Murder at the Rusty Anchor
A Cozy Capers Mystery #6
By Maddie Day
ISBN 9781496740571
edithmaxwell.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
There’s deadweight behind the bar at the Rusty Anchor and it’s up to Cape Cod bike shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida to solve the murder in Agatha Award–winner Maddie Day’s latest Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery . . .
A rainy July weekend in Westham means the beaches are empty and business is dead at Mac’s Bikes but couldn’t be livelier inside the Rusty Anchor Pub. But come Monday morning one patron is not so lively when the chef opens up and finds a body behind the bar. It’s last call for Bruce Byrne, an elderly high school teacher who’s been around so long it seems like he taught everybody.
When Mac’s friend Flo, the librarian, makes the list of suspects, Mac gathers the Cozy Capers Book Group to clear her name. With no end in sight to the rain, the group has plenty of time to study the clues and sort through a roll call of suspects to determine who decided to teach Mr. Bryne a lesson. But with a killer desperate to cover their tracks, Mac and the group will be tested as never before . . . (From Goodreads)
Review:
Cape Cod sounds like a wonderful place to visit! This particular week, however, many tourists wished they had taken their midsummer vacation anywhere but there due to the rain, and to a smaller degree, perhaps the murder. Westham, Massachusetts is home to Mac, owner of Mac’s Bikes and newlywed of almost seven months. She and her friends in the Cozy Capers book club enjoy cozy mysteries and have likewise helped detectives solve several murders in the past year. On a rainy Monday morning, Mac left her shop for a quick errand. Yvonne, manager of the Rusty Anchor pub, stopped her and asked for help. Yvonne just got to work and found the body of a dead man behind the bar.
Most people in Westham, especially those in the downtown area, know Mac and how she has helped provide the police with information she and her friends in the book club hear about open murder cases. Mac is obsessive about keeping things clean and tidy, and to her, until solved, murders are messy and the bad guys need to be caught. Mac went inside with Yvonne, called the police, and asked Yvonne a few questions. They recognize the unfortunate victim as the worst-ever freshman English teacher at Westham High School, a class that every student who hopes to become a sophomore has to pass. Bruce Byrne was such a harsh man that most people didn’t like him.
While Byrne had no obvious injuries, the police seemed to think from the beginning that he had been murdered. Their local police detective, Penelope Johnson, and the state police detective, Lincoln Haskins, questioned Mac so she could return to the bike shop. The pub would be closed until they were done searching for evidence. Carl, the pub’s owner, came to town by surprise, and plans to stay until the case is solved. Carl’s employees do not like him very well, especially as he micromanages everybody.
The Cozy Capers met and discussed the murder. Despite their feelings about him, he deserved justice. He was harsh on students, didn’t like LGBTQ people, and when he knew secrets about someone, would blackmail them to not divulge those secrets. It was hard to find anyone in town who hadn’t had disagreements with him!
I enjoy visiting most of the well-defined regular characters in this series so much! They are hard-working men and women who are active in the community and are willing to help others who are in need. Each of them grows and changes throughout the series. Those changes often define them as much as their lifestyles.
Mac and Tim communicate their love for each other in many ways. Mac’s parents were getting ready to celebrate their 40th anniversary and are still very much in love. Mac and Tim were considering what their 40th anniversary might look like someday, and Tim said that “it will be a rich and joyous path to travel”. They might still be newlyweds, but this lyrical statement in the midst of their everyday life shows a little of their sweet romance.
A lighthearted scene that I truly appreciated was watching Mac decide to cook a meal for herself and Tim. As a baker and excellent cook, Tim has no problem cooking for them. Mac thought she could remember how to make a dish they both enjoy. “Watching” her prepare the meal was as funny as my attempts at making a meal, except I think Tim enjoyed the results much more than my husband did!
There is an excellent balance in this novel between solving the mystery, showing what their businesses require, romance, and family. The author emphasizes solving the murder as the priority for this cozy mystery and nothing overshadows it. There is mention of a cozy mystery and author’s name that is due out soon as one their book club is reading.
In some ways, it almost seemed a given regarding who killed the victim, or maybe it was my interpretation. There were several suspects who seemed viable, but simply didn’t feel right. There were still surprises at the end, and it was quite tidily and satisfyingly resolved. I highly recommend this cozy mystery! Each delightful mystery in the series can be read as a standalone.
