Book Review - Lay Death at Her Door by Elizabeth Buhmann

Lay Death at Her Door
Elizabeth Buhmann
Print Length: 315 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1940215005
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (May 22, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CYMBUXI

When the story opens we learn that Kate Cranbook sent the wrong man to prison for rape and murder twenty years ago. Now there is new evidence that proves he didn't do it, but instead of admitting that she was wrong, she continues to try to cover the truth.

Kate, who grew up in Africa, now lives in Virginia, on an estate bought with money left to her father by his mother, but Kate is discontented with her life there. She longs for more, especially more from the man she had decided she has to have, no matter the cost. She also wants to escape from the iron hand her father uses to control her, and she longs for more independence.

At first, I forgave Kate for her poor choices and totally self-absorbed behaviors that drive the story. After all, she was traumatized by the alleged rape she experienced and the murder she witnessed. However, as the story progressed, I struggled more and more with caring about her, until eventually there was nothing to like about her. At least not for me, and I noted that there was one reviewer on Amazon who felt the same way. That reviewer wrote, "This is a dark, and deeply disturbing story, with a 'heroine' who is extremely difficult to care about. There were points where I truly despised Kate."

For most of the book, the writing was well crafted and kept me engaged, but the ending did stretch credibility for me. There was one surprise that was cleverly hidden, yet hinted at, that was very well done, and the truth of what happened that fateful night twenty years ago was another surprise.

Fans of a new style of story telling that is very dark and focused on characters that that challenge us to like them will probably enjoy this book. Perhaps those who are loyal followers of the television shows like "Hannibal".

Elizabeth Buhmann is originally from Virginia, where her first novel is set, and like her main character, she lived several years abroad while growing up. She graduated magna cum laude from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. For twenty years, she worked for the Texas Attorney General as a researcher and writer on criminal justice and crime victim issues. Elizabeth now lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, dog, and two chickens. She is an avid gardener, loves murder mysteries, and has a black sash in Tai Chi.

Elizabeth will be my guest on Wednesday to share a bit more about herself and how the book came about. Please do try to come back and make her feel welcome.