author of the Readaholics Book Club Mysteries "A pitch-perfect portrayal of academic life with a beguiling cast of anxious newbies, tweedy old troublemakers and scholars as sharp as they're wise. Lila's Stonedale is a world I'm thrilled to have found. Roll on book two!" - Catriona McPherson, ...
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"The best cozy debut I've read this year. An engaging heroine, a college setting that will have you aching to go back to school, and a puzzler of a mystery make this a must-read for cozy lovers." - Laura DiSilverio, National Bestselling Author of the Readaholics Book Club Mysteries "A pitch-perfect portrayal of academic life with a beguiling cast of anxious newbies, tweedy old troublemakers and scholars as sharp as they're wise. Lila's Stonedale is a world I'm thrilled to have found. Roll on book two!" - Catriona McPherson, Multi-Award-Winning Author of the Dandy Gilver Series "College professor Lila Maclean gets an A+ for her detecting skills in this twisty mystery set at a Colorado university. With suspects and motives galore, solving the murder of department chair Roland Higgins won't be easy, but Lila's got brains and guts to spare. A great book...I can't wait to see what author Cynthia Kuhn does next!" - Maggie Barbieri, Author of the Murder 101 Series "Cynthia Kuhn takes readers on a mind-boggling safari into the wilds of academia where we encounter thundering pedants, rampaging sexists, slavering narcissists, run-amok egotists-and come to relish the few oases of sanity and kindness. Only an insider like Kuhn can reveal the savagery behind the mask of scholarship and collegiality with such acuity and grace." - Lev Raphael, Author of Assault With a Deadly Lie "I have a real fondness for academic mysteries and this one is first rate." - For the Love of Books "Takes the reader into higher education's secrets and shadows, where the real lesson is for the new professor-how to stay alive. If you're smart, you'll read this book." - Lori Rader-Day, Anthony Award-Winning Author of The Black Hour English professor Lila Maclean is thrilled about her new job at prestigious Stonedale University, until she finds one of her colleagues dead. She soon learns that everyone, from the chancellor to the detective working the case, believes Lila-or someone she is protecting-may be responsible for the horrific event, so she assigns herself the task of identifying the killer. More attacks on professors follow, the only connection a curious symbol at each of the crime scenes. Putting her scholarly skills to the test, Lila gathers evidence, but her search is complicated by an unexpected nemesis, a suspicious investigator, and an ominous secret society. Rather than earning an "A" for effort, she receives a threat featuring the mysterious emblem and must act quickly to avoid failing her assignment...and becoming the next victim. Related subjects include: women sleuths, cozy mysteries, amateur sleuth books, murder mysteries, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), academic mysteries, book club recommendations. Books in the Lila Maclean Mystery Series: - THE SEMESTER OF OUR DISCONTENT (#1) Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all... Author Bio: Cynthia Kuhn is professor of English at MSU Denver, where she teaches literature and writing. Her work has appeared in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Literary Mama, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama, PhD and other publications; she also blogs with Mysteristas. The first book in the Lila Maclean series received a William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in fine dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 246 p. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. Audience: General/trade. Like New unmarked and unread book with dust jacket. Ships daily.
The Semester of our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn is the first book in the new Lila Maclean Mystery series. Lila Maclean is a new assistant professor at Stonedale University in Stonedale, Colorado. Lila just graduated from NYU the previous spring. Lila is going to a faculty meeting with her faculty mentor, Judith Westerly. They enter the conference room to find Roland Higgins dead on the table! He was stabbed with a knife with a pattern on it. Roland Higgins was not well liked (he was pompous, egotistical, rude, and down on women) so the suspect list is long. However, Detective Lexington Archer (Stonedale Police Department) seems to have narrowed it down to Calista James, Lila's cousin (Lila's mom raised both girls). The knife (decorative) belonged to Calista. Then Judith Westerly, English professor and Lila's faculty mentor, is attacked with a book (a very big and heavy book). The book has the same decorative pattern as the knife. The police find the pattern on Calista's computer and she is arrested. Lila knows Calista did not commit the murder (or attack Judith) and sets out to prove her innocence. Someone, though, does not like her poking around. Lila's office is trashed and then bookshelves are sent tumbling down upon her in the library. The killer means business. Then Eldon Higgins (Roland's brother and has the same attitude problems) is murdered (and Calista has a great alibi). Can the killer be apprehended before more people are murdered?
The Semester of our Discontent was not as good as I was hoping it would be. The book contained too much about academic life. Professors have to publish or perish which was repeated a few times in the novel. It also discusses the politics of academia which dominated the book. The murder occurred in the first chapter (within the first few pages) of the book which was too early. There was really no lead in to it and then we have the whole novel to get through as the main character tries to find the killer. I thought the killer was extremely obvious. I knew the identity of the killer when the body was discovered. The writer did try to distract the reader and lead them down the wrong path with different theories. The Semester of our Discontent contains many literary references and quotes (from classic literature). I think the book was a little overdone (with the academic life and literary references). The average reader might not enjoy all the references to classic books. I give The Semester of our Discontent 3 out of 5 stars. I think the series has potential. I will be interested to read the next book in the Lila Maclean Mystery series to see if there is improvement.
I received a complimentary copy of The Semester of our Discontent from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the novel.
