Rotten Lies

Lee Ofsted #2

by Charlotte Elkins, Aaron Elkins

In a second installment in the popular series featuring the professional golfer and amateur sleuth Lee Ofsted, Lee investigates the death by lightning of a fellow golfer, a man who happened to have a clubhouse full of enemies. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Sports, Fiction, Cozy Mystery

215 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

About the author

Charlotte Elkins (born July 4, 1948) is an American author who teamed with her husband, writer Aaron Elkins, to write a series of mystery novels about Lee Ofsted, a struggling female professional golfer.

Series:
* Lee Ofsted (with Aaron Elkins)

Series contributed to:
* Malice Domestic

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the series, this may be where I get off. It continues to be interesting with regard to the game of golf, but many plot devices were a tad silly for me when people are getting killed and our golf pro Lee, at the tender age of 23, seems to be "girl on the scene" consistently and again becomes a target. No fear, as the handsome hero Graham enters the scene, leaving his police job to start his own company.
These books were published in the 90's but this one was edited, refreshed. It is light murder mystery entertainment.


Kindle Unlimited

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining cozy mystery taking place on a golf course.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing mystery thas 2nd year pro golfer Lee Ofsted on the sidelines after an injury. I'm really enjoying these and like the main character very much. Well done audio production!

Only quibble was that I wanted a bit more golf action like the first one.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

It makes it easier to follow, and enjoy, this book to have played some golf. Well written, well plotted.

[A G A VAN DEN BOS · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the main characters, almost midway through the book, says that he tried learning about golf but he “kept going to sleep”. This epitomizes the first half of the book, which is nothing but an extraordinary, belabored protraction about golfers’ particularizations, golf superintendence and weather intricacies. Enough to put but the most avid golfer (who knows it all anyway), to sleep. Only then (in the second half) does the book blather through the actual diegesis.

[Heidi Agner · Rating 5 out of 5]

husband and wife writing duo with another hit mystery

I love learning about sports, professions, religions, cultures while reading a good mystery. Whether it was Tony Hillerman and the Navajo culture or Harry Kemmelman and the Jewish society: I enjoy the mystery while gathering insight into interesting subjects. This Lee Ofsted series is providing both. I’m not into golf but enjoy learning about it. And a nice little romance thrown in makes it a good read for me.

[Kyle Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published thirty years ago, this book is the second in the series about an upcoming woman golfer. After a thunderstorm during a golf tournament, Lee attempts to revive a person and injures herself in the attempt, forcing her withdrawal from the tournament. With only the remaining three days of the tournament, she and her policeman boyfriend solve the murder. The story puts the reader at the tournament and is logical and fast moving. It was a fun read.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likable characters, quick read.

[Stephanie Tanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. Easy golf mystery set in New Mexico. The plot and characters hold your interest.

[Nancy]

How do you murder someone with lightning? When Ted Guthrie, the most hated man at the Cottonwood Creek Country Club in Los Alamos, New Mexico, is found dead on the golf course after a thunderstorm, it seems like an act of God. But the death kills struggling beginner Lee Ofsted's first chance at winning on the women's pro circuit as well. After a record-breaking opening round at the High Desert Classic, she injures her arm trying to revive Ted. So when the coroner suspects the lightning strike was no accident, Lee sees red instead of green. At twenty-three, playing the tour on a shoestring, and dedicated to the game, Lee has talent, courage, and an intuitive sense for seeing the way things lie... whether they're golf balls or nasty plots for murder. She senses something foul in this tournament, and she's soon teamed with her lover, California cop Graham Sheldon, to make her snooping a twosome. She's certain someone close to the game is the culprit, and all of the country club's colorful characters are suspect... from the old geezer holding a golf umbrella near the body to her own cranky old caddy, Lou.(less)

The victim was killed with lightning; Lee and Graham discovered the murdered.

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel by Charlotte Elkins is very interesting in how it mixes golf with a mystery. The book starts out with Lee Ofsted on her way to win an LPGA tournament when she injures her elbow/arm. Then a storm brews and the most-hated man in the town is "struck" by lightning. Lee tries to give him CPR but re-injures her arm giving him chest compressions. She later finds out that this was no accidental lightning strike and he was set up by someone and murdered on purpose by the lightning. This is when the novel goes from being a sports book to a mystery. The book takes another turn when two more men are killed. Lee and her soon-to-be husband Graham investigate and work together to find the killer. The mystery is very exciting and since the book is only 215 pages long it moves quickly and keeps you interested. I thought I had knew who the killer was but in the end I was not really that close so this book is very unpredictable. Personally, I think that almost anyone would enjoy the mystery of the plot in this novel.

[Cat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another in the series about Lee Ofsted, struggling golf pro. She is playing the golf of her life, beating the field on the first day of the tournament. Lightning breaks in to stop play the next day and while seeking shelter Lee finds the head of the country club's organizing committee dead near one of the holes. In the process of trying to revive him, she aggravates a case of tendinitis and has to withdraw from the tournament.

Of course, when it turns out that Ted might have been killed, she's quite annoyed. She and her good friend Peg (Peg is also on the organizing committee) start asking questions and get themselves in trouble with the police, the murderer and Lee's boyfriend Graham.

Not the best mystery in the world. Actually, quite silly. But silly in a relaxing way.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After surviving her rookie year Lee Ofsted has hit her stride and scored a record opening-day round in a tournament at New Mexico's Cottonwood Creek Country Club. The tournament is suspended due to a thunderstorm and Lee, returning in a borrowed golf cart, almost misses a body lying by the path. Unsuccessfully attempting CPR, she irritates her elbow and has to withdraw. However, a sensitive announcer offers her a spot on the television crew, so she can at least cover her bills. Lee is a likeable character but, as is usual in amateur detective novels, too nosy not to be a little irritating. The strength of the book is definitely the inside look at professional golf playing, organizing, and broadcasting. A fun, light read.

[Galen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professional golfer Lee Ofsted has a chance at winning a tournament for her first time ever, but when she injures herself giving CPR to a lightning strike victim on the course, she instead finds herself doing color commentary for a news station and trying to solve a series of crimes surrounding the tournament.

Funny, sharp, fast-moving, and a good sense of characters and setting. Recommended light mystery read.

[Willow Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in this series. I am enjoying the mysteries, but have some issues with Lee Ofsted. At 23, she is often self-absorbed, insecure, socially isolated and judgmental as she struggles to build her career as a pro golfer while running across murders on tour. I do enjoy the behind the scenes look at the golf world, about which I know nothing. I plan to continue reading the series and hope Lee will grow on me and/or grow up a bit.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the Gideon Oliver series of books by Aaron Elkins. This one is similar in its endearing characters, though set on a golf course. And the bad guy's motive and means are a little farfetched. Still enjoyable, though.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on the golf course during an LGPA tourney. Lee Ofsted for the first time in her life is leading the boards and events as well as murder conspire to knock her out of the running. This disappointment is supposed to be assuaged by solving the murder of a disliked man. I was still bummed out but Ofsted takes life as it comes and of course was a help in the resolution of the case.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of liked this golfing mystery - a different twist.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

#2 in series, good

[Pat]

Gideon Oliver

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book but I figured out who did it pretty quickly and after that it was mostly just a cute little story. I enjoyed it anyway but that did lower it down to an average book.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute golfing mystery.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Rotten Lies" - written by Charlotte Elkins and published in 1995 by Mysterious Press. A murder mystery with a golf twist - the Gideon Oliver stories are better.