A Killer Read
By Erika Chase
Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, Book #1
ISBN-13: 978-0425247037
Author’s Website: http://erikachase.com/
Brought to you by OBS staff member Andra
Synopsis:
A Killer Read is the first in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.
It’s the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society and an intruder is later found dead in his car. When the owner of the mansion which is home to the book club meetings, Molly Mathews, becomes the prime suspect, Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with the Ashton Corners, AL school board, and fellow book club members turn their talents to sleuthing.
Who knew the new police chief would be none other than Lizzie’s old unrequited high school flame, Mark Dreyfus? Why is she finding chapters from an anonymous manuscript in her mailbox? And will cheese straws have to be served at every meeting from now on?
Lizzie is unrelenting in tracking down the killer, even to the point of putting herself in danger — from the murderer and the oh-so-alluring police chief.
Review:
It has been a VERY long time since I began a new cozy mystery series where I was blown away. I can say without a shadow of a doubt…this story was excellent. So many things to praise. The writing style was engaging, easy to read and entertaining. I also really loved how each chapter began with a snippet from another mystery writer’s book.
I felt happy for Lizzie when she got all excited that Mark was at her house when she drove home one evening:
“She felt a jolt of excitement when she turned onto Sidcup Street and saw the police car parked in from of her house. She had to admit Mark hadn’t been too far from her thoughts since their hike the morning before.”
…and then to find out it was Officer Amber Craig and then to be questioned by the officer. I found Officer Craig annoying and a bit condescending. Hopefully as she gains more experience on the force she will mellow as she was quite the proverbial hard when interviewing / interrogating each of the ‘Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society’ members.
There were many threads to this mystery coming from various angles. To begin with…who is the victim? It appeared that no one from the book club even knew why he had come into Molly`s house uninvited nor why he came to be murdered right outside of her house moments later. At times I had to really think and ponder the inter relationships; but in the end it all came together and made perfect sense. I found it compelling when the death of Lizzie`s father was brought into the story and how that whole story line wove into the current murder.
I liked the incorporation of Lizzie’s two cats in the story – Brie and Edam (love the names!). Bringing a person`s pet`s into the story makes it more relatable. Also, pets are usually good judges of character, so it said a lot that Brie liked Mike Dreyfus 🙂
I love how I was in the dark until the very end…a mark of a great cozy mystery…..when I can’t figure it out until I read about “whodunit”. I have already obtained the next books in the series and plan to get right on reading them…. I can`t wait to see if or how the relationship between Lizzy and Mike develops. Will Officer Craig mellow with time? What about Molly and Bob Miller?
Thank you, Erika Chase, for penning such a delightful story.
