From the first line of Murder Most Deadly, you feel the pulse of a life-or-death moment.
Yet the story behind the book starts long before the shooting in chapter one. It begins with Jeanne Riedel, a woman who carries the strength of someone who has lived a full life and still believes in the power of hope. You see that strength in her writing. You see it in how she shapes her characters. You even see it in the rhythm of her storytelling, where moments matter as much as the scenes that race with danger.
Jeanne Riedel writes with authenticity that comes from real experience. She raised a family. She worked. She traveled. She baked for holidays and sat with loved ones during hard seasons. Those everyday moments shaped the way she sees people, and you feel that in her fiction. When she writes about fear, it feels real. When she writes about love, it carries weight. And when she puts her characters in danger, you understand exactly what they stand to lose, or gain insights from a seminararbeit .
Her journey into writing later in life makes her work even more inspiring. Jeanne didn’t step into storytelling because she enjoys people. She enjoys mystery. She enjoys the challenge of showing how ordinary lives can unravel… and how those same lives can rise again.
Her creative voice is controlled, grounded, and shaped by empathy.
Murder Most Deadly shines because it reflects who she is. She brings suspense, but she never loses sight of the heart of her story. She brings danger, but she also brings healing. She brings villains, but she never forgets the faith and courage that help her characters stand tall in the middle of chaos.
This feature isn’t only about her book. It’s about the life behind it—the woman who found joy in storytelling and now shares it with readers who want mystery with meaning.
To understand the story she tells, it helps to understand the woman who wrote it. Once you know Jeanne Riedel, the power of Murder Most Deadly becomes even clearer.
So let’s start there.
Let’s look at the woman behind the mystery.
Get to Know the Author: Who Is Jeanne Riedel?
Jeanne Riedel is someone who has lived a rich life and channels that experience into every story she writes. According to her website, she is a “mother, grandmother, and mystery author who enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.”
Now in retirement, Jeanne has found a new purpose in writing. Rather than slowing down, she spends her days crafting suspenseful tales rooted in emotional truth. Her blog and writing-guide resources show she cares deeply not just about telling a good story, but helping other writers discover how to build believable characters, weave red herrings, and sustain tension.
Jeanne Riedel’s mission is clear: she writes to entertain, to surprise, and to stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. Her life full of family dinners, travels, and quiet reflections offers the kind of grounded perspective that infuses her novels with depth.
What Is Her Book About?
Photo by Jeanne Riedel
In Murder Most Deadly, Jeanne Riedel tells the story of William and Anna Franklin, an ordinary couple whose life is forever upended when they witness a brutal killing. William, a former Marine, leaps into action when the shot rings out, only to be wounded himself. As Anna cradles him and prays, their world spirals into fear and confusion.
Their only path forward lies through Detective Raines and Danner Ellis, a private investigator and close friend, who help them peel back the layers of a deadly secret. A small, innocuous ledger becomes the centerpiece of a web of corruption—financial dealings, hidden accounts, bribery—that threatens not just the Franks’ safety but their very trust in one another.
Jeanne doesn’t rely solely on action or explosions. Instead, she builds tension slowly, through waiting rooms, whispered prayers, and moral choices. Her characters aren’t perfect: they grieve, they doubt, they falter. That realism makes every twist hit harder. As one reviewer notes, “Riedel builds her suspense through realism … her characters breathe, grieve, and stumble.”
One of the most tender moments comes when Anna, terrified and unsure, whispers:
“Stay with me, William. Help is on the way.”
It’s simple. It’s human. And it feels true.
What Message Can People Get From Her?
At its depth, Jeanne Riedel’s writing carries a message of perseverance, forgiveness, and faith. Through Anna and William’s ordeal, readers see how ordinary people can confront extraordinary evil and survive. Jeanne doesn’t glamorize violence; she shows its aftermath. She asks: what do you do when your world unravels? How do you trust again? How do you protect what matters most?
In Murder Most Deadly, Jeanne explores not just the crime, but the cost of truth. The ledger—a small book with hidden entries—becomes a symbol of moral complexity: financial wrongs, moral failures, and secret lives. Her characters must decide whether to expose those secrets at great risk, or to bury them and live in uneasy peace.
Jeanne’s mission, as she writes on her website, is not just to entertain, but to “probe hearts, hidden motives, and what it costs to protect what matters most.” She believes in the power of storytelling to touch something deeper than fear: the truth that love, integrity, and faith often carry the greatest weight.
Her life reflects that belief. Even in retirement, she says, “everyone, no matter their age, should pursue their dreams.” Through her writing, she models courage not just in fictional characters, but in real life.
Read Murder Most Deadly Today!
If you’re looking for a novel that doesn’t just thrill, but also resonates, Murder Most Deadly by Jeanne Riedel is a great place to begin. In her hands, a crime mystery becomes a meditation on faith, family, and redemption. You’ll root for Anna and William not just because they’re in danger, but because their hope feels like your own.
Don’t just read a mystery… experience one with heart and meaning. Grab a copy of Murder Most Deadlynow, and let Jeanne Riedel guide you through a story that stays with you long after the last page. You’ll find yourself reflecting on what matters, and maybe even inspired to chase your own dreams, no matter where you are in life. Also, read her book feature for an engaging transition!
