Speaking of Death: A Carmel Allen Mystery

Introducing the sardonic, quick-witted Carmel Allen, a divorced mother with two teenage kids, who barely makes ends meet with her two part-time jobs teaching public speaking at the State College in town and also at the Community College in another town.

Raising her kids and juggling the teaching and the commute between the two schools, Carmel gets by on her resilience, wry sense of humor, and an ability to survive with a sarcastic sensibility.

When the obnoxious Speech Professor Morris Zeller, who is equally disliked by the students and the other faculty members, is found dead, it looks like an open-and-shut case of suicide.

Yet Carmel holds a piece of information that suggests murder but she is hesitant to go to the police because Sheriff "e;Butch"e; Rutkowski has declared the case closed.

Luckily Carmel meets up with the part-time police officer Wynne Fox who finds several aspects of the death suspicious.

The two women unofficially investigate the crime and there is no shortage of suspects because Zeller had so many enemies.

Moving in and out of the action are some pompous academics, eccentric professors, scatterbrained staff members, Carmel's no-nonsense friend Eugenia, and the theatre instructor Grant Poston whom Carmel has romantic feelings for even though she's not sure whether or not he is gay.

Speaking of Death is a fast-moving, delightful romp filled with vibrant characters headed by the sparkling Carmel Allen.