read again May 2014 - lowered rating to 3.

One of the things that REALLY bugged me was her reaction to 'the first dead body she'd ever seen'.. umm.. already forgot about book #1 in the series? ( )

I tend to view theme-based “cozy mysteries” in the same light as historical fiction. Both genres tend to stick to well-known plot devices and character types, but they might just be a fun way to learn something new. One of the trends in mystery writing of the last few decades is to have the main character be an expert in something that is not necessarily related to crime-solving: cooking, sports, antiques, sewing, etc. Sheila Lowe has a series of about half a dozen books about a forensic handwriting expert who gets dragged into murder cases.
Handwriting analysis is actually split into two parts: actual analysis of handwriting to determine its authenticity and then what is called “graphology,” which is the divination of personality based on style of handwriting. This book introduces a new concept for me which is graphotherapy—the idea that you can change your personality if you change your handwriting (because your handwriting reveals your personality, it stands to reason that if your script changes, so do you.)
Forensic analysis of handwriting has really become something of a science, and this little mystery has a few scenes where the main character is explaining how it all works. Unfortunately, the author seems to lump graphology together with forensic analysis, and implies that the former is as scientifically grounded as the latter. This is not the case. In real life, graphologists have repeatedly failed scientific examinations of their claims. It sounds neat, and would be a great tool if it worked, but it just doesn't. Needless to say, I wouldn't invest a lot of money in “graphotherapy,” either.
However, this is a novel. Need I be so picky? Of course not! If I can believe in vampires while reading a Charlaine Harris mystery, certainly I can believe in graphology while reading one of Sheila Lowe's! Our heroine, Claudia Rose, is a spirited handwriting analyst who gets increasingly involved in the lives of the heirs of a rich, recently deceased man whose will is contested. Claudia shows some spirit and compassion, and is able to get to the bottom of it all, even at her own risk. ( )

Once I got going, this book was a pretty quick read, nicely paced. The end was a surprise. ( )

The second in the series is more complicated than the first but just as good. There are a few "TSTL" moments but not so many as to make the book awful, just enough to make it noticeable.

This one centers around private schools, dead multimillionaires and a child neglected by an indifferent Hollywood mogul father. Lots of twists and turns, a little less emphasis on the forensic handwriting analysis than in the first book, and a lot of tension and suspense.

I'll keep reading this series. ( )

First Line: The man heaved himself out of the driver's seat of a Mercedes C350 sedan, holding on to the doorframe until his feet were settled on the asphalt.

Paige Sorenson is young, beautiful, and the widow of a rich, much older man. Her older stepchildren loathe her and want to prove that Paige forged their father's signature on the will that leaves everything to her-- including the Sorenson Academy for Girls.

Forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose admits that this real-life episode of Jerry Springer intrigues her, and she winds up breaking one of her cardinal rules: do NOT get personally involved. But involved she becomes, to the tune of befriending Paige and one of the troubled students at the Academy. It doesn't take long for disaster to strike.

The latest book in this series (Last Writes) was published last month, so I knew I had to make an effort to get caught up. I like learning about handwriting analysis, and I certainly enjoy the feistiness of Claudia's character. Claudia knows how to say no (although she doesn't do enough of it in this book), and she knows how to stand up for herself.

Particularly enjoyable was a courtroom scene in which an attorney and Claudia expose the inflated credentials of a fellow handwriting "expert", and I really liked the interaction between Claudia and the troubled teenager throughout the book. Claudia even has romance in her life, although they're both workaholics who need to learn how to make time for each other.

Although there was a plot point or two that didn't surprise me, Claudia and her network of friends and associates create such a real world for me that I wasn't bothered by it. After all, there are more than a few things here in the real world that don't surprise me either. Sometimes it's all about surrounding oneself with the right characters.

I'm really looking forward to reading the next chapter in the life of Claudia Rose and her friends... and learning more about handwriting analysis! ( )