The title is obviously what drew me to this book. I know they tell you not to choose a book by its cover but on more than one occaision, I have been seduced by a beautiful cover or an interesting title. And it doesn't hurt that I love a good whodunnit.
While this particular book won't give you nightmares like something from the Jeffrey Deaver collection would, Body Bags is still a good way to spend a few hours of your time.
Our story centers around Jenna Blake, a young woman who is starting college. She arrives at her university unsure of what she wants to do with her life. Like any college kid, her parents each have ideas about what she should do with her talents. While she eventually settles on something to study, she gets there by unusual methods.
After witnessing her college professor murder a classmate and then subequently die, she wants to know what happened. Curiosity, am I right? Couple that with Jenna's position as an intern at the college's pathology lab and Jenna is in the perfect position to help solve deadly crimes.
When I first read this book as a teenager, I was sucked into the mystery. I couldn't put it down and I just had to know what was going to happen next. Re-reading this as an adult, there were other layers to the story that really make this book a gem.
For starters, I never realized how diverse the characters were. I also think the author did a decent job of capturing those youthful feelings of attraction. He also did an excellent job of capturing the frustration and panic that comes with realizing you have to figure out your entire future. Jenna's choice was tough because she wasn't sure how to find her own path while still living up to her parents' expectations.
As murder mysterious go, it was pretty tame. It's perfect for 12 and up, depending on what you allow your child to read. Unfortunately, I think this one is out of print. I was able to find a few copies floating around on ebay and Powell's (independent bookstore).
