About
The Case of the Good-Looking Corpse Synopsis
In the second in this adventure series, Virginia City's newest detective, P.K. Pinkerton, takes on his first case - finding the killer of a murdered girl before he strikes again! Nominated for a 2014 EDGAR award, P.K. Pinkerton is back in the second book of this whip-crackingly brilliant series, set in America's Wild West. The death of sadistic desperado Whittlin Walt has created an opening for 'Chief of the Comstock Desperados'. Several young gunfighters are battling it out in the saloons and streets of Virginia City, and against this backdrop of gunmen, gamblers and cowboys, P.K. Pinkerton, Private Eye, is having trouble drumming up business. Nobody seems to take a 12-year-old detective seriously! Then a servant girl named Martha begs P.K. for help. She witnessed the murder of her mistress - a hurdy girl - and the killer knows it. Now he is after her. Martha gives P.K. a description of the killer and a cryptic clue, but then she disappears. Can P.K. solve the case and find Martha before the killer does?
About This Edition
Press Reviews
Caroline Lawrence Press Reviews
I reckon Caroline Lawrence's second Western Mystery may well be better even than her first P K Pinkerton case. I enjoyed myself tremendously from the start. BOOKWITCH ...such a pleasure to read in so many ways. FOR WINTER NIGHTS You must read this book, if only to find out how a spittoon can save your life! It is thrilling, well-written and utterly engrossing, and it cannot be recommended highly enough...superbly good...you will not want to put it down until the final shot has rung out and the murderer is revealed. THE BOOKBAG ...there is much to commend in this book that makes it worthwhile for child readers. But they will want to read it - and should read it - because it truly is a cracking read that they can happily get lost in. THOUGHTS FROM THE HEARTHFIRE the plot is a high-octane, roistering, cliffhanger-filled ride through the Wild West and P.K. the most interesting and unusual protagonist in
Junior
fiction. BOOK MAVEN MARY It's a terrific story, very pacey, full of danger and cliff-hangers, with an intricate plot and masses of atmosphere. But for me the best thing is the characters...The P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries are original, they're page turners - and they're very funny. I'd recommend them very, very strongly for readers of eight and up. Fun to read aloud, too, with each chapter the perfect length to read at a sitting. -- Sue Purkiss AN AWFULLY BIG BLOG ADVENTURE pacy and full of period detail. -- Nicolette Jones
SUNDAY TIMES
...there is something precious about this book...The story is a gem. Not that you would expect less from Caroline Lawrence...A wonderful story with a wonderful character by a wonderful author. JE TOWEY A fun-totting, rip-roaring tale DAILY RECORD I've learned so much about American history from reading these books, and in a thoroughly enjoyable way. This second volume is exciting, entertaining and intruiging ... highly recommended. FANTASTIC READS With plenty of Wild West slang and an engaging cast of colourful gunslingers, gamblers and cowboys, Caroline Lawrence brings a mid-19th century frontier town vividly to life in this intricately-plotted and very funny page-turner. P.K. makes a compelling and unique hero and readers will delight in following all the entertaining twists and turns of this great fun adventure. BOOKTRUST With plenty of Wild West slang and an engaging cast of colourful gunslingers, gamblers and cowboys, Caroline Lawrence brings a mid-19th century frontier town vividly to life in this very funny page-turner. P.K. makes a compelling and unique hero and readers will delight in following all the entertaining twists and turns of this fun adventure. BEST BOOK GUIDE This is a wonderful sequel ... fun and exciting VICKY THINKS P.K.'s straight-shooting personality, integrity and good heart make readers want to follow him to the ends of the Earth ... A warm, wise, wild and woolly second offering in the Western Mysteries series. KIRKUS - starred review
Author
About Caroline Lawrence
Caroline Lawrence was our Guest Editor in September 2102 - Click here to see her selections.
Caroline Lawrence was born in London. Her American parents returned to the United States shortly afterwards and she grew up in Bakersfield, California with her younger brother and sister. Her father taught English and drama in a local high school and her mother was an artist.
When she was twelve, Caroline's family moved to Stanford University in northern California so that her father could study Linguistics. Caroline inherited her father's love of words and her mother's love of art. She subsequently studied Classics at Berkeley, where she won a Marshall Scholarship to Cambridge. There, at Newnham College, she studied Classical Art and Archaeology.
The books in the series are:
The Thieves of Ostia
The Secrets of Vesuvius
The Pirates of Pompeii
The Assassins of Rome
The Dolphins of Laurentum
The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina
The Enemies of Jupiter
The Gladiators from Capua
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Fugitive from Corinth
The Sirens of Surrentum
The Charioteer of Delphi
The Slave Girl from Jerusalem
The Beggar of Volubilis
The Scribes from Alexandria
The Prophet from Ephesus
And finally…
The Man from Pomegranate Street
THE ROMAN MYSTERIES have sold over 1.1 million copies since its introduction in 2001 and in 2009 won the Classical Association Prize for 'a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics' THE ROMAN MYSTERIES has been recognised as having an exemplary combination of entertainment and education.
More About Caroline Lawrence
