Unholy Murder by Lynda La Plante

 

The 7th novel in the Tennison series, "Unholy Murder" by Lynda La Plante starts off slow with the discovery of a coffin in a dig site.  Over the course of the book, many mysteries are unveiled as Jane Tennison tries to get justice for the dead nun.  Relationships are tense, broken and strengthened, as new information is found.  Will justice ever be served or will they perp(s) escape once again?  Though the story is slow to get into, it does become more engaging as it nears the climax and reveals.  There are lots of red herrings and little details that add up to understanding the case.  What is nice about "Unholy Murder" is that you do not need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this book.  Any details that you need from the previous books are woven in nicely throughout the natural thread of the story and plot line.  I also liked how detailed the investigation process was as it really gives you insight to what takes place in a murder investigation.  Be prepared to second guess your ideas and push through to find out the answers.

I like this book as a teacher because it gives students an insight to being a detective as a possible career.  It also is engaging as students can use context clues to piece together what actually happened before the big reveal.  I can teach topics such as red herrings and character motivation and development as well as students explore the story.  Overall, there is definitely potential in the story for teaching literary techniques.

As a cosplayer, it makes me thing of detective and cop characters like Judy Hopps from Zootopic or Sherlock Holmes.  But it isn't just detectives that you can cosplay.  There are religious priests, reporters, businessmen, architects, and so much more that may strike your fancy.  It is a great chance to take a role that you like for a realistic or gritty setting and have fun with in, especially in a photoshoot. 

I am not sure I will pick up the previous books, though they may be interesting, it was definitely a book I enjoyed reading overall once I got past the slow start.  If you like mysteries and murder investigations, definitely check it out.

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