Reviewed by John A. Broussard
The opening scene has a university instructor accused of sexual
harassment by a student, and he is not allowed to confront his
accuser. Farfetched? I thought so, except that as I write this
review there is a case being argued at this moment before the U.S.
Supreme Court involving a college student who found himself in a
similar situation. The similarities undoubtedly end there. The
accuser in Catch a Falling Knife turns out to be a topless dancer
who is soon murdered, and it’s not surprising that Mark Pappas,
the instructor, is a prime suspect. Lilian Morgan, his
girlfriend’s grandmother, is convinced he’s innocent and sets out
on her own private investigation to find the killer. And there
are a host of other suspects — from men who frequented the dance
hall, to the girl’s own father, to her current and past
boyfriends, to her roommate and even to some of the other
dancers. Morgan is no Miss Marple, however. There is no sitting
back in a rocking chair to spend time in deductions. Instead,
she actively pries and pokes until the evidence surfaces which
reveals the murderer — but not without danger to herself and to
others. Cook has come up with an interesting plot and provides
enough action to keep the reader turning the pages and looking
for the next clue.