Woman with a Gun by Phillip Margolin

It all starts when an aspiring novelist is looking for something to motivate her writing.  She goes to a photography display and finds a picture that haunts her.  A young woman in a wedding gown is looking out at the sea with a pistol held in her hand behind her back.  What's she waiting for?  What's she done or is thinking about doing?  What a great way to find a background for her story!

Harper Collins sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

This seems like a fairly straightforward story.  It's an unsolved murder but asking enough questions will give her the information she needs to write her own conclusion.  However, there is a problem with this concept.  The killer doesn't want to be found.

The game of cat and mouse and interviews is fascinating.  Lots of questions are asked and answered, but are the answers the truth?  All Stacey wants to get is a good story.  Somehow, the more she finds out, the less she knows.

The investigation is interesting and the characters are fascinating.  Almost everyone involved has some problem.  The lawyer sleeps around, the photographer has a drug problem, the widow hides out.  Who's hiding what?

The answer was right there in front of them the whole time.  It just took a new set of eyes to find what the photograph was showing.

I found it a very interesting and intriguing read.  I was surprised at the identity of the killer.  Mr. Margolin writes a story that drags you in and keeps you reading until you look up at the end and say:  "Wow!"