Murder Under the Microscope
by Jane Bennett Munro
iUniverse
reviewed by Carol Davala
"'Nobody is above suspicion in the eyes of the law,' Elliot said pompously. 'Sometimes it's the last freakin' person you'd suspect.'"
Jane Bennett Munro has taken her 30-plus years experience as a hospital pathologist and her love of mystery novels, and intertwined them into an exciting new career. The result is an engaging whodunit that revolves around Toni Day Shapiro, a smart, inquisitive, and determined pathologist working in the fictional Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho. From the story's opening line, "There was a dead body in my office. It wasn't mine, and I didn't put it there," Munro's first person approach and hint of humor draw readers directly into the mystery of Toni's being framed for the murder of a visiting physician.
Each chapter brings a new dimension to the plot, ultimately to include a stalking ex-boyfriend, a stolen identity, a hit-n-run, kidnapping, rape, bigamy, embezzlement, and suicide. Simultaneously, Munro opens chapters with great little quotes that smartly set the tone for ensuing action. From Shakespeare to Agatha Christie's "Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend," the words ring true. Characters are prevalent, from hospital staff to lawyers and detectives. Toni's English "Mum," with a penchant for making lists, pleasantly helps Toni and readers alike put all the facts in perspective.
Munro clearly draws upon her personal pathology expertise to finely detail hospital and lab activities and settings. While the crimes within the storyline are often dangerous and/or deadly, the author stylistically refrains from gratuitous explanations of violence, beyond their necessity to the investigation. In true mystery style, the writer keeps us guessing. Munro's book is well-crafted with steady pacing that keeps readers turning pages, analyzing suspects, and looking for answers, right along with Toni. Murder Under the Microscope is an exemplary first novel. Here the author presents a likeable main character and the necessary quality elements that draw readers to mystery and make it such an enjoyable literary genre.
RECOMMENDED by the USR
I love a good mystery, and one that takes place among medical personal is always an added bonus. We meet Toni, a pathologist, and a very good one. Toni’s life becomes complicated when Dr. Sally Shore arrives to fill in for an ailing colleague. Let’s just say Toni and Sally were not the best of friends.Why Dr. Shore is against Toni is a mystery that leads to more mystery. Now the plot thickens when Dr. Shore turns up dead, her body found in Toni’s office and suspicion turns her way, is she the guilty one? More is added into the mix for poor Toni, as her ex-boyfriend begins to stalk her and threatens her husband’s life. How much can this poor girl take? What a ride!
I have to say this book was great. The main character won my heart right from the beginning. The author did a great job in her character development, drawing you into the life of Toni. Ms. Munro also brought the rest of the players to the mind’s eye, their looks, their personalities, yet keeping hidden their true intents, until just the right moment to expose them. The plot of the story was well laid out, moving you along, keeping you guessing and bringing you deeper and deeper until the final conclusion. Shocking!Very good read with all the elements you expect to find and more. Recommended.
Shirley Johnson/Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review
Dr. Day, better known as Toni, is a young pathologist working at a local hospital at Twin Falls, Idaho. All is going very smoothly in her life. She is happily married, settled in her job and comfortable with her friends. But enter Dr. Shore, a surgeon at the hospital Toni works and re-enter Robbie, Toni’s stalker ex-boyfriend and her life is thrown off the tracks.
Robbie has threatened to kill Toni’s husband and Dr. Shore, having caused enough trouble to Toni, to last her a long time, dies mysteriously. It is really interesting and entertaining how Toni tries to bring her life back to normal after her husband is kidnapped and she is accused of Dr. Shore’s murder and also, how she discovers so many unknown facts about the people around her when she tries to decode the mystery behind the death.
The sequence of events, the truth behind many a rich person, the warmth of friendship, the undying love of a parent for her child, the understanding of a close one, and of course, two full fledged mystery cases running parallel in a single story, everything is described so beautifully in the book, that it makes a compulsive read once you begin. Moreover, though the main mystery plots are solved there are some tiny aspects left unanswered for the reader to imagine and guess.
Only when you feel that it was a dud ending to the mystery that you realize that all was far from over and what lies ahead may be really murky and dark. A real must read for mystery lovers looking for a suspense thriller of a different kind.
The medical jargon used in the book gives it a different feel altogether, much like a green garnishing on a red colored dish, but it does get a little too much at places, given that an average reader would not have a pathology background.
The closing of the book leaves the reader awestruck, by answering an apparently silly question that remained unanswered during the book, giving further insight into the psychology of the people, in general.
Overall, an awesome piece of work by author Jane Bennett Munro, MD, a pathologist by profession. Having read this book, I would obviously want to read her other book, ‘Too Much Blood’ with a hope that it lives up to the level similar to that of this book.
Needless to say I hope so too.
Jane Bennett Munro has orchestrated the ultimate novel. In the world of Dr. Antoinette Day, a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, reputation is everything. Never has it been more crucial to necessitate the preservation of her professional integrity than the present. The appearance of Dr. Shore, a temporary replacement for a regular resident, begins the rapid decline into strange occurances such as misread reports and missing patient data. The sudden onslaught of murder doesn't help matters. It seems that practically overnight, Dr. Day has become the focus of a police investigation that places her as the prime suspect. It is an intriguing tale of murder, deceit and, strangely enough, faith. The author's background lends a deeper perspective into the medical world, illuminating and merging complicated data into an intelligent and appalling story. Munro demonstrates her talents of narration throughout the book.
What can possibly be preserved when everything around you is completely altered? How do you fight accusations from your own peers, including the police? Jane Bennett Munro has orchestrated the ultimate novel to answer such puzzling dilemmas. In the world of Dr. Antoinette Day, a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, reputation is everything. Never has it been more crucial to necessitate the preservation of her professional integrity than the present. The appearance of Dr. Shore, a temporary replacement for a regular resident, begins the rapid decline into strange occurances such as misread reports and missing patient data. The sudden onslaught of murder doesn't help matters. It seems that practically overnight, Dr. Day has become the focus of a police investigation that places her as the prime suspect. "Oh, no. I broke out in a cold sweat. My knees felt as if they were going to buckle under me." But her professional life isn't the only thing threatened. Antoinette and her husband, Hal, are thrown yet another twist, they are being stalked within the privacy of their home. "I opened my mouth to answer, but before I got a word out, Hal took the phone away from me and hung up. I was so angry I was shaking. Hal put his arms around me and held me without saying a word. I buried my face in his shirt front. We stood there like that for a long time." It is an intriguing tale of murder, deceit and, strangely enough, faith. The author's background lends a deeper perspective into the medical world, illuminating and merging complicated data into an intelligent and appalling story. Munro demonstrates her talents of narration throughout the book. If there's any downside here, it is that I wish the antagonist who was thought to be the villain, had been given a longer lifespan; after all, I do love a horrible nemesis. Perhaps it was Munro's way of presenting a murderous intent, so deeply hidden, it projected the ultimate sinister unknown presence. Jane Bennett Munro, MD, has been a hospital-based pathologist for thirty-three-years. She is now semi-retired, residing in Twin Falls, Idaho. Murder Under the Microscope by Jane Bennett Munro, 2011 ISBN 978-1-4502-9862-9
