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Claudia Rose uses her skills as a forensic handwriting specialist to help fight crime, giving testimony in courtrooms on a regular basis. But she also caters to the individual client. When Paige Sorensen approaches her, it seems like it’s just another case involving a rich widow who inherits everything from her husband (who happened to be a lot older than she is), much to his children’s disgust and dismay. They’re determined to prove that Paige murdered their father and forged his signature on the documents. But Paige proclaims her innocence—and she’ll fight to hold on to the Sorensen Academy, a school for troubled teens, so her husband’s children can’t tear it down and put up a high-priced resort in its place.
Intrigued by the case, Claudia immerses herself in the Sorensen family and becomes emotionally involved with a young girl named Annabelle Giordano, a guest at the Sorensen Academy, whose father is a big-time movie producer. When death threats start flying, suddenly nothing is cut and dry, and Claudia finds that she has to look at everyone’s penmanship in order to figure out who might be a potential killer.
Written in Blood has piqued my curiosity for handwriting analyses. Apparently, one can determine who is a murderer, who could be a murderer, and what motivates a person—just by examining his or her handwriting. And though handwriting analyses may sound boring, it’s anything but. Ms. Lowe balances necessary details with mystery and suspense, a smidgen of drama, and a fast-paced climax, making Written in Blood an intriguing and exciting read.
Everything about this novel, from the characters to the technicalities of handwriting analyses, is fascinating—and it makes for one great read. I simply enjoyed Written in Blood from start to finish—and I would love to see Claudia Rose in future forensic handwriting mysteries.
