A Genuine Fix
Allie Cobb Mystery#2
By J.C. Kenney
ASIN B07KDWV2RX
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Murder takes a page out of a killer’s playbook when literary agent Allie Cobb becomes her Indiana town’s number-one bestselling suspect …
Running the family literary business while preparing for her best friend’s wedding, chairing a park planning committee, and getting her rescue cat to bond with her boyfriend’s golden retriever doesn’t leave Allie Cobb much time for crime-solving. But when the guy who stood her up the night of her high school senior prom is killed and dumped in a pile of mulch, Allie’s suddenly the prime suspect.
It’s insulting enough that gambler, drunk, and all-around lowlife Georgie Alonso was found on the site of the memorial park honoring Allie’s deceased father. Now she’s fighting to clear her name and hold off a rush to judgment. But politics, decades-old secrets, and a slew of high-profile suspects make dangerous bedfellows as the eve of the park’s grand opening draws nearer. She’ll have to nab a killer soon, before her storybook life gets a bad ending … (Goodreads)
Review:
A Genuine Fix is the sophomore follow up to J.C. Kennedy’s A Literal Mess. The close knit small town feel and enjoyable characters shine here making for a fun, breezy read.
Allie is settling into life back in her hometown and in running her father’s literary agency. Also on her plate is overseeing the construction of a park honoring her father’s memory. At her weekly progress check in, she discovers the body of Georgie Alonso at the park site. She quickly finds herself at the top of the suspect list due to her unpleasant past with Georgie.
I have to admit that I find the premise of Allie being the prime suspect because she was stood up at prom years ago absurd. This is the weakest of motives at its best, but for her to move away only to seek her revenge upon her return is just plain silly, and this hampered my enjoyment of the story a bit. That said, the mystery is full of suspects with more added to the list with every exposed clue. The culprit did come as a somewhat of a surprise; I must have missed a clue early on. The story moves along at a quick pace and is light reading. I really like the small town setting and that everyone is connected in some way. For instance, the police chief is Allie’s former brother-in-law. The tightly knit community feels authentic.
I do like Allie. She is engaging, smart and level headed, and her occupation is interesting and not your average cozy sleuth’s job. Her family members, not without their own issues, provide a nice backdrop to the tale. The supporting characters are congenial and fairly well developed.
Overall, A Genuine Fix is entertaining, and a good representation of the cozy genre. Recommended to avid cozy fans.
