This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Seattle just after the conclusion of the 19th century was a bustling, crowded, quickly growing future metropolis. The University of Washington consisted of a single building (of which only the columns remain today), having just recently moved from its former downtown location.
At the time of this story, President William McKinley is scheduled to visit soon, and the entire Electrical Engineering Department has prepared an amazing demonstration in his honor. Death, however, intervenes, and the hunt is on for the killer; otherwise, the campus may not be determined to be safe for a presidential visit.
This is the backdrop for Bernadette Pajer’s first published story of Professor Benjamin Bradshaw, assistant professor of electrical engineering. The reader is introduced to a multitude of frontier locations in the Puget Sound region, and although it helps to be a native (and thus possess some familiarity with the area), it is not necessary to enjoy the story and keep up with the plot.
Electrical science is also a major factor in the story, and Pajer does a tremendous job explaining the basic principles and scattering clues (along with red herrings) all over the place. Although knowing something about electricity is helpful, it is not required to understand what is going on and to keep up with the story.
Unique and interesting back stories are provided for all of the major characters, thus creating a solid and well-crafted whodunit. My only problem with this book is that nearly everything is simply told to the reader, mostly via Professor Bradshaw’s memory, instead of being seen in the action and activities of the characters. The dialogue is very stiff throughout the entire book; my impression is that the author is more comfortable writing anything other than character conversation.
Rated: Mild. Only a few instances of mild profanity; no intimate encounters of any kind.
Click here to purchase your copy of A Spark of Death on Amazon.
