Mike Bowen's Locked Room

"The instinct for justice is rooted so deeply in the human soul that even the finest law schools can’t eradicate it entirely. Not quite two years after MacKenzie Stewart’s phone call, Rep Pennyworth would find that noble truth highly inconvenient.”

" . . . sneakily smart."
-Chicago Tribune

" . . . PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG [is] a tale . . .
as appealing as a sunny day at the beach. . . .
Rep is as witty as ever, with clever repartee marking the dialogue between him and Melissa. . . .
There's absolutely nothing to dislike about this mystery, but much to be applauded. My only complaint is that the book had to end. Rep and Melissa are the most appealing pair of amateur detectives to come along in quite a while."
-Mary V. Welk, Reviewing the Evidence

“Intellectual banter remains the key appeal in this third entry in the Rep and Melissa Pennyworth series…Clean plotting, combined with the marital repartee, makes this a solid winner.” -Booklist

" . . . the witty repartee between the Pennyworths carries the day."
-Library Journal

"Another clever, ironic, funny novel about lawyering in Milwaukee . . . a fine, well-written and briskly laid out exposition with an eminently satisfying conclusion.”
-Carl Brookins in DorothyL

“Bowen effectively captures his Midwestern locale and takes readers on a fast-paced, exciting ride.”
-Publishers Weekly

“…Bowen manages to make it all work together smoothly, with literary references and his usual sense of humor intact. The book’s opening line ranks among the best…”
-Deadly Pleasures





		Putting Lipstick on a Pig Poisoned Pen Press "The instinct for justice is rooted so deeply in the human soul that even the finest law schools can’t eradicate it entirely. Not quite two years after MacKenzie Stewart’s phone call, Rep Pennyworth would find that noble truth highly inconvenient.” " . . . sneakily smart." -Chicago Tribune " . . . PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG [is] a tale . . . as appealing as a sunny day at the beach. . . . Rep is as witty as ever, with clever repartee marking the dialogue between him and Melissa. . . . There's absolutely nothing to dislike about this mystery, but much to be applauded. My only complaint is that the book had to end. Rep and Melissa are the most appealing pair of amateur detectives to come along in quite a while." -Mary V. Welk, Reviewing the Evidence “Intellectual banter remains the key appeal in this third entry in the Rep and Melissa Pennyworth series…Clean plotting, combined with the marital repartee, makes this a solid winner.” -Booklist " . . . the witty repartee between the Pennyworths carries the day." -Library Journal "Another clever, ironic, funny novel about lawyering in Milwaukee . . . a fine, well-written and briskly laid out exposition with an eminently satisfying conclusion.” -Carl Brookins in DorothyL “Bowen effectively captures his Midwestern locale and takes readers on a fast-paced, exciting ride.” -Publishers Weekly “…Bowen manages to make it all work together smoothly, with literary references and his usual sense of humor intact. The book’s opening line ranks among the best…” -Deadly Pleasures

		Unforced Error Poisoned Pen Press “First degree murder is punishable by death in Missouri, even if the victim is an editor of romance novels…Not only was the murder a tough break for the victim, but it interfered with the most interesting copyright issue Rep had seen in a long time.” “Rep uncovers an astounding plot that will certainly catch the reader by surprise…fans of more literate mysteries have good reason to cheer.” -Publishers Weekly

		Screenscam Poisoned Pen Press “A plot to rig the Oscar Awards? Is nothing sacred?...On the twentieth day of June in the thirty-first year of his life, Rep Pennyworth thought for a fleeting instant that he saw his mother walking up Commerce Street in downtown Indianapolis. This had happened previously, but not for several years and never before on a day when he’d done something illegal, unethical, and dumb.” "Bowen writes with knowledge and wit, tongue in cheek or rudely protruding. His cat-and-mouse corporate thriller zips merrily to a high-speed conclusion." -Publishers Weekly "Bowen, admired as a puzzle-spinner, is also one of crime fiction's wickedest satirists, with showbiz mores, law firm politics, and online kinkiness among his targets." -Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

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