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3 out of 5 stars -

"Lessons in Murder" is a good crime fiction. It follows the story of Detective Inspector Carol Ashton as she solves the murders that take place in a high school in Sydney, Australia. The mystery and intrigue behind the murders were compelling enough to have me glued to my seat; yet the resolution of the quest for the truth failed to satisfy me in the end.

On top of that, I don't think I ever found myself rooting for Carol and Sybil as a romantic couple. One of the reasons is that I couldn't bring myself to warm to Sybil. While I understand that the story was set in the '80s, I still couldn't help but feel frustrated over her life decisions as she dealt with her sexuality. Another reason is the pacing. "Lessons in Murder" is a fast-paced story, which I thought could be perfect for a crime fiction but not really for a romance. I thought it's too fast-paced to nurture any genuine chemistry between Carol and Sybil.

Nonetheless, I really think there's a reason—maybe somewhere in the succeeding books—for this series to reach 18 installments. And I'm determined to find that out later on.