Law and Author

An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery #5

By Erika Chase

ISBN# 9780425278208

Erikachase.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:  

Bob Miller, retired police chief and member of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, is stunned by the arrival of his twenty-one-year-old granddaughter, Darla, whom he has never seen. Bob has been estranged from his own daughter for decades and hopes to make up for his absence in Darla’s life. But some of the ladies of the book club find their Southern hospitality strained as they question the motives behind this sudden reunion.

After a dead man is found in Molly Mathews’s backyard, their concerns grow more serious. Lizzie Turner saw Darla arguing with the stranger the day before, but when the police question her, Darla proves to be an unreliable narrator. It’s up to the book club to uncover the real story . . . before another victim is written into the plot. (Goodreads)

Review:

Lizzie is anticipating a relaxing Easter holiday break from her job as a reading specialist for the local school system, but her contentedness is shattered by the ringing of Molly’s doorbell.  On the stoop, they find Darla, Bob’s grand-daughter who he did not even know existed.  Darla claims to be there with the sole purpose of getting to know Bob, but her story quickly unravels when her boyfriend arrives and a stranger is found dead in Molly’s backyard.  Lizzie is concerned and skeptical because she saw the deceased and Darla arguing the day before in town.  Lizzie and her police chief boyfriend Mark, with the assistance of the other book club members,  work together to find the truth and keep a sinister operation from taking root in Ashton Corners.

My favorite thing about the Ashton Corners series is the sense of visiting old friends in a lovely setting that I get while reading.  This feeling is this fifth installment’s saving grace.  I like the members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society (this Southern girl loves anything involving iced tea and cheese straws).  They are a varied mix of people from all walks and stages of life.  They continue to grow with each book, and at this point I think I know them fairly well.  The subplots of wedding planning and Liizzie and Mark’s relationship evolution are the highlights of this book.  However, Molly and Bob’s rose-colored acceptance and faith in Darla seems out of character for both of them, and this bothered me throughout the book.  Conversely, Darla and her boyfriend Wade’s exploitation of the elderly nearly undid me and greatly inhibited my enjoyment.  I thoroughly disliked them both.  I do not tolerate scheming, lying, and wanting something for nothing well.

The motivations surrounding the stranger’s death are somewhat dark for a cozy mystery, but it is still a wholesome read.  Just about every member of the book club contributes in getting to the bottom of everything.  The investigation is logical and exhaustive, but the pace is slow at times.  Ashton Corners is as charming a location as ever but, unfortunately, this visit just missed the mark for me.  I will continue to read the series, and I am sure the next book will better suit me.

I recommend Law and Author to fans of the series and readers who enjoy a small town Southern setting with a diverse group of characters.