A Simple Murder: A Mystery
"A Simple Murderworks as an intense historical but also a heartfelt story about families, especially the bonds between fathers and sons, and the grievances that can pull relatives apart. . .Kuhns' affinity for showing the complicated relationships that drive people shines in this strong debut.”—Oline Cogdill,Kansas City Star“Kuhns’ intimate voice and all-seeing eye make [the Shaker community] seem an exotic world indeed. But she also shows that greed, envy and materialistic values are nothing if not universal."—Marilyn Stasio,New York Times Book Review"Kuhns's closed-room mystery is refreshingly original, both for its setting and time period. In keeping with her protagonist's profession, Kuhns weaves together disparate threads into a beautiful finished piece."—Library Journal(starred review, Debut of the Month)“This outstanding debut won the 2011 Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Competition, and it’s as good an argument for continuing these contests as it gets. Kuhns, a career librarian, delivers a superbly researched and beautifully crafted historical mystery.”—Toronto Globe & Mail“Kuhns’s quiet, well-crafted debut. . .poignantly captures the Shaker ethos of the period.”—Publishers Weekly“A gripping historical mystery. . . With an ingenious story line (including a truly surprising conclusion), fascinating characters and a profound sense of time, place and culture,A Simple Murdermarks a debut brimming with promise.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch