Captivating characters star in this mesmerizing whodunit packed with secrets.
An adrift investigator uncovers too many suspects in this mystery.
Emory Rome was unfairly dismissed from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in Murder on the Lake of Fire (2017), the first volume of Wilson’s mystery series. In this sequel, Emory is considering suing the TBI. Meanwhile, he starts a new job as a partner in Mourning Dove Investigations with his lover, Jeff Woodward, and Jeff’s longtime friend Virginia Kennon. The trio is soon tested by the bizarre death of Corey Melton, the husband of Virginia’s friend Becky. Corey fell through a window on the 29th floor of the Godfrey Tower. This is odd because Corey worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority in a neighboring building. He was in charge of seizing properties to build a wind farm. Soon, Virginia determines that Becky is having an affair. The MDI team suspects Corey was murdered and discovers a multitude of suspects, ranging from a witch to a pseudo-therapist at Corey’s workplace. Then, the head of the TBI seeks to rehire Emory, in part to make the lawsuit that the ex-agent finally filed go away. In addition, the three sleuths must deal with encounters with a man in a ski mask. Emory, Jeff, and Virginia need to find Corey’s killer before one of them becomes the next victim. Wilson never lets readers forget there is more at play here than just one case to be solved. The man in the ski mask has returned to plague Jeff and Emory; the former agent’s dark history won’t stay in the past. Furthermore, Emory learns that Jeff has a big secret. That isn’t to say that the author gives short shrift to Corey’s murder, which is enjoyably convoluted, with many people having something to gain from his death. Wilson has also populated this book with delightful characters with an emphasis on diversity. MDI features two gay men still finding their way as a couple and a Black gal pal. Longtime Southerner Wilson makes the New South its own character, with players roaming from metropolitan Knoxville to a rural area that houses the planned wind farm. That makes for a colorful travelogue with an intriguing murder thrown in.
Captivating characters star in this mesmerizing whodunit packed with secrets.Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-94-739239-7
Page Count: 286
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An interesting puzzle infused with Big Apple attitude.
In trying to revive her failing coffee shop, a woman uncovers murders past and present.
Clare Cosi manages the Village Blend, an iconic Greenwich Village coffee shop, with her former mother-in-law, Madame Blanche Dreyfus Allegro DuBois, the original owner, and her ex-husband, Matteo Allegro, who travels the world in search of specialty coffee beans. A new customer, who says to call him Mr. Scrib, spends hours in the upstairs lounge writing in a notebook until he has a manic episode ending in hospitalization. Bent on enticing more customers, the staff comes up with the idea of reviving the use of the lounge as a writing retreat. The Writer’s Block, as it was once known, was a great success until it became the location of an unsolved murder. One evening while Clare is talking to Madame, noises in the alley draw them out—where they see someone attacking Mr. Scrib, apparently seeking his notebook. A furious Clare chases the miscreant, is hit by an electric scooter, and awakens in the arms of her fiance, NYPD Lieutenant Mike Quinn. A hospital wristband reveals that Mr. Scrib is really Jensen Van Dyne, a member of the original writing group from a period Madame does not like to talk about. Clare, who has a long history of solving murders, is determined to research the people involved, at least one of whom is now a famous author and a friend of Madame’s. To add to her stress, she sees Matt having a secret meeting with their nemesis, Cody Wood, whose national chain sells inferior coffee. Several of the clues she unearths from the past lead her to spend time in the rarified air of New York’s rich and famous seeking a killer.
An interesting puzzle infused with Big Apple attitude.Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593642283
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Author and heroine both know what they’re doing in this cat-centric cozy.
When a well-liked endodontist and part-time rocker is murdered, a small-town librarian relies on her magical cats and her wits to solve the case.
Sure, Kathleen Paulson’s always known that Mike Bishop played in Johnny Rock and the Outlaws, but she’s never appreciated how good he is until she and her friends see a live reunion concert. It’s unbelievable that the endodontist who perfected her smile can also wail on the guitar and truly rock out. Kathleen’s boyfriend, Marcus, and her closest friend, Roma, are equally in awe. But Mike’s not one to brag, and when Kathleen runs into him after the show, he’s more interested in discussing his recent genealogical research than in projecting a rocker persona. In her librarian role, Kathleen’s been helping Mike find resources to research his Finnamore family history, and he’s finally ready to draft his family tree. Kathleen can even recommend an artist to help Mike turn his research into something beautiful. But before the transition from notes to art can get underway, Marcus calls Kathleen with some shocking information from his role as the Mayville Heights police detective: Mike is dead, and the signs point to murder. Kathleen is shocked that someone would murder Mike, who was universally liked, and feels she must discover the truth. Unlike in many other cozies, Kathleen and Marcus share information in mutual faith that one of them will solve the case. Of course, Kathleen has the advantage of Owen and Hercules, cats with magical powers that may help guide her to answers.
Author and heroine both know what they’re doing in this cat-centric cozy.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593199-98-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: July 9, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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