Death by Committee
Abbey McCree Mystery #1
By Alexis Morgan
ISBN# 9781496719539
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis: 
When Abby McCree suddenly inherits her favorite relative’s property in small town Snowberry Creek, Washington, she soon realizes that the ramshackle home comes with strings attached–one of which is tied to a dead body!
After a rough divorce, Abby McCree only wants to stitch up her life and move on. But other loose ends appear after her elderly Aunt Sybil passes away, leaving Abby to tend to a rundown estate, complete with a slobbery Mastiff of questionable pedigree and a sexy tenant who growls more than the dog. As Abby gets drawn into a tight-knit quilting guild, she makes a twisted discovery–Aunt Sybil’s only known rival is buried in her backyard!
Despite what local detectives say, Abby refuses to accept that her beloved aunt had anything to do with the murder. While navigating a busy social calendar and rediscovering the art of quilting, she launches an investigation of her own to clear Aunt Sybil’s name and catch the true culprit. The incriminating clues roll in, yet Abby can’t help but wonder–can she survive her new responsibilities in Snowberry Creek and still manage to patch together a killer’s deadly pattern without becoming the next victim? (Goodreads)
Review:
Death by Committee, the first Abbey McCree mystery, lays a solid foundation for this new cozy mystery series. With its small town setting, wonderful variety of characters, and well plotted murder mystery, readers are sure to want many more adventures featuring intrepid amateur sleuth Abbey.
Abbey has survived a tough divorce and inherited her Aunt Sybil’s home and estate in Washington. Seeking a fresh start, she gladly heads to the small town Snowberry Creek to start over. She quickly takes over Sybil’s local committee commitments, including the quilting group. When her tenant Tripp unearths the body of Sybil’s adversary in the back yard, Abbey steps in to clear her beloved aunt’s name and find Dolly Cahill’s true killer.
I like Abbey. She is smart and resilient, a capable amateur sleuth. Her back story is pretty standard for a cozy setup, but her involvement with all of the “senior citizen” committees in her aunt’s small town provides enough novelty to keep it from being just another rote jilted woman setup. Even though I am not a quilter, the common thread of the missing quilts and quilting group is interesting. I wish I could see all of the missing quilts as I am sure they are beautiful. Abbey’ tenant, ex-military man Tripp provides a nice love interest and a bit of mystery to the tale. Of course, the giant dog Zeke is a lot of fun. I appreciate that Abbey stays in communication with local law enforcement, and I think Gage could become a great confidant for Abbey. Other supporting characters, including senior Glenda, round out the cast and make the story feel complete. The story is paced well, and the mystery solid. There are plenty of suspects capable of killing Dolly, and the twists and turns in the investigation keep readers guessing until the end.
I enjoyed Death by Committee and recommend it to any cozy mystery reader.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
