Opening Thoughts
Some crime novels focus on clever twists. Others stay with readers because they feel real. It Started With a Murder belongs firmly in the second group, offering a story that combines tension with emotional depth in a way that lingers well after the final chapter.
The Investigation and Its Rising Stakes
It Started With a Murder (Michael Tough Mystery Series) by Richard M Enns opens with a chilling crime on a street feared by nearly everyone in Ocean View. Known as The Saber, the location sets the tone instantly. A teenage girl is found murdered, and the case lands on the desk of Detective Michael Tough. From the outset, the investigation refuses to follow a simple path.
Michael approaches the case with discipline and focus, shaped by years of experience. Yet each step forward seems to reveal another hidden layer. Clues surface, disappear, and resurface in altered forms. The sense that someone else controls the pace of the hunt creates constant unease. The narrative keeps moving, but it also pauses long enough to let readers feel the weight of every discovery.
As time passes, the scope of the case expands. Young women begin to vanish, and the fear gripping the city grows stronger. What began as one murder starts to resemble something far more organized. The possibility of multiple predators forces Michael to rethink everything he thought he understood. Ocean View feels like a living environment shaped by silence, neglect, and quiet corruption.
Lives Caught in the Crossfire
One of the novel’s most compelling aspects is its focus on people often ignored in crime fiction. Becky Conway stands at the center of this approach. A heroin-addicted prostitute, Becky enters the story carrying years of pain and survival instincts sharpened by necessity. Her involvement in the case changes its direction and emotional tone.
Becky is written with care and honesty. Her struggles are presented without judgment or romantic framing. Richard allows readers to see the strength required simply to endure her circumstances. Her past shapes every decision she makes, and that realism gives her character depth rarely afforded to similar roles.
As Michael and Becky’s paths intertwine, the story gains emotional complexity. Their connection develops through shared danger and reluctant trust. Michael sees Becky as more than a source of information. He recognizes her humanity, even when doing so complicates his professional obligations. This evolving bond raises the stakes, pushing Michael toward choices that challenge his career and personal beliefs.
The novel also explores the darker structures surrounding the crimes. Exploitation, betrayal, and institutional failures surface repeatedly. Each revelation reinforces how vulnerable lives can be discarded when systems prioritize convenience over justice. The tension comes not only from finding the killers, but from confronting the forces that allow violence to continue unchecked.
A Voice Shaped by Real Experience
Richard M Enns brings a distinct authenticity to the story. After nearly twenty-two years working with the San Diego County Probation Department, his understanding of crime and its aftermath feels grounded and precise. The procedures, frustrations, and moral gray areas ring true because they come from lived experience rather than research alone.
Richard’s academic background in History and Divinity adds another layer. Themes of redemption, responsibility, and moral conflict run quietly beneath the surface. These ideas never overwhelm the plot. Instead, they shape how characters reflect on their actions and the consequences that follow.
Readers familiar with Richard’s earlier novel, The Gynecologist’s Daughter, will recognize his interest in damaged lives and difficult choices. His writing avoids spectacle for its own sake. Violence is impactful because of what it does to people, not because of graphic detail.
Final Thoughts
It Started With a Murder delivers a gripping crime story that values emotional truth as much as suspense. Through Michael and Becky, the novel examines how justice becomes complicated when empathy enters the equation. It is a story about danger, connection, and the fragile hope that even the most broken paths can still lead somewhere meaningful.
