Lady in Room Number Nine: My Grandmother's Murder at the Empire Hotel

A book about a murder in my home town is always of interest, so I was eager to dive in to this one. As with many e-books, there are a few punctuation or structure errors, and it is a bit slow starting. I would have liked to see less backstory for Michelle, because it doesn't really add to the story, and a whole lot more for Theresa, giving us more insight into her past and why she developed an attraction to toxic relationships, Even some backstory for her mother would be welcome. That being said, the characters and motivations of the potential murderers are well crafted and make them all equally plausible perpetrators. You are left with lots of questions--the perfect outcome for a "whodunit." And your heart aches for the sad, but ever hopeful, life of Theresa and for the grief her mother and children must have had. I really enjoyed this read, I wish the author would take the character of Michelle and build a book around her--the story of a woman masquerading as a man to work in the underground copper mines would be very compelling, I think.I would recommend this book, especially for anyone familiar with the Butte and Anaconda communities. It gives a great picture of life in the rougher part of town.

Aside from the fact that this book tells a story of my ancestors, it is a captivating and well written account of an unsolved, cold-case murder in Butte, Montana in 1940. The story is is written as historical fiction, combined with factual accounts (found through author's research) which vividly captures the era, life, and characters of that time in Montana history. You are swept away to another time. It is intriguing, suspenseful and leaves the reader wanting more! It is one of the only books I've read cover to cover in just two days. A quick read, I didn't want to put down. And yet, the question still remains... who killed Marie Evans In April of 1940?

Very good book! I found myself trying to solve the murder while reading it. Living in the town Theresa was from made it even more interesting because I've walked down the same streets she walked and have been in some of the same places Theresa was. I hope one day more information comes out and the murderer is named. Living that close to the brothel I can't help but wonder if she was mistaken for someone else in the red light district like a previous tenant who had her room before her?

Bought this book due to a family connection and hearing about the victim in the book during my childhood. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Finished the book in one night. Great history of Butte and Anaconda and the family. I bought the digital and once started reading, bought the paperback to pass down to my family. Sad sorry based on real life events... I recommend reading to anyone who likes mystery and stories based on real life events and people.

Larry Ohman's story addressed the lengths early immigrants went to achieve their American Dream. Thorough character development and vivid descriptive narration enhanced the various settings and storylines which, in turn, made for a very pleasurable read. Ohman's purpose was to provide his readers with as much detail so they may arrive at their own conclusions regarding his grandmother's cold case. Kudos to my friend and fellow GRIZ on his first novel...impressive effort!