The Death of an Ambitious Woman Book

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a book as much as "The Death of an Ambitious Woman," the debut mystery by Barbara Ross. It could be termed a police procedural, but with a twist. The opening scene in chapter one grabs the reader instantly, and Ross doesn't let up until the very last scene in the book. In the process, she takes us on a hair-raising ride (both literally and figuratively).
Acting Police Chief Ruth Murphy is a shoe-in to be named the permanent chief in the small Massachusetts town of New Derby, even though she's had her ups and downs with the local district attorney. Until she's called upon to investigate the death of Tracey Kendall, a prominent businesswoman who inexplicably slammed her luxury SUV into a stone wall while talking on her cell phone to her four-year-old son's nanny. A tragic accident? Ruth doesn't believe it.
Then, the handsome mechanic who recently worked on Tracey's car disappears. And Ross tosses in a few more suspects to keep the reader guessing: an unfaithful artist husband, a greedy business partner, a jealous best friend, and the husband's desperate art dealer. The prominence of the suspect list inflames the strained relationship between Ruth and the district attorney, who urges her to term the death an accident or else he'll do everything he can to stop her promotion.
Excellent writing, believable characters, and terrific plotting make "The Death of an Ambitious Woman" a must-read for all lovers of good mysteries.
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author "Moving Can Be Murder" for Suspense Magazine