The Subject of Malice by Cynthia Kuhn is the fourth book in the “Lila Maclean Academic” traditional mystery series. Publisher: Henery Press, coming July 23, 2019.

The organizers have rustled up plenty of surprises for the literary conference at Tattered Star Ranch. But the murder of an influential scholar wasn’t on the program—someone has clearly taken the theme of Malice in the Mountains to heart. This shocking crime is only the beginning: Other dangers and deceptions are soon revealed.

English professor Lila Maclean has a full agenda: She must convince a press to publish her book (possibly), ace her panel presentations (hopefully), and deal with her nemesis (regrettably).

However, when Detective Lex Archer requests Lila’s academic expertise, she agrees to consult on the case. While her contributions earn high marks from her partner, it could be too late; the killer is already taking aim at the next subject.

As Lila races to keep her colleagues alive, publish or perish takes on new meaning.

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This was a fun book to read. Lila attends a conference and not everything goes off as planned when murder takes center stage and once again, our beloved body magnet finds, what else, a dead body.

This was a tightly woven drama that immediately grabbed my attention, becoming a page-turner as I couldn’t put this book down. The pacing was on par with how well this story was being told. The author did a great job in presenting a mystery with a solid plot and enough suspects to keep me glued to the pages.

The narrative was visually descriptive with engaging dialogue and scenarios that put me in the middle of all the action as I watched Lila go about her responsibilities. Some of the scenes reminded me of conferences that I attended, minus the murder and it was fun to watch how it all played out. Who wanted the victim dead? You’ll have to pick up this gem to find out.

I thought I had a handle on the culprit, but the author changed direction all to the betterment of this tale being told. There were a few twists and turns and one that I didn’t see coming (it was resolved) that enhanced my reading pleasure. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between Nate, Calista and of course Lex. And the Raleigh sisters gave Lila the push she needed to say what needed to be said. Overall, this was one of the best books in this series and I can’t wait to see what awaits Lila and her friends.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the author via Edelweiss.