Margin of Error

I was disappointed reading Margin of Error by Edna Buchanan because I thought it was gointg to be about finding the serial killer who cuts out victims hearts. I thought it would be learned that this killer was also responsible for killing livestock draining them of blood. Those mysteries were not solved.

The novel seemed more of a romance than murder mystery, tho' there were several murders solved, including the death of a homeless man. Identifying the man was difficult because "The homeless are rarely reported missing." Homeless in Long Beach came and went quickly, leaving those of us left behind curious as to what became of them. I did it myself when I went back east, not telling anyone my plans. "Have you seen...?" is a common question. Of course, we would not think to report a peer missing.

It was also said that the murderer would have "...no difficulty luring a street person..." to the home where he was murdered "...with the promise of money, food, or clothes." Mostly true.

After an extravagant gala a character loaded the leftover food in vehicle to take to a food bank at a homeless shelter. "The homeless will dine well."

Yes, I had that kind of treat while homeless. Sometimes there might be meat ~ like roast beef or pasta leftovers. Often there were a lot of fresh cakes and other pastry. This is how I learned food from weddings or City Council (et al) meetings was commonly distributed among homeless people or places that feed them, such as shelters. Film crews likewise shared their food with homeless ~ often on location such as at the Alamitos beach picnic area while filming automobile commercials.

Street kids witness a shooting and are wise beyond their years able to identify guns used in the drive-by. Another incident cos also canvassed "...among the street people..." for witnesses to a crime. One was an "unkempt middle-aged man" with "...several layers of clothing and a tattered gym bag." Staying warm, even in summer is the reason many of us wear layers of clothing. Often see the tattered gym bags at Main library while a homeless guy is using the Internet. I much preferred a backpack than the gym bags or suitcases so many of my peers used.

Telling a newcomer to Miami about the beach, character said "To say nothing of the wandering homeless...". Homeless do wander the beaches; daytime sleeping is a common sight. I know homeless who slept on the beach overnight without getting rousted, but never tried it myself.

Reading "She was stunning in a sparkly silver sheath." confused me. Flipped back a coupld of pages which stated the character planned to wear "green velvet". Okay, people do change their minds about clothing; yet for fiction, seems the clothing details were not needed: does not advance story.