52 STEPS TO MURDER by Steve Demaree

52 STEPS TO MURDER 
by Steve Demaree
4 stars

When homicide detectives, Lt. Cy Dekker and Lou Murdock, are called to the home of the late Mrs. Nelson. All the houses on the street are high class, off the road, with 52 steps each to climb. They find that someone has poisoned her. With about a dozen kooky suspects - the detectives start their investigation. We have the loving granddaughter, the grocery delivery boy, the mailman, the lawyer, the neighborhood snoop times 2, the war veteran with ptsd and his mother; among a few others.
I found the characters and story funny, entertaining and a bit surprising. I enjoyed the word play between the two detectives. Also Cy and his neighbor, who seems to be a little bit of a stalker. I (unlike some reviewers) didn't find anything wrong with the detectives teasing each other and themselves about their age, weight, and fitness level. I can actually see myself climbing those steps, stopping to breath, and making a comment like " Wow, do I need to get in shape." or " I'm too old for this." So I don't see the problem other reviewers have with this.
I think Mr. Demaree did a great job. I found no typos (great use of the English language and punctuation). great plot, excellent characters, nice flow throughout, and keeps you guessing (and changing your mind) until the end.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery with a touch of humor.