June Online Book Club: The Semester of Our Discontent by Cynthia Kuhn

In the cutthroat world of faculty politics, publish or perish is real.

The ink on her PhD barely dry, Lila Maclean has captured a coveted position at prestigious Stonedale University. As if teaching, grading papers, and publishing original research weren’t challenging enough, Lila’s colleague turns up dead. When the body count increases and danger lurks around every corner and tunnel, Lila teams up with her few friends to figure out whodunit before she becomes the next victim. 

Introducing a cast of academic characters likely to be found at any institution of higher education, Lila navigates who can and can’t be trusted in this department full of professors with pet projects and hidden agendas. Lila’s sharp wit and dry humor is frequently directed at the police detective whose suspicions center on her. Even family and friends seem out to get her.

Part of the fun of reading mysteries is solving the puzzle. I thought I had guessed the killer several times, but didn’t get it right until the end. As an English major, I enjoyed the references to many of my favorite classic books. Anyone who loves academic mysteries or works in higher education will like this series. Semester of Our Discontent kept me turning pages until the end.

Kuhn’s 5th book in the series just came out in May. If you start these, you’ll be set for a while!

I’ll definitely be checking out this whole series. 

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.