Very enjoyable. I guessed the killer halfway through but kept second guessing as events happened and more people were introduced. Keeps you on your toes. Good mystery.
I do have a gripe about one of the deaths, why would you do that? Would have made a fantastic addition to the sequel, completely unnecessary. ( )

This book is the first publication of a promising author. There are elements in place for a suspenseful mystery set in Detroit at the beginning of the Automotive Age. The setting is well defined, as if the conflict. Unfortunately, the protagonist is selfish and makes decisions that can best be described as stupid. The support he receives from other characters makes no sense given their relationships and the way he treats them. The ending is satisfying and logical but the path to get there is loopy and prolonged. The setting, Detroit during its glory days, is intriguing and the author clearly has done his research. I think his next step is to learn how to integrate historical facts into his fiction so that they don't read like footnotes and are seamlessly integrated into the narrative and dialog. ( )

I began more impressed with this first in the series featuring Will Anderson, scion of one of Detroit’s leading electric car manufacturers, circa 1910, who by necessity turns detective.

The beginning of the book laid out lots of information about early electric cars and painted a vivid picture of the auto industry of the day.

But once the “mystery” was set up, I was disappointed at every turn. The solution seemed obvious to me and the author’s “sleight-of-hand” seemed heavy-handed. Other readers have raved about this series, though, so maybe I just made a lucky guess and the plot isn’t as transparent as I thought.

Read this if: you’re interested in today’s electric cars and would like some information on their evolution; or you’re looking for a new mystery series and the setting appeals to you. 3½ stars ( )

This book is the first in a series about Will Anderson. Will's father owns Detroit Electric, an electric car company. Will is accused of murder and makes many mistakes trying to clear his name. This was a fun book and a very satisfying mystery. I enjoyed learning about the city of Detroit and the early stages of business concerning automobile manufacturing. ( )

Detroit's been floating around the back of mind recently thanks to the rather fabulous Chrysler ads that feature the gorgeous, gritty architecture and landscape of the city once called the Paris of the Midwest.  When a tour opened for a mystery novel set in 1911 in the Motor City (this book's sequel), I couldn't resist, and being a stickler about reading things in order, I grabbed this book first so I could be good and immersed.

Set November of 1910, the novel opens with a grisly murder.  Told by Will Anderson, son of a successful electric automobile manufacturer who has some demons and a drinking problem, we quickly learn the victim was John Cooper, a friend Will's from college who was engaged to the woman who, until recently, was engaged to Will. Understandably, everyone assumes the worst, and we follow Will as he tries to keep out of jail and solve the crime without more people losing their lives.

This book caused much contention in my house, as my wife and I both read it and had very different opinions upon finishing. (She disliked, I enjoyed.) I loved the setting and the ambiance of the story and Johnson throws in fabulous historical details that made the nerd in me die of glee. The mystery was straight-forward but engrossing, and I liked all the characters. My only complaint really is that I wish the book were longer: at times, the story felt rushed or the characters kind of thin. With a few more pages, things might have been fleshed out more satisfyingly.

A solid start to a great historical crime series that is perfect for those who like seasons to match their reading. The grim winter in this novel felt pretty real with the miserable rain we've had in Boston recently! ( )