The Question Of The Missing Head
Summary: Samuel Hoenig answers questions for a living. And as a man with Asperger’s Syndrome, his unique personality helps him ferret out almost any answer there is. But his latest question is a rather odd one—who stole a preserved head from the Garden State Cryonics Institute?
Arriving at the scene of the crime accompanied by his new colleague, Ms. Washburn, Samuel finds that what started out as a theft has escalated to murder. With suspects and motives emerging at a rapid rate, one final question remains—can Samuel’s powers of deduction uncover a killer in the face of overwhelming odds?from Midnight Ink Publishing http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/product.php?ean=9780738741512
Group Reviews/Comments
12 thumbs up
1 thumb down
Yes, you read that right. I was the one holdout–everyone gave a thumbs up except for me! In my own defense, there were a few “minor” thumbs up, but I’ll take my medicine and give the book its due praise from the group.
Overwhelming comments were variations on the book being “fun,” “light,” “delightful”
Many felt this book was a really nice change from the dark, more disturbing books we’ve read of late. Perhaps damning with faint praise, one member gave our group a new way to classify books, calling this one “a book my mother would have liked.” Once we heard that, a few members agreed!
The group also used another term we’ve bounced around before—this book is a “close to cozy.” It doesn’t fit in with all of the typical cozy parameters–domestic murder, nothing gruesome, amateur detective, the presence of a used bookstore/ bakery/knitting shop…etc. But it still had a similar feel.
This was a perfect book, many said, to read on a nice day in the park. It’s a “feel good” book and a fast read.
The premise was clever and readers admired Samuel and found him realistic. His internal dialogue felt spot on and his struggles with Asperger’s made him a sympathetic and relatable character. The group also liked and respected Samuel’s relationship with Janet.
Kudos were also given for the book being non-formulaic. Not only was the premise clever and different, but Samuel’s character got the reader out of the typical detective/police officer procedural.
The negative comments revolved around the following:
- too “aspergery”–difficult to be sympathetic to a character who sees the world in such a non-emotional way. Question as to whether in future novels Samuel would be able to grow as a character and if not, would there be enough to keep the reader interested in a series.
- the mystery was convoluted and any book that takes pages and pages to explain the mystery is a weak mystery. A good mystery gives the reader an “aha” moment. [ok, I admit this was my critique only].
