Very entertaining. It sent me to the computer to look up the Edsel to see if what he said about it was true (it was). Had a nice enough mix of romantic sparks, intrigue and history to keep me guessing and reading.

nostalgia.

This was a fun read especially for those who grew up in the fifties. The mystery and murders kept you on your toes and had a few twists and turns. I liked the characters and they fit the fifties time frame.

I love this series...each one makes me want to spend more time with Sam and his friends....the "mysteries" aren't that engrossing but the recurring characters are good enough to keep me coming back

Another enjoyable entry in the Sam McCain series. This one is set in October '57 when the '58 Edsel is being rolled out. The public reaction to this monstrosity seems to be accurately reported in the book. Of course, there is a murder, and Cliffie Sykes arrests the wrong individual and is proven incorrect by McCain and Judge Whitney. Recommended.

I hate a detective who is a whimp and idiot

Another great Sam McCain novel. I am really enjoying this series and I look forward to continuing it in the future. Highly recommended.

An historical from the 50s in Iowa.At the time of the Edsel release a woman is found in the trunk of the car. Susie isn't going to wake up.She worked the night before to set up the dealership and was hit on the head. Turns out she was the mother of a local child, the father is the dealership owner, but did he kill her or was he covering for someone?Very nice small town feel.The narrator is a new attorney working for the local judge as a PI when time permits, and a friend to all but the local key...

EXCELLENT STORY This book had a great storyline and had a very good pace. The characters were all very likable and mostly predictable.

I like the ease of reading these books. I like the time period of these books. I like the repartee of the characters in these books. I like the townspeople in these books. And it's in Iowa, to boot. Gorman wrote a lot of books but these are the first I discovered. I've needed these as an antidote to other, somber books I've been reading. I don't know if these are everyone's style, but if you enjoy a "cozy" mystery style--something with enough mystery to play along, but with humor in good supply-...

A good book with great characters. I love Sam McCain, and the judge. I really want to just shoot the sheriff. I hope Sam starts dating Mary who has loved him for so long. The story line was great and kept me guessing till the end.

An enjoyable mystery to read. This second book actually takes place before the first story, but the main characters are all here. Sam McCain, the judge's pet private investigator. Judge Whitney, the rubber band shooting judge who has a running feud with the town Sherriff Cliff Sykes, known as Cliffie to his not so admiring constituents.A dead body is found in the trunk of a brand new Edsel, and the race is on to find the killer.The chartacters are interesting, and the end surprised me, not that

Our intrepid detective returns again. The detective solved the murders in The Day the Music Died and everything has been quiet since. Then a young girls body is found in an abandoned car. The detectives investigated and the coroner informs him the girl had been raped before her murder. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

#128I really liked this book, but I'm not sure why:It was easy to read; I liked most of the characters; it seemed realistic & down-to-earth; no gratuitous or graphic violence; the main character (Sam McCain) was real for me and a pretty good/honest guy.It is a historical mystery centered around the new Ford Edsel; which I did not know came in so many interesting color combinations...Oh, so the storyline: Susan married her Doctor-lover who turned out to be a wife beater (the kind who knows how to...

Sam McCain, part time lawyer and PI, investigates when the wife of a political hopeful is found dead in the trunk of the new Ford Edsel. I really enjoyed this trip back to the late 1950's, although the plotting could have been a little better. I do plan to read more in the series.Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

PROTAGONIST: Sam McCain, attorneySETTING: IowaSERIES: #2RATING: 3.5WHY: It’s 1957 and the small town in Iowa is alive with excitement, for today is a special day at the local car dealer. Ford is releasing its much touted new car, the Edsel. It’s very festive until a local attorney’s wife, Susan Squire, is found in the trunk of one of the cars. It’s for sure that the local sheriff, “Cliffie”, is going to jump to wrong conclusions, so Judge Whitney has asked attorney/PI Sam McCain to investigate t...

My 3rd book in this cozy mystery series set in Black River Falls, Iowa and I'm still enjoying them. There's a little question about where this book falls within series order. Some say #2, some say #3 and some call it a prequel to The Day the Music Died which was #1. Just based on some very simple family dynamics, I'm going with that last one. However, except for that one little connection which a lot of folks might overlook anyway, these first 3 books could be read out of order. The owners of Ke...

(3) Another romp in the Southern 50's hay with the delightful Sam McCain and his colorful cast of characters. As with the first McCain story, this one is filled with subtle but intriguing twists and turns. Sam is absolutely slighted but certainly enduring, and centering the early part of this story around the debut of that most famous of all automotive lemons, the Ford Edsel, makes it even more fun for those of us who lived through that era. Ed Gorman (not a relative that I am aware of) does a g...

This is a very special 'private eye' series built around a lawyer and special court investigator, Sam McCain, in a small town in the midwest (Iowa) in the fifties and sixties. I absolutely love this series for several reasons:1. the wonderful immersion into a different time, spanning a decade from the late fifties to the late sixties. The descriptions are detailed, evocative, engaging and realistic. They are exceptionally well done.2. The protagonist is a likeable average joe, who is easy to ide...

I like tha way this author sets his stories in the past. This one is set in the 50's just as the Ford Edsel came out. It was a fun read.