A review by theavidreaderandbibliophile
A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren

3.0

A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren is the debut of A New Orleans Mystery series. I thought the author captured New Orleans. I like that she included history of the city and events. We get to learn about krewes and their origins as well. Valerie Cooper, the protagonist, is a widow of five years. Her twin boys are enjoying their first year of college. My feelings about Valerie are mixed. I want to like her, but she got on my nerves at times. I wanted her to be less wishy washy. The one time she was brave was when she should not have been. Her friend, Lorna is a force of nature. I am amazed the two are friends especially after learning how the two met. Lorna came over to introduce herself to Valerie shortly after the family moved in. The twins were running amok (terrible twos time two), and Valerie was worn out. Lorna quickly got the boys in line (gave them orders) and then the two ladies enjoyed the wine that Lorna brought with her. I would have taken the wine and sent Lorna packing. I found the story to be a slow starter. The mystery did not take place until slightly past the halfway mark. By the time the murder occurs, it was obvious who would die and how. The solution to the whodunit was easy to figure out. I believe the information was supposed to be a twist, but it can easily be discerned long before the reveal. The mystery is wrapped up at the end, so I was not left with any lingering questions. I did feel that there was too much repetition in the story. I lost track of how many times we are told Valerie is a widow, that the family does not know why Arthur was estranged from the family, and that Lorna writes romance novels. The pacing was slow. The overly detailed descriptions and lack of action are the cause (do we really need to know what each person is wearing down to their tie tac or every detail of how Valerie makes her mac and cheese). There is mild foul language and the consumption of copious amounts of wine. There is some humor courtesy of Lorna. As you can tell, A Streetcar Named Murder was not a hit with me. A Streetcar Named Murder is a Southern cozy mystery with an enigmatic inheritance, a rude realtor, an unusual knife, a krewe party, a dying declaration, a disheveled detective, and a surprising revelation.