DESCRIPTION:
Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He’s also a brilliant insurance investigator who solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible. Enter Wally a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.
Their first case together looks like a simple accident. Caroline Crowley took a nasty fall down a staircase at a shopping mall in front of dozens of witnesses. Video clearly shows the deadly misstep. But Bixby is certain she was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. The mall itself made the crime intentional, if not inevitable.
Now Bixby must prove his outrageous theory before a very cunning killer gets others on his hit list to murder themselves, too.
Lee Goldberg has introduced another fascinating character in his newest series: Edison Bixby. Edison is anything but ordinary. A wealthy former homicide detective, he now works as an insurance investigator and a consultant to the police department. What makes him truly unique is the traumatic brain injury he suffered after a bullet lodged in his brain. The injury eliminated his social filter, causing him to blurt out exactly what he is thinking. As a result, his comments are often rude, blunt, and sometimes downright crude. To help manage the fallout, he is paired with an unofficial handler, Wally Nash.
Despite his lack of tact, Edison is exceptionally brilliant, and with Wally by his side, his investigative talents have the potential to shine. Right from the start it is easy to see a blend of Sherlock Holmes and Monk. That becomes evident in his first case. Caroline Crawley is believed to have died after falling down a flight of stairs in a shopping mall. The incident was captured on numerous security cameras and witnessed by several bystanders. Yet questions remain, and her death is soon deemed suspicious. That’s when Edison is brought in to investigate.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel is the mall itself. Thanks to its cutting-edge architectural design and advanced technology, the mall almost feels like a living, breathing entity. It interacts with shoppers in remarkable ways, raising an unsettling question: could the mall itself have somehow caused Caroline’s fatal fall?
What an inventive and entertaining story. A brilliant investigator with a traumatic brain injury pitted against a “smart mall” makes for a compelling premise. Edison may be rude and socially abrasive, but he quickly grows on the reader. Murder by Design is a strong series debut filled with humor, mystery, and originality, and it leaves me eager to see where Goldberg takes Edison Bixby next.
No comments:
Post a Comment