Publisher Description
In a world carefully constructed for murder, solving crimes takes a keen mind and eye in a witty, clever, and fresh reinvention of the whodunit by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.
Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He’s also a brilliant insurance investigator who solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible. Enter Wally Nash: a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.
Their first case together looks like a simple accident. Caroline Crowley took a nasty fall down a staircase at a shopping mall in front of dozens of witnesses. Video clearly shows the deadly misstep. But Bixby is certain she was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. The mall itself made the crime intentional, if not inevitable.
Now Bixby must prove his outrageous theory before a very cunning killer gets others on his hit list to murder themselves, too.
Thrilling Reads Book Review
Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg — Book Review
Lee Goldberg has a knack for taking familiar crime-fiction territory and giving it an entertaining twist, and Murder by Design is another great example. I’m already a fan of Goldberg’s books, so I went into this one with high expectations. I wasn’t disappointed.
The novel introduces Edison Bixby, a brilliant insurance investigator with a unique way of looking at crime. Bixby doesn’t just examine suspects and motives; he studies the design of the world around him and how everyday environments can be manipulated to cause seemingly accidental deaths. He’s wealthy, extremely intelligent, and, thanks to a traumatic brain injury, often brutally rude.
That’s where Wally Nash comes in. Wally is a struggling actor hired to accompany Bixby and keep him from alienating everyone they encounter. Their odd-couple relationship is one of the highlights of the book, providing plenty of humor without taking away from the mystery.
Their first investigation begins when Caroline Crowley falls down a staircase at a shopping mall. There are witnesses, and video footage appears to show nothing more than a tragic accident. Bixby, however, believes the mall itself was used as a murder weapon—that Caroline was subtly manipulated into causing her own death.
It’s a clever premise, and Goldberg has a lot of fun with it. I especially enjoyed the way Bixby notices details about ordinary spaces that most of us would never think twice about. It gives the mystery a fresh angle while still delivering everything I want from a good whodunit.
Murder by Design is witty, fast-paced, clever, and very easy to get pulled into. Goldberg has created a terrific new investigative duo in Bixby and Nash, and I’m hoping this is only the beginning of their adventures.
Highly recommended for fans of clever mysteries and unconventional detectives.
Author Interview
I interviewed Lee Goldberg a couple time on my podcast, Meet the Thriller Author. He’s always a fun and entertaining to chat about thriller books and writing.
