Homicide in the House (Washington Whodunit #2)
Author: Colleen J. Shogan
ISBN13: 9781603813334
Author website: http://www.colleenshogan.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis: 
Kit Marshall has bounced back from her first brush with the law, when she was suspected of murdering her senator boss. Now she is working for a freshman congresswoman, Maeve Dixon, a young Gulf War veteran representing North Carolina. It’s February, and Kit is feeling out of sorts. A government shutdown has just been announced, wreaking havoc on the Hill, and Dan, Dixon’s chief of staff and Kit’s supervisor, is an inexperienced lightweight flying blind. Then there’s Kit’s distracted live-in boyfriend, Doug, who doesn’t seem any closer to popping the question. Kit’s best friend Meg is up to her eyeballs with her new beau and oversight committee job, and Clarence the beagle mix will certainly not win Capitol Canine if Meg has to campaign for him all by herself. Bad as things are now, they are about to get much worse. Early one morning Representative Dixon is caught standing over the corpse of Jack Drysdale, the Speaker of the House’s top staffer, a man she argued with in front of the press the day before. The murder weapon was the Speaker’s gavel. This item was entrusted to Dixon at the time, leading the police to believe they’ve found their killer. To save her job, Kit must clear her boss’s name, and quickly. Dixon’s career may be over if the police declare her a suspect or an anonymous blogger known as Hill Rat breaks the story. Solving this murder will test Kit’s courage and all her fledgling powers of deduction as she roams a spooky, sparsely populated Capitol Hill looking for clues and sounding out suspects. Book 2 of the Washington Whodunit series, which began with Stabbing in the Senate.
Review:
Homicide in the House is a true page turner, stay up all night, read in one sitting follow up to Stabbing in the Senate. Once again author Colleen J. Shogan has made DC politics entertaining and truly enthralling. A big accomplishment since I do not care one bit about it normally. In the second installment, Kit Marshall has gone from the Senate to the House. And while she escaped not only prison, but unemployment, the House seems to hold its own dangers. Protagonist Kit is working for freshman congresswoman Maeve Dixon. Maeve is a straight shooter, representing North Carolina, who also happens to be a Gulf War Veteran. As Kit tries to settle into her new position, the House is in disarray due to a government shutdown. When murder again intrudes on Kit’s life, she has no choice but to find answers and the real killer.
Kit enjoys working for Maeve Dixon, but not so much her supervisor Dan, who seems to be in over his head. When Representative Dixon is found standing over the dead body of Jack Drysdale, things really look bleak. Not only is Dixon caught there, but just the day before she was seen arguing with Drysdale who was the Speaker of the House’s top staffer. And the murder weapon just happens to have been seen by all in the hands of Dixon the day before. Kit worries she may have to once again find a new employer as it looks like Dixon is the prime suspect and her career is ready to implode.
Homicide in the House is filled with great characters, secrets of the House, political intrigue, some laugh out loud moments and a wonderful mystery. Seriously well-written and a perfect whodunit. I was kept guessing until the end. I love the interaction between Kit and her best friend Meg. The extra fun of Clarence, Kit’s beagle mix, was icing on the cake for me. A sneaky anonymous blogger makes things even more interesting, as Hill Rat seems to spill secrets about the murder that Kit and the police wish stayed hidden. With the government shutdown, Kit is doing double duty – trying to solve the murder before her boss is arrested and keep the office running with just her and ineffectual Dan staffing it.
I think Homicide in the House is even better than the first in this Washington Whodunit series. I love Kit as the protagonist and she is surrounded by well-developed and interesting characters. The setting would not normally be my cup of tea, but author Colleen J. Shogan brings “The Hill” and Washington to life with such flair and color that I truly get immersed in it and end up loving it. Even if you did not read the first in this series (you really should) you will be able to follow this one and thoroughly enjoy it as well. The whodunit is well plotted and intriguing. The characters are believable and real even if the action is far removed for me. The humor and wit really elevate this read. I recommend it to cozy lovers that enjoy political subterfuge and those that do not. If you are looking for a great, can’t put it down book, look no further than Homicide in the House.
[…] “This whodunit is well plotted and intriguing. The characters are believable and real even if the action is far removed for me. The humor and wit really elevate this read. I recommend it to cozy lovers that enjoy political subterfuge and those that do not. If you are looking for a great, can’t put it down book, look no further than Homicide in the House.” Read more…. […]