Line Up for Murder by Marian Babson is a 1991 Warner Books (NY) Books publication. Originally published in 1980.

I chose this book because it was centered around ‘after Christmas sales’ and I could just imagine a murder taking place in one of the long lines with people fighting over coveted items.

The premise isn’t exactly what I had imagined, but there is a long queue and people are actually camping out for days in advanced, hoping to nab luxury items. As the line forms, people get to know each other a little. Some are nice, some are grumpy, and some are obviously out of place.

As it happens, one of the shoppers in line has an insider's connection, but they may have ulterior motives for waiting in line. Dorrie Wilson, an observant shopper, quickly takes notice of those in her general surroundings.

As a result, she begins to suspect a sinister plot is afoot!

In my opinion, this is not one of Babson’s best efforts. The book is not very long, so it should have moved at a much faster pace. I struggled mightily to stay interested. It wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that the crime really started to unfold, but by then, it was too rushed. The conclusion wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked, either.

Unfortunately, this one was flat and uninspired. Perhaps it was because there was no cat featured in this one?

This book is from my personal paperback collection and I’ve been meaning to read it for years. I’ll keep the book as part of my Marian Babson collection, but I couldn’t recommend it to read.

2 stars ( )