An Eye for Murder

An Ellie Foreman Mystery

By: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrated by: Karyn O' Bryant

August 1944. Prague is where the story begins, with a seemingly casual exchange. But in wartime, is any act, any one thing, trivial? Decades later, in contemporary Chicago, the consequences emerge through the medium of television. Documentary filmmaker Ellie Foreman gets a letter prompted by the success of her show Celebrate Chicago. One viewer was the elderly Ben Sinclair. When he suddenly dies, his landlady, Mrs. Fleischman, finds Ellie's name among his effects and writes to her. Ellie, who hasn't a clue about a connection to Ben, is curious. And she agrees to help dispose of Ben Sinclair's possessions. She became a filmmaker to help people tell their stories. The books and wartime relics Ben left behind - will they be enough to tell his?

All too soon, Mrs. Fleischman dies. Then Ben's things are stolen from Ellie's suburban home. The single mom, working to move past her ex, doesn't know what to think. But she has to scramble for work and is soon embroiled in producing a campaign video for a steel magnate running for a Republican seat in the Illinois Senate. Despite these distractions, Ellie stays focused on her odd link to the dead man and turns to her father, a retired lawyer with deep roots in Chicago's Jewish community, for insights into the mystery of Ben Sinclair.

In time, a terrifying scenario develops that reaches back into several pasts. From the political present of the North Shore to the buried memories of the city's ethnic neighborhoods, the components of Ben's story eventually merge into an explosive climax.

An Eye for Murder was nominated for an Anthony Award (Best First), which is one of the most prestigious awards in the mystery community.

©2002-2011 Libby Fischer Hellmann (P)2011 Libby Fischer Hellmann

Critic reviews

“A masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense, this novel is well worth reading… sharp humor and vivid language… Ellie is an engaging amateur sleuth. Readers will hope they won’t have to wait too long for Ellie’s return.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Complicated… fascinating… Hellmann has a beautifully tuned ear… which makes many of her scenes seriously funny… her film-editor instincts tell her when to let a scene run on and when to cut away.” ( Chicago Tribune)

"Taut, compelling and gripping, An Eye For Murder is one of the best mysteries I've read in years! Fast-paced, cleverly crafted, complex drama…I highly recommend it.” (Terri Figueroa, Romance Reviews Today)

Kept my ears eager for more.

Loved it. Enjoyed every minute of it. Kept my ears eager for more.A must have.

An Eye for a good book

Finding titles are a hard thing sometimes, but this was a good book. An Eye for Murder: An Ellie Foreman Mystery by Libby Fischer Hellmann is that. A good book. Not fantastic and not the best book there will ever be, but a good mystery book. Ellie Foreman is a good "hero" and i know this is book 1 in a series. I almost want to skip writhing this and listen to next, it is that good! So why 4 stars? It is not a perfect book! I said this before, i hate that we can't give half stars! I would give this 4,4 out of 5, so that is close to perfect!

Karyn O' Bryant is fantastic! I loved her voice work! When you have a book that is 10 hrs and 1 min it is important that you have a story teller that is that fantastic! It is a long time since i had a 10 hrs and 1 min that is this good from a narrater point of view! I tip my hat to Karyn O' Bryant! That is saying something, is it not? A campaigning with Karyn O' Bryant and Libby Fischer Hellmann makes a good book with fantastic narration!

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com

An eye for murder

i enjoyed this very much. it kept you on the edge of my seat. Couldn't stop listening until the end.

Great Book

It seems that every time I try to listen to an Audio book they put me to sleep.

First rate mystery!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! You just wanted to listen to it non stop.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Eye for Murder?

When we learn that David looks exactly like someone's father.

What does Karyn O' Bryant bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice & inflection.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Follow the generations for clues.

Any additional comments?

Could have done without the swearing even though it was minimal.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

An eye for a good story

I really enjoyed this story. There was so much going on that it kept the story interesting and I liked the main character, I met her in the author's Georgia Davis series and I am glad to see she has her own series. I like her home life and found it added to the story making the lead character more human, a soft side at home with her daughter but a toughness that she needs against the bad guys. Very enjoyable listen and will be looking out for more audio books in this series.
Ellie isn't famous but he documentary has made her recognisable so she isn't surprised that a dead man has her name in his effects after watching her show but what she is surprised to find is that with no family his elderly land lady wants her to take his things. An act of kindness leads to an out come that no one ever saw coming. Ellie's world turns upside down when she tries to return the box only to find a body, then her house is broken into and a young boy she meets at the library is gunned down. Is there a connection? And what does a photo found in the box and taken in 1944 have to do with anything? Things get weirder when she discovers a connection between her own father and the dead man. At the same time with her ex husband struggle to pay for his daughter Ellie agrees to film a documentary for a Republican running for a Senate seat and learns more about the candidate than she bargained for. Will the past catch up with the present? Because someone is determined that some secrets should stay buried in the past where they belong.
I liked the narrator and thought she did a good job of building up the tension as the story unfolded and her voices for the characters were good.

How Have I Not Heard of this Author Before???

I loved this book!!! How have I not heard of this author before? I was a big Sandra Brown / Iris Johansen / Nora Roberts fan for a long time; but their formulas became too predicable for my liking.

This is an interesting protagonist who's working on some long term personal issues of her own while trying to juggle a daughter,a job and trying to not be killed. I will absolutely be seeking out more by this author!

Narrator did well- I'd listen to other things she's narrated gladly.

I was provided with a free copy of this audio book by the author, publisher or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review.

A Really Engaging Mystery

Narration - Karyn O'Bryant - Really Good!
She's a terrific story-teller with a really unique voice. Really Enjoyed listening to her and this whole book!

The story is one of those that I love where you appear to be listening to several different stories and are wondering why you are hearing each of them. As the story progresses, you find out how all of them are tied together, and in this story, they are really tied together in some fascinating ways!

The female MC is smart and strong, the mystery is intricate and spans decades, the "bad guys" reveal near the end added a touch of Scooby Doo to the mix, the romance is clean and left to the imagination, Loved Dad & the Daughter and the ex-husband is a giant ----!

The book has a really good blurb in regards to a few of the different story lines that you will follow as you try to put the pieces of this mystery together, so I won't regurgitate any of that information. I'll just say that if you like mysteries with a little suspense, some danger, a touch of violence and a dash or romance, then I think you'll like this - and the audiobook is terrific!

I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from AudioBookBlast in exchange for an unbiased review.

Entertaining mystery

Would you try another book from Libby Fischer Hellmann and/or Karyn O' Bryant?

This is my 3rd book (1st Ellie Foreman) by Libby Hellmann. Fun for me because I live in Chicago and could relate as well as having a character in the book with my last name. I thought Ms O'Bryant did a very good job. The story was fast paced.I would rate as 3.5 and would try another book.

I found this author by accident...

I was doing some research for something else when this author's name came up. I came to Audible to see if she was there. She was, so I downloaded "An Eye for Murder" and I can say I was not disappointed! Excellent writing and very good story. I will read more from this author!