Gone, Kitty, Gone by Eileen Watkins

Gone, Kitty, Gone by Eileen Watkins ISBN-13: 9781496722973 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Kensington Released: December 31st 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
With her new van, Cassie has expanded her Comfy Cat business to include mobile cat grooming. Next stop: a cat expo at a hotel just outside her hometown of Chadwick, New Jersey, where Cassie will give a grooming demo using shelter cats to encourage adoption while her veterinarian boyfriend Mark will offer a program on cat care and health.

The highlight of the expo will be a major cat show featuring pop sensation Jaki Natal. Almost as famous as his owner is her pet Gordie, a Scottish fold, who's become a social media darling. But then adorable Gordie goes missing and a security guard is found murdered. While the cops are more interested in solving the murder of a human, Jaki insists Cassie help expose the catnapper and return gorgeous Gordie to the fold.


My Review:
Gone, Kitty, Gone is a cat-themed cozy mystery. It's the fourth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous ones.

This was more of a suspense than a clue-based puzzle mystery. Cassie and her friends mainly stayed on the lookout for the missing cat and asked some questions that helped the owner remember who might steal her cat. The friendly detective did most of the actual investigating of leads, though Cassie did end up being critical to discovering whodunit and the cat. Cassie and her friends were nice people who cared about others.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable cat-related mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

To Die To Sleep by Stephanie Black

To Die To Sleep by Stephanie Black ISBN-13: 9781524409135 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: November 1st 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Natalie Marsh is heading for Ellsberg Keep, an exclusive mountain resort that promises to provide the tranquility she desperately needs. She’s eager to relax and to reconnect with her estranged cousin Lily, who works as the Keep’s nurse—a reunion that begins abruptly when an accident on the winding mountain roads lands Natalie in the infirmary in the care of her cousin. They have little time to bond over childhood memories, however. Everything is thrown into chaos when the owner of the Keep is rushed to the medical wing, wildly delusional and raving about a murder plot.

Despite Lily’s care, the owner dies. Is his death simply an accident, or are his frenzied suspicions true? Determined to help Lily cope with the loss of her patient—and the accusations that she’s to blame for his death—Natalie searches for answers and is swept into a mystery that grows more puzzling as frightening hallucinations torment the dead man’s son. When a staff member who asks too many questions disappears, it is clear that this idyllic resort harbors someone with deadly intent—and Natalie may not survive to uncover the truth.


My Review:
To Die To Sleep is a suspense novel. Natalie is injured when she stops to help someone on the side of the dangerous, winding road leading up to the resort. Before long, the owner is dead and some people question if the death might've been murder. A winter storm cuts off all outside help, and things grow more dangerous as more people go missing or turn up dead.

Natalie investigated to help clear her cousin's name, and she asked good questions that uncovered a tangled past. There were enough clues that I was able to guess whodunit very early on, but there were soon enough confusing/conflicting clues that I began to question my guess. Natalie and her boyfriend had to survive until they discovered whodunit and whodunit was arrested by the police (when they finally made it through the snow storm). Natalie and her boyfriend were kind, engaging characters, and I cared about what happened to them.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Murder, She Encountered by Peg Cochran

Murder, She Encountered by Peg Cochran ISBN-13: 9780525479741 Kindle ebook Publisher: Random House Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
New York City, 1939. A rising star at the Daily Trumpet, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams has been sent to the World’s Fair to cover a robbery. What she stumbles upon instead is a dead woman, dumped into the Aquacade’s pool with a nylon stocking wrapped around her neck.

Elizabeth snaps a photo as the police arrest Joey Dorman, a gentle young hot dog vendor who made no secret of his obsession with the murder victim. The fear and confusion evident on Joey’s face are haunting. Elizabeth vows to prove his innocence—or his guilt—with her partner at the Daily Trumpet, Ralph Kaminsky. Meanwhile, her romance with Detective Sal Marino is heating up, and Elizabeth is more determined than ever to follow her heart.

But when Kaminsky ends up in the hospital, Elizabeth is forced to continue the investigation on her own. And as she tries to narrow down the long list of suspects, she discovers a secret some would kill to protect.


My Review:
Murder, She Encountered is a mystery set in July 1939 in New York City. It's the third book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

The author included interesting historical and setting details, especially about the Worlds Fair. Elizabeth and her reporter partner were observant and asked a lot of questions – often questions more suited to a detective than a reporter, though. They uncovered a lot of motives, but not a lot of clues. But as the critical clues were uncovered, Elizabeth was able to figure out whodunit (and whodunit is guessable). Conflict is building in her relationship with the handsome detective, though, since she withheld information from him in order to get an exclusive article on the front page of her newspaper.

There was no sex. There were only a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman

Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman ISBN-13: 9780764233951 Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
When cybercriminals hack into the US Marshals' Witness Protection database and auction off witnesses' personal details to the highest bidders, the RED Team led by FBI Agent Sean Nichols begins a high-stakes chase to find the hacker. But before he can even get started, the first witness is targeted and barely escapes with her life. Sean believes Phantom, an obsessed hacker who previously outwitted the top minds in the field, is behind the attack, and Sean needs this witness's help, as she's the person who has come closest to discovering Phantom's identity.

Trouble is, she's a witness under the care of US Marshal Taylor Mills, and Sean is reluctant to work with the captivating marshal who knows his deepest secrets. But Phantom claims he knows where the witness is hiding and will kill her, so to stop the hacker, Sean and Taylor must work through their personal pain and learn to trust each other.


My Review:
Seconds to Live is a Christian romantic suspense novel. I've enjoyed this author's previous books, but she unfortunately hit every one of my major pet peeves in this book. Taylor's very devoted to her job of protecting witnesses, and she's willing to stand up to others to make sure they stay safe. This put her in conflict with Sean, who needed her witness to help track down a hacker that broke into the witness protection database and threatens the safety of all of the witnesses in the program.

Though they were supportive friends online, they're in constant conflict once they meet and try to work together. They want to get along, but he's under a lot of stress and their personalities clash. He's impulsive. She likes to plan. They never really became a good team as they kept hurting each other by their actions. They're also both devoted to their jobs on opposite coasts. The author did such a good job of convincing me that they could never be a couple that the quick turnaround at the end didn't work for me. They suddenly convinced themselves that their physical attraction and intense kissing meant their different personalities will complement each other instead of continue to create conflict. But I just don't see their relationship actually lasting as they still had many issues to work through.

Sean and Taylor were very distracted by each other's physical appearance and presence, but the rest of the team seemed rather dense considering they were supposed to be a top team. At 71%, they said, "we should have known that Phantom would do something like this." Well, I certainly had guessed that a long time ago. This happened several times, and the twists were not surprises me.

Any respect on my part for Taylor also took a nosedive after 91%. The author mentioned several times that she had her gun ready and loaded, but then she didn't take an opportunity to use her gun to save her witness. Instead, she irrationally, impulsively threw herself into danger so that the manly, capable hero – Sean – could save everyone. Why can't she be capable, too, not just a good babysitter for petulant witnesses?

Both Taylor and Sean had major trust issues that they had to overcome, including trusting God with the future. There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen ISBN-13: 9780764218194 Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. He's sent to a remote island on the Thames, and he finds himself falling for the main suspect—a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended...this. Isabelle doesn't know who to trust among those who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.


My Review:
The Bridge to Belle Island is a historical romance/mystery set in 1819 in England. Benjamin loses a case because he trusted a beautiful woman. Then one of the partners is found murdered, which further threatens the firm. Benjamin's mentor sends him to subtly investigate Isabelle, but he greets her by basically accusing her of murder. She's a very kind and compassionate woman who continues to forgive his suspicion, but they couldn't really grow to love each other because of his continued distrust. I could see them becoming friends, but I had trouble accepting the romance, especially when she had several supportive, interested men around.

The story focused more on relationships than on uncovering clues, but I knew who the murderer was before half of the book was done. I could understand why Benjamin and Isabelle didn't see it, though.

Isabelle struggled with an intense fear of leaving the island, and several men who cared about her were trying to help her overcome this fear. She also had to forgive several people for wrongs done in the past and needed forgiveness as well. Benjamin occasionally prayed to God about his worries and for guidance. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this historical romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Krista Davis

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Krista Davis ISBN-13: 9780451491688 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: November 26th 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
America's favorite dog comes to pet-friendly Wagtail for some rest and relaxation, but Holly quickly discovers that this perfect pup is a total scamp who takes every opportunity to run off and misbehave. During an outdoor treasure-hunting game, the star dog and Trixie, Holly's beloved Jack Russell terrier, stumble across a dead body. Holly has more than murder to worry about, though, when a man shows up after reading an article featuring Trixie in a magazine and claims that he is the dog's rightful owner. Holly will need to prove that she is her pup's only parent and catch a killer to restore peace to her pet-loving happy place.


My Review:
The Dog Who Knew Too Much is a cozy mystery. It's the sixth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous ones. There's a lot for Holly to handle as local dogs have been disappearing, a Hollywood dog and fellow actors show up for a vacation at her hotel, and a visitor claims that Holly's dog is actually his dog.

The Hollywood actors drew a lot of attention and added drama, but it was a local woman who turned up dead. Several of the visitors knew her a long time ago, but it's not clear why any of them would murder her now. Holly asked questions and observed people, then passed on clues to the detective. The mystery was complex enough that whodunit was guessable but not obvious. The characters were interesting and engaging. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Murder, She Wrote: A Time for Murder by Jon Land

Murder, She Wrote: A Time for Murder by Jon Land ISBN-13: 9781984804303 Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: November 26th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Two timelines converge. Young Jessica Fletcher's life couldn't be more ordinary. She teaches at the local high school while she and her loving husband, Frank, are raising their nephew Grady together. But when the beloved principal dies under mysterious circumstances, Jessica knows something is off and, for the very first time, investigates a death.

Present-day Jessica is interviewed by a woman who later turns up dead. She turns out to have links to Jessica's very first murder case. With nothing but her own instincts to guide her, Jessica embarks on a quest to find out what really happened all those years ago and who's behind these murders.


My Review:
A Time for Murder is a cozy mystery. This is the 50th book in the series. You don't have to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this one doesn't spoil the whodunit of previous novels.

The book had two mysteries: Jessica's first murder investigation which occurred 25 years ago and one that was happening currently. The old murder was told a bit at a time, explaining the clues as Jessica spotted them. Whodunit was a strong suspect, but I couldn't be sure until the final clues that Jessica revealed as the murder was arrested.

The current murder case was connected to that old case because the murdered man's daughter was investigating that murder when she was killed. The characters bantered with each other as they traveled around asking questions and tracking down clues. The current case was solved more by a sudden insight than with clues and evidence, though I did guess whodunit as a possibility.

I enjoyed the book until the unbelievable, adventure-movie-style ending. Jessica is apparently a superwoman in disguise, and we didn't know it. The ending was also left so that we don't know if whodunit is actually arrested, which I didn't find satisfying. There was no sex. There was one use of mild bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Lady Takes the Case by Eliza Casey

Lady Takes the Case by Eliza Casey ISBN-13: 9781984803887 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: November 26th 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
England 1912. Danby Hall is the only home Lady Cecilia Bates has ever known. Despite the rigid rules of etiquette and her mother the Countess of Avebury's fervent desire to see her married off, Lady Cecilia can't imagine life anywhere else. But now, with an agricultural depression sweeping the countryside, the Bates family's possession of the hall is suddenly in peril.

A possible solution arrives in the form of the imperious American heiress Annabel Clarke. The Earl and Countess of Avebury are determined that Cecilia's brother, Patrick, will win Annabel's hand in marriage--and her fortune along with it. The Bates and their staff arrange a grand house party upon the heiress's arrival. Then a guest dies after sipping from a glass meant for Annabel, and the police suspect Patrick. Cecilia sets out to find the culprit, with help from Annabel's maid, Jane, and Jane's curiously intelligent cat, Jack.


My Review:
Lady Takes the Case is a historical mystery set in 1912 in England. I enjoyed the main characters, but there were so many loose ends and vague explanations that I was left baffled and unsatisfied by the end. For example, they found several suspicious bottles (and other apparent clues) that were never explained. The woman that showed up at the very end never explained where she had been. A character who was drunk in one scene managed to shoot an arrow with superb accuracy just minutes later. A room that was at the opposite end of the hallway suddenly was described as across the hallway at the end of the book. And even the characters were confused by whodunit's reasoning and motive for the crime.

Lady Cecilia and the servant Jane were kind, engaging characters. The cat started out acting more like a dog, but it did act catlike by the end. The cat hardly played a role until the very end. Cecilia and Jane asked questions about potential motives. Since whodunit was pretty obvious from the very start, the middle of the story involved more descriptions of clothing and party activities than of the investigation. There were a number of historical errors, like the police leaving their critical evidence behind in room being used during a party, where anyone could meddle with it. There was no bad language. There was no sex.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Brewed Awakening by Cleo Coyle

Brewed Awakening by Cleo Coyle ISBN-13: 9780451488879 Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she's been missing for days, or that her friends and family have been frantic with worry. Now that she's back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiance. But to Mike Quinn's crushing distress, Clare doesn't remember him, or much of anything about the last fifteen years of her life.

Clare's missing memory is tied to a crime she witnessed. An acquaintance of Clare's elegant employer--and fellow member of an exclusive Gotham circle known as "The Ladies Who Brunch"--invited Clare to her posh hotel to sample gourmet wedding cakes. After their indulgent tasting, they headed to the parking garage, where a camera captured a masked figure with a gun confronting the hotel heiress with Clare looking on. Did the kidnapper take Clare, too? The camera went dark, just like Clare's memory. Soon authorities grow suspicious. Is Clare really a victim?

To clear her name, Clare must find a way to reclaim her memories and rescue the heiress before this high-stakes crime ends in tragedy. Otherwise, instead of walking down the aisle, Clare may find herself perp-walking to prison as an accomplice to kidnapping and murder.


My Review:
Brewed Awakening is a cozy mystery. This novel is the 18th in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

This is yet another mystery where someone with amnesia is a witness and needs to remember what happened. However, the authors focused on how this affected her relationships with the people she still knew and the people she ought to know, including her fiancé. I enjoyed this character development. Suspense was created by the relationship tensions and from the danger of someone trying to harm her because she is a witness. This didn't stop Clare from helping her handsome detective to investigate an old murder and a current kidnapping. They asked good questions and yet whodunit still came as a surprise to me.

There was some bad language. There were no graphic sex scenes; any sex was fade-to-black style after they started to kiss. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Holiday Homecoming Secrets by Lynette Eason

Holiday Homecoming Secrets by Lynette Eason ISBN-13: 9781335232519 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A friend is missing and presumed dead, and detective Jade Hollis is determined to track down the killer. To do that she must team up with private investigator Bryce Kingsley—who doesn’t know he is the father of her child. But she’ll have to put personal secrets aside because the killer will strike again to keep the truth from being exposed.


My Review:
Holiday Homecoming Secrets is a romantic suspense novel. Detective Jade and ex-soldier Bryce end up working together when a mutual friend is murdered. When Bryce was injured by an IED, he cut off all contact with Jade and many of his friends. He doesn't know that Jade had a child from the night when they went too far because she was upset about a death in the family. Jade doesn't know how to tell him about his child since he's repeatedly stated that he doesn't want to be a father because he doesn't think he'd be a good one. They work together to figure out who the murderer is, and it may be the corrupt cop that their journalist friend was trying to track down.

Bryce and Jade were kind, honorable people. Bryce was able to respect that Jade was the detective and running into danger was her job, but he also worked to protect her when that didn't interfere with her job. Since the killer repeatedly attacked Jade, she did need some help to survive long enough to solve the case.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders

Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders ISBN-13: 9781632868398 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Released: Dec. 3, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In 1851, private detective Laetitia Rodd gets an urgent request for her services. Jacob Welland is a reclusive, rich gentleman dying of consumption, and he wants Mrs. Rodd to find his brother, who has been missing for fifteen years.

Joshua Welland was a scholar at Oxford, brilliant, eccentric, and desperately poor when he disappeared from the university. Friends claim to have seen him since, in gypsy camps and wandering around the countryside. Mrs. Rodd travels to Oxford and begins to search for the wandering scholar. But as she investigates, Mrs. Rodd discovers something dark-and extremely dangerous-lurking in the beautiful English countryside.


My Review:
Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar is a mystery set in 1851 in England. This is the second book in the series, but it works as a stand alone. Laetitia seemed rather dense in this book. She believed people who were lying to her and otherwise assumed people were as good as she wanted them to be. She muddled around trying to find a person who was hiding from danger, totally missing why he didn't trust her (though I easily guessed). I was suspicious of whodunit early on, but she didn't seem to realize the significance of some of the things she learned. In the end, it was the Detective that figured out whodunit, though Laetitia realized he was right when he pointed it out. I don't know that I minded her denseness except that it didn't seem true when people kept saying she was a good detective.

Laetitia was well-meaning and had some progressive views, but she generally reflected the current (1850s England) culture. Historical details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of time and place without slowing the pacing. I appreciate that the author did enough research to get those historical details accurate. There were no sex scenes. There was a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery, but I liked the first book better.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock ISBN-13: 9780310332596 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: November 5th 2019

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.

Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed.

As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting.


My Review:
Smoke Screen is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The characters are well-developed and react realistically to events. The main characters are engaging, and I cared about what happened to them. The hero and heroine supported each other and brought out the best in each other.

The hero was hurt saving a family while his team was fighting a wildfire. He returned home to recuperate even though the town has labeled him the suspected-arsonist son of a murderer. His father has just been pardoned and is determined to prove who really did the murder so he can completely clear his name. Though the hero can't think of who else would have killed a pastor, he helped his father look into what happened all those years ago. The true killer felt threatened by this investigation and worked to at least ruin the hero's reputation to stop them from investigating.

The heroine's ex-husband immediately remarried after the divorce and now is suing for full custody of the children. To win the court case, his lawyer and father are determined to catch her every bad moment and verbally demolished her. She struggled with drinking to deal with the stress and depression of how the ex-husband's family treats her and the kids. The hero reached out to help her and give her hope.

Both main characters learned to trust God to bring about justice even when it looked like there was no hope. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable romantic suspense.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs

The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs ISBN-13: 9781492699569 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Dec. 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Jim Teasdale has been drowned in the Dumb River, near Ely, miles from his Yorkshire home. His body, clearly dumped in the usually silent ('dumb') waterway, has been discovered before the killer intended -- disturbed by a torrential flood. With critical urgency it's up to Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to trace the mystery of the unassuming victim's murder to its source, leaving waves of scandal and sensation in his wake as the hidden, salacious dealings of Jim Teasdale begin to surface.


My Review:
The Body in the Dumb River is a mystery that was originally published in 1961 and is set in England. Inspector Littlejohn followed up on obvious (and less obvious) leads and questioned many people. He slowly uncovered what happened until he was finally able to put it all together (with details filled in when whodunit confessed). There were clues and the reader can guess whodunit, but the mystery was somewhat complex which made identifying whodunit more difficult. The characters were interesting and varied. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.