PRAISE FOR RIGGED FOR MURDER    “…A winning combination of psychological thriller, police procedural, and action adventure. It’s a five-star launch for [LeClair’s] aptly named sea-going series and hopefully a precursor in an armada of others to follow…Tightly written and intricately constructed LeClair’s Rigged for Murder is first-class storytelling in a setting so authentic you can hear the ocean’s roar and taste the salt from the sea.”                                                                                    —Mysterious Reviews -------------------------------- “…An engaging New England whodunit…Readers will believe they are sailing on the schooner and waiting out the storm at Granite Island as Jenifer LeClair vividly captures the Maine background…With a strong support cast including the capable crew, the battling passengers, and the eccentric islanders to add depth, fans will enjoy RIGGED FOR MURDER.”                                                                                     —Midwest Book Review --------------------------------- “…Brie [Beaumont] is smart and competent, and she uses her brain and not her gun…Jenifer LeClair offers another appealing main character in “Rigged for Murder,” first in her Windjammer Series.”                                                                                                                —St. Paul Pioneer Press --------------------------------- “…A strong plot, non-stop action, and first-class character development combine to make this an exciting, page-turning adventure novel. Adding to the tension, intrigue and mystery is the meticulous care in researching the details and terminology of sailing, lobstering, and the Maine coastal islands and communities…I have added Jenifer LeClair to my list of “must read” authors and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel to “Rigged for Murder.”                                                                                         —Reader Views  ----------------------------------  “A debut mystery that is so well written you will hunger for more…Take a female cop on leave from the Minneapolis police force, a good looking sea captain, a crew of seasoned sailors, mix in a lyrically drawn sense of place, an approaching storm, a murder, well-developed characters, and superbly good writing, that’s Jenifer LeClair. Read this supremely engaging mystery and enjoy the ride.”                                                                                                                 —Once Upon a Crime Mystery Bookstore ----------------------------------- “…Rigged for Murder is an exciting mystery with a little romance thrown in. The setting for this novel is unique and gives the reader insight into life aboard a sailing ship.”—Armchair Reviews   “…The story develops logically, with interesting twists…The setting and the weather are well-handled and provide strong context without obtrusiveness. The characters have depth and movement…LeClair gets the sea and the sailing just right.”                                                                                     —Books ‘n’ Bytes ------------------------------------ “…The author did a good job of hiding who the killer was…To me that is the sign of a good writer…I recommend [Rigged for Murder] to anyone who likes mysteries and has an interest in sailing…This book is a great combination of the two.”                                                                                                 —RebeccaReads ------------------------------------ “Rigged for Murder is a fast-paced story which rings true both aboard and ashore on island communities. The characters are real, the situations are downright scary, tension is palpable. I'm looking forward to more sailing and better weather aboard the Maine Wind in the next book of the series."                                                                                     —John Foss, master/owner, Schooner American Eagle, Rockland, Maine ------------------------------------
-------------------------- Reprint of Review from Mysterious Reviews www.mysteriousreviews.com This Review Appeared on May 28, 2008 Review:  “A sailor herself since she was 17 years old, St. Paul Minnesota author Jenifer LeClair has rigged her first novel in her windjammer series into  a winning combination of psychological thriller, police procedural, and action adventure. It’s a five-star launch for her aptly named sea-going series and hopefully a precursor for an armada of others to follow.         "At thirty six, Brie Beaumont, as LeClair tells it, has got twelve years of service as a veteran cop and detective with the Minneapolis Police Force. She's recovering from the trauma of a shooting in which her partner was killed and she's bearing the burden of guilt. Now with a leave of absence, she's returned to her childhood summertime solace at seaside Maine on a windjammer cruise to hopefully heal her psyche and wash away her burden. But it doesn't work that way when a murder occurs on board the windjammer Maine Wind where she's a passenger and she's forced into the detective's role she was hoping to escape. With only long distance police backup from Minneapolis but no direct access to the CSI technology available there, she now has to revert to basic instincts, and fundamental Sherlockian techniques to assess clues, question the eight passengers and crew on the jammer, analyse them and herself and conclude who had the means, motive and opportunity to impale the victim with the marlin spike found in his chest during an overnight storm.         Within the close confines of the ship and a nearby island where they shelter from the storm, Brie believes, "At least the killer can't escape; nowhere to go." And so it seems as she interviews each of the passengers and crew, each with his or her story to tell, sometimes forthrightly, sometimes tripped up by their own lies about voyeurism, homosexuality, womanizing or jealousy, and sometimes caught in Brie's net as she toys with a piece of frayed rope, making and unmaking sailors' knots, trying to unravel the strands of her past or tie down her currently surging feeling for ship's captain John DuLac. It's a process in which she discovers that "finding the truth is somewhat like sifting through sand looking for salt." And while she seeks and sifts, the sea whips around the ship and the island retreat with moods as varied and unpredictable as the motives that wash over the novel's characters and sail them towards a surprisingly action-packed and riveting ending.          "Tightly written and intricately constructed LeClair's Rigged for Murder is first-class storytelling in a setting so authentic you can hear the ocean's roar and taste the salt from the sea. --M. Wayne Cunningham for Mysterious Reviews  Review Copyright - 2008 - M. Wayne Cunningham - All Rights Reserved Reprinted with Permission (mw_cunningham@telus.net) --------------------------- ORDER YOUR COPY OF "RIGGED FOR MURDER" TODAY AT: www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com or www.onceuponacrimebooks.com