A Forever Death: An Emerson Ward Mystery - Softcover

When Brady Barnes, a professional photographer, is shot down in the street, Chicago freelance writer Emerson Ward decides to find out who would want to kill his good friend. Taking a job at an advertising agency that had employed Barnes, Emerson is surprised to discover that a lot of people might have wanted Barnes dead. Like an episode of Murder, She Wrote, Sherer's novel succeeds more because of its setting and characters than its plot (which is a tad predictable). We see lots of behind-the-scenes goings-on at a photographer's studio and an ad agency; we meet a large cast of potential suspects (many of whom have hidden agendas and grudges against other characters); and we get to feel that we're smarter than the main character, since if we're at all familiar with this sort of thing, we're able to solve the mystery before he does. This is a novel for which the word serviceable springs nimbly to mind: it's by-the-numbers genre fare but capably written and perfectly enjoyable. David Pitt
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Sherer cuts to an immediate chase scene as Chicago series sleuth Emerson Ward (Death Came Dressed in White) tries to catch the man who just shot his long-time friend Brady, a successful commercial photographer. Brady has a little problem at work: someone has replaced a fortune in gemstones used for an advertising photo shoot with fakes. While Brady clings to life in the hospital, Emerson, looking for clues, hangs out at the photography studio and takes a part-time job at the financially troubled ad agency responsible for use of the gems. A slick narrative, quirky suspects, a fast-moving plot, and likable protagonist combine in this winner for series fans.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.