Review for
Cause for Murder
by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

 

Murders are often committed in the name of love. Sometimes they truly seem to be justified. Betty Sullivan LaPierre’s newest installment in the beloved Hawkman series may be such a case.

Sam, Jennifer and Hawkman’s son, comes home for summer break from college. A classmate, Maryanne Parker, catches a ride with him, much to his chagrin. Despite her exceptional beauty, Sam does not particularly like her. She comes on too strong and has been caught in a mistruth more than once. But, when Sam learns that Maryanne’s father was found dead in a seedy motel room, his attitude softens. She lets it be known that Burke Parker was a cruel man, the worst kind of father, and she feels no sorrow at his passing. Sam thinks her feelings are somewhat harsh, but lets it go. He decides to offer his help fixing up the Parker house when he realizes how rundown it has become after Burke moved out. The widow, Lilly Parker, could not keep the place up and work the two jobs she needed to make ends meet.

When the investigation into Burke’s death starts to look like murder, Sam gets a little worried --- for Maryanne as much as for himself. He is not sure whether Maryanne hated Burke enough to kill him, but she certainly had good reason --- as did many around town. No one misses the man.

Hawkman, as usual, lends his help to the local police. His background as an agent many years ago and a private detective ever since proves him to be more than competent assistance. While he does some legwork, Jennifer provides home support, while Sam gets involved on the fringes. He has some opportunities to talk to Maryanne that Hawkman doesn’t. And, since she is sweet on Sam, she spills more than maybe she should. Hm, is Sam going to follow in his dad’s footsteps? He seems to have all the makings of a detective.

Naturally, the suspects under the most scrutiny are Maryanne and her mother. Could one of the women have gotten fed up with Burke’s brutality enough to do him in? He certainly pushed them far enough. Gather the clues alongside Hawkman and see who you would arrest. You might be surprised by who did it.

With Sam starting to help Hawkman, LaPierre’s fans now have double the excitement to look forward to.

-Kate Ayers

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