Title: A Death in the Dark
Series: Novel Detectives Mystery
By: Ellie Alexander
ISBN: 9781837003136 (ISBN10: 1837003130)
ASIN: 1837003130
Website: https://www.elliealexander.co/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
An assistant athletics coach is found murdered at Redwood Grove High School and all evidence points one way—but the Novel Detectives are about to face their most puzzling case yet.
When beloved local teacher and track coach Josh Bynum stumbles into the Secret Bookcase distressed and with no memory of the previous night, Annie and Fletcher’s instincts tell them something doesn’t add up.
As the duo delve deeper into the tight-knit world of high school athletics, they uncover a web of secrets. Between ambitious parents, suspicious fundraising activities, and a star athlete with a lot to lose, everyone has something to hide.
Annie and Fletcher will need all their investigative skills and the support of their Redwood Grove friends if they’re to solve this mystery. Has Josh been set up? And what if there’s a clever killer somewhere in their beloved hometown, who might decide to target them next? (Goodreads)
Review:
In the second book of the Novel Detectives Mystery series, A Death in the Dark, I was captivated – so much so that I most assuredly stayed up way too late reading as I just had to finished the book! And to me – that is the sign of an excellent read. While I did start with book one of this series, I don’t feel as if it is crucial to one’s reading enjoyment of this addition to the Novel Detectives Mystery series.
The journey the reader is taken on is one filled with what you would expect from a cozy mystery but also much more. I got to experience the ups and downs of the main characters as they struggle to solve the mystery of what happened to Rob Myers – assistant coach to Josh Bynum. Or should I say – who murdered Rob? We are also led through Annie’s everyday life in Redwood Cove. All I have to say is she is one busy lady…running a detective agency as well as the local bookstore. And where does she find the time to foster her relationship with Liam Donovan (the Stag Head pub owner)?
When Josh showed up to the Novel Detectives office early one morning all disheveled (and by that I mean all bloody!) one wonders if Annie and Fletcher will take him on as a client for their fledgling detective agency. Well of course they do, otherwise what would be the point of the book. As Annie and Fletcher work through all the clues to figure out what really happened, this reader was fully immersed in the story. Without giving anything away (one hopes), I found the twists and turns are what really drew me in. This book is just not about Rob’s murder, but so much more. Red herrings abound and as one query is answered there are at least two more that pop up.
The detective agency is also continuing to work (albeit slowly) on the case brought up by Caroline in the first book in the series. It has to do with finding out if Hal (the previous owner of the bookshop) is a descendent of Agatha Christie. I like this slow burn towards solving this mystery. I anticipate it carrying over to more books in this series J. Annie and Fletcher will have to move on this carefully!
What do I like about Ms. Alexander’s storytelling? Almost everything. I find that when I read her books (this new series included) that I become part of the community and I become invested in the outcome very early on in the book. While some of the nuances of the characters were probably gleaned from one of her previous series (Secret Bookcase Mysteries series), there is and has been with this series enough backstory so that a new reader to this series is provided with the much needed character facts.
An early thought by Annie with respect to her partner Fletcher really brought out the essence of Fletcher:
“As was typical, Fletcher was dressed in a pair of slacks, a button-up shirt, and a houndstooth vest. Where he managed to acquire the vintage pieces was always a mystery to me. Yet despite his formal appearance, he was one of the most down-to-earth people I knew, able to recommend the perfect read to bookstore customers and put clients at ease.”
The descriptions throughout the book hit home and made my internal visual thoughts come to life… the following is an example of one such description:
“Sunlight danced on the polished parquet floors in the adjoining Conservatory. The grand ballroom was where we hosted large events like author talks and panels. It always reminded me of a scene from Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley with its mind green walls, ornate chandeliers, arched windows, and gold filigree accents. The marble fireplace was draped with floral and citrus garlands, including real oranges, lemons, sprigs of herbs, pink peonies, and creamy roses. More vases with matching garden bouquets were dotted on the bookcases, giving the entire room a soft spring blush.”
The myriad of characters is interesting, and not too many, in my opinion. At times, cozy mysteries can get inundated with too many characters in the storyline, but in A Death in the Dark, I found that it was not too overwhelming and I was able to keep everyone straight. But if you are like some readers, I suggest keeping a character list until you become familiar with all the characters.
I am still wondering about the title of the book – but I shall ponder on that more in the hopes that it will become evident to me… at least one can hope 🙂
If you enjoy cozy mysteries which keep you guessing throughout (though numerous times thinking you have figured it out -> yup that’s me!), then the storytelling of Ms. Alexander in A Death in the Dark might be be just what you need to read next.
