Quieter than Sleep. Joanne Dobson. 1997. Karen is a professor at a small elite college in Massachusetts whose specialty is Emily Dickenson. Her colleague, the obnoxious Randy Astin-Berger, shares her interest in Dickenson. When Karen discovers Astin-Berger’s body strangled with his own necktie, and she realizes she is a suspect, Karen decides that she must identify the murderer. The author is an English professor who knows her way around the world of academia. Not sure how many Karen Pelletier mysteries she has written, but they are fun to read. ( )

"Karen Pelletier abandoned her life in New York for a professorship at Massachusetts's elite Enfield College. But she quickly learns that New England is not the peaceful enclave she had imagined -- and that not even the privileged world of academia is immune to murder.

"Professor Karen Pelletier's prime literary passion is poet Emily Dickinson -- a passion she shares with her hotshot colooleague Randy Astin-Berger. Heir apparent to the head of Enfield's English Department, the pompous Randy is the campus Casanova. That is, he was -- until he was found strangled with his own flashy necktie. The last peson to see Randy alive -- and the first to find him dead -- Karen knows she must solove the case before she becomes the prime suspect. But to do that, she must first discovewr the truth behind Randy's final Dickinsoni8an discovery -- a literary bombshell that may well have been to die for ..."
~~back cover

I was amazed to find I was really enjoying this book. Ordinarily I'd rather read English cozies, set in England and bloodless. But this mystery was so skillfully done that I couldn't help adding it to my favorites.

For one thing, it's not formulaic, and Professor Pelletier doesn't decide she can out think the police and attempt to solve the mystery herself. Instead, she finds herself pulled into "assisting the police" by the detective on the case, who also seems to be very attracted to her ... or is he?

Karen is also a very likeable, realistic human being -- besit by worries and doubts. She's a single mother of a remarkable young woman, who's pulled herself up by her bootstraps by grit, determination and a lot of hard work. She doesn't take herself too seriously either. Very realistic and chilling subplots just add spice to the mix.

I can't wait to read the second book in the series, to see what happens to Karen's love life, and to see if the writing continues at a very professional level. ( )

A very good mystery set in a New England liberal arts college, with all the usual academic back-stabbing but many likable characters. English professor Karen Pelletier, a single mother who has struggled her way to a Ph.D. and a life as a scholar and teacher, is finishing her first semester of teaching at prestigious Enfield College when one of her more annoying colleagues falls out of a closet on her, dead by strangulation. There are many people who might have wanted to kill him. Literary sleuthing leads to a solution, but only after putting Karen herself in danger. Highly recommended; there are several more books in the series. ( )

This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring English Professor Karen Pelletier. When Karen's colleague Randy Astin-Berger is killed at Enfield College's Christmas Party, there are plenty of suspects, including Karen herself. But Lieutenant Piotrowski suspects that the killer may have been trying to keep Randy from disclosing some of his research, so he asks Karen to help him solve the mystery. One might think that an English professor would be uncomfortable in the middle of a murder investigation, but Karen jumps right in and helps crack the case.

This was a great cozy mystery. Karen is an interesting character - tough, but with some insecurities. We learn a bit about her background, and her relationship with Piotrowski has some potential to develop in future books. The plot moved along quickly, and the loose ends were wrapped up nicely. I look forward to the next in this series. ( )

Karen Pelletier is a non-tenured member of the English faculty at Enfield College. Randy Astin-Berger, the person most likely to become the new department head, turns up dead, and Karen is the last person to admit seeing him alive. He's not particularly popular, and the motives for wanting him out of the picture are as varied as the faculty in the department. Lt. Piotrowski is the officer in charge of the investigation, and he eventually enlists Karen's help to flesh out some of the more academic motives he suspects may be involved. The main characters were quite likable. There are some things that are less believable, such as the amount of fraternizing the faculty members seem to have with the college president and the willingness of the police to involve a civilian who is close to the case in the investigation as a consultant. The action did seem to stall in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read. ( )