Book Review: Dead in the Alley
Dead in the Alley. Sharon Michalove, Coffee and Eclairs Books, 10 August 2022, Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook, 362 pages.
Reviewed by Kelly Fumiko Weiss.
Dead in the Alley is a murder mystery novel with a fair share of family drama mixed in. It follows Bay, the wife of the murder victim, and Greg, the police officer partly in charge of solving the crime. The writing switches back and forth between Bay’s and Greg’s perspectives. The two leads have a long history together, having been in love as teenagers and now reuniting as a result of this murder. Bay’s family also plays a large part in the story, with a side plot/mystery uncovering some family secrets that explain why Bay has always felt like an outsider from her parents and siblings.
The side plots of Bay and Greg’s rekindled romance, Bay’s family’s mysteries, and even Greg wanting to leave the police force to set up his own bike store round out the characters but do slow down the plot of the main murder mystery. What makes it work is the emotional turmoil Bay goes through and the physical effects the stress has on her. The author never lets the readers forget that Bay is going through the worst events of her life, which is appropriate. You feel the pain that Bay feels, as she can’t eat, can’t sleep, and feels unraveled. It does strain credulity that through all of that, Bay can manage to start a relationship with Greg, but their deep history helps the reader buy into that possibility.
This book is a page-turner. I finished quickly, wanting to know what would happen next. However, it does leave the reader wanting a little bit more. Either more romance, more family character development, or more murder mystery. All of the storylines are compelling. There just may not be quite enough room for all of them. For example, when it is finally revealed who killed Bay’s husband, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about the murderer or their motivations for it to feel entirely satisfying. It is a testament to the writing that the reader does want more. More story, more connections, more information. Michalove does a good job of creating a world the reader wants to live in.
I would recommend Dead in the Alley to any reader who wants a good, fast-paced, compelling murder mystery. The descriptions of Michigan are lovely. The characters have interesting lives. The deep sense of family and the importance of friendship ground the story. Solving the murder drives the plot. All in all, Michalove has created a solid contribution to the murder mystery milieu.