Having worked with the intellectually disabled in the past, I know how hard it is to get past the image that most of the world sees. Once you get past that perception, you find that they are just like us. They have wants, needs and desire to be accepted. That being said, it was a truly pleasant surprise to find a book that in the end presents a positive image in a mystery.

Veteran teacher Bonnie Pinkwater is at it again, finding trouble that is; in her second adventure A Calculated Demise.

This time it is the wrestling coach Luther Devereaux who is found dead. And found standing over the victim with blood on his hands is Bonnie’s mentally challenged aide, Matt. But who is the true victim here? Devereaux, a man known to have verbally abused and bullied his students, or Matt, the student whose only fault is wanting to be accepted by everyone including Luther Devereaux?

Bonnie enlists the aid of Greg Hansen, one of the few students that Matt calls friend, to pursue her investigation and exonerate Matt … and then Greg's marijuana-dealing brother and father are killed as well. When it looks like Matt's brother Simon is the culprit, he is found dead, too. The search for the true murderer becomes a race to prevent any further deaths.

Can it get any worse?

Oh yes. Superintendent Xavier Divine, aka The Divine Pain in the Ass, is after Bonnie’s job unless she stops her investigation. When the murderer kidnaps her beloved dog, Bonnie feels that maybe she should have listened to him.

Robert Spiller pens a thrilling adventure with twists around every corner; this mystery uses math and its history to unravel the secrets of the crime, bringing another killer to justice. What else can I say other that I found A Calculated Demise a total joy to read with fast paced action, characters you wanted to know more about and an ending that made me truly smile.

Do I recommend A Calculated Demise? Yes, yes and yes. Will I buy another book by Mr. Spiller? Yes, yes and yes. I am now looking for Mr. Spiller’s first Bonnie Pinkwater book A Witch of Agnesi. And lastly, would I buy the next book ? Oh, most certainly yes.

Reviewed By Theresa
© March 2008