. Life without Parole: An Angela Richman, Death Investigator Mystery
By Elaine Viets
Severn
2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

As one of the wealthiest communities in Missouri, Chouteau Forest is a ripe target for thieves looking to make a big score. So when a dozen burglaries occur within a two –week period, Chouteau County residents begin arming themselves to the teeth and taking advantage of the state’s gun-friendly laws. It’s a matter of time before the string of non-violent crimes turn deadly, with the only question being who takes the first shot. The night that Death Investigator Angela Richman is called out and awakened from a blissful sleep, it does appear that the so-called Ghost Burglars have escalated their methods and left wealthy contractor Thomas J. Lockridge with three bullet holes in his head. Detective Jace Budewitz isn’t so certain though, and he immediately focuses on the much younger widow Cynthia as his suspect, especially when the first “friend” she calls for support happens to be her attorney.

Knowing how quickly the Forest will react to circle its own and shut down an uncomfortable investigation, Jace goes rogue and enlists Angela in questioning the merry widow and looking her trailer park past. Tom Lockridge’s daughter is just as quick to hurl accusations towards her new stepmother, and it’s looking more and more like the killing was a hit-for-hire. When the criminal who pulled the trigger – a very non-heroic Duke Spider-Man Lee – immediately throws Cynthia under the bus, it appears as though Chouteau County’s Cinderella has killed off her prince.

This fifth in the series continues to be an outstanding examination of class warfare, shining a light on Chouteau County and all of his hypocrisy and insularism. Angela’s mother having cleaned most of the estates and mansions means that Angela was raised among them but will never be truly accepted. She continues to dodge her nemesis Detective Ray Greiman, whose family connections protect him even while being blatantly sexist and corrupt. What continues to make this series so entertaining are the smaller investigations Angela pursues as one of Choteau County’s three Death Investigators. An obvious DUI traffic homicide and the reckless shooting by an out-of-control homeowner highlight the class divide and unequal levels of investigation, with Angela knowing all too well how the Forest protests its own. That is why the Epilogue provides some of the most satisfying moments of the novel, with justice carried out not by criminal law but by civil lawsuits and ruined reputations. Angela is a fascinating and unique investigator, one has had to rehabilitate from six strokes and still mourns the loss of her husband. That she is slowly allowing her heart to open to Detective Chris Ferretti is inspiring, especially since she had believed that she would never love again. Angela’s wry humor and wit make even the darkest of moments entertaining, and Viets has the ability to enrage readers with the unfairness of class structure without being preachy. A suspenseful conclusion has Angela putting together the puzzle pieces while risking her life and her job, but a happy future looks to be on its way for readers and our heroine.

There's a lot of questions in this mystery, a lot of secrets, and a quest for solving a murder.
It's a gripping and twisty novel that kept me reading till late in the night.
It's a character driven whodunnit that I thoroughly enjoyed and couldn't put down as I wanted to understand who-did-it and what are the reasons.
Angela is a very interesting, clever and strong woman that I like. The most interesting character is Cynthia, a sort of red woman with a past: I liked/disliked her but I also think she's the most complex character.
The mystery kept me guessing and the twists surprised me.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Death Investigator…
The next instalment in the Angela Richman, Death Investigator cases and the fifth in the series finds the wealthy of the area seemingly being targeted for burglaries. It’s not long before a gruesome death occurs and Angela is called in to assess the crime scene. Is there more to this case than meets the eye and is it really connected with the burglaries in the area after all? A satisfying mystery with a complex plot populated with a well crafted cast of characters. A worthy addition to the series.

A man is shot while sleeping in his bed…another fascinating case for death investigator Angela Richman. Angela is called to investigate the man’s body and the scene while the police collect evidence. This is only one of the cases that Angela will work before the man’s murderer is found. After her serious health scare years ago and her husband’s death, Angela has found friendship, and maybe something more, with patrol officer Chris Ferretti. She is also called to the scene of a woman who was run over while crossing the road, a young man that was killed by a stray bullet and a woman who died from an overdose. Each case was interesting in the details of her investigation and how her efforts assisted the police. The stories flow smoothly through the book as she deals with each case to find justice for the victims. I have also read and enjoyed the previous four books in this series. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Angela Richman is a death investigator for the Chouteau County, Missouri’s medical examiner’s office. Her latest case takes her to the exclusive neighborhood of Chouteau Forest where Cynthia Lockridge is the prime suspect in the murder of her wealthy husband, Tom. Other cases that Angela is assigned involve other wealthy people in the area including a man shooting at intruders, but killing an innocent bystander, a woman who kills someone while driving drunk, and a woman who overdoses on drugs. Angela wants justice for everyone, regardless of their bank account or political connections, which puts her at odds with some of the higher ups in the police department. I love Angela’s dedication to the job and not being swayed by someone’s standing in the community. However, after a while she and some of her colleagues complain so much about the residents of the area that maybe it’s time for them to move on to a job somewhere else!

This series is grittier than the author’s two cozy series. However, the books have a nice balance of different cases, Angela’s personal life, and humor to lighten some of the heavier crime scene details. On the personal side, Angela is having a hard time allowing herself to move forward in a new relationship with police officer Chris Ferretti while still grieving for her deceased husband. I wasn’t shocked when Tom’s killer was revealed, but I still enjoyed the story. I liked some of the prior books in the series more, but still recommend it for fans of this author or of author Annelise Ryan.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Severn House. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Chouteau Forest = lots of secrets and some dastardly doings. Angie, a widow who works as a death investigator (think CSI) finds herself tied up in a case where she questions whether the police have he right suspects, The Ghost Burglars have been extremely active in this wealthy community but did they kill Tom? What about his younger wife? And others. This has a nice mix of procedural and cozy with good characters and a plot that's just twisty enough. Although it's the sixth the series, it will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

This was by far her best yet, in this series. The question, “whodunnit?”, kept you turning the pages to the very end. Very suspenseful and intriguing. I love this series, and this was great. Highly recommend.

It was being intrigued by the job of Death Investigator (DI) that drove me to choose to read this novel by Elaine Viets, but I was unaware that it was the 6th in a series set amidst the Chouteau Forest County community, close to St Louis, in Missouri. Fortunately this worked reasonably well as a standalone, featuring Angela Richman, a widow of over two years, as the DI working under the Medical Examiner's Office, she is in a relationship with Chris Ferranti, a patrol officer. The wealthy Forest community are being targeted by the Ghost Burglars, in the past fortnight there have been 12 burglaries. However, the latest burglary has resulted in murder with the shooting of 66 year old Tom Lockeridge at his exclusive home, with Detective Jace Budewitz calling in Angela to the crime scene.

Angela's job involves her taking down extremely detailed notes and photographs with regard to the victim and his home, and interviews with relevant persons of interest. Lockeridge was married to a demanding and beautiful woman 34 years younger than him and who had grown up in a trailer park, Cynthia, she had introduced Tom to the wild side of life, partying with drugs and drink, insisting on a lifestyle that was draining him financially, that he could ill afford. There is plenty of gossip and rumours of Cynthia's affairs with other men, including her lawyer, Wesley Desloge. This makes Cynthia the prime suspect in the killing of her husband, especially as a divorce would have resulted in her only getting a $100 000. There are other deaths and murder as Angela and Budewitz try to get to the truth in their dangerous investigation.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable and entertaining read, and I really liked the character of Angela as she wrestles with her personal issues, and goes off to investigate personally to help Jace, whose career is being threatened by his boss. However, I found the non-stop details documented in the narrative for every death, a little too much for me. Additionally, it had at times a feel of cozy crime, which is fine but it is not a genre I tend to favour, although it helped that this is on the grittier side. I can see this appealing to many crime and mystery readers, and it does have a terrific central character in the determined Angela. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I really like this character and I've been reading Viets since way back when. Her books have always been fun reads

Loved this book! This is a first for me from this author but definitely not my last. It’s very well written that the reader just feels immersed and interested in the story. The mystery itself is full of little details and lots of twists and turns. Highly recommend for all mystery novel readers!!!