Death At The Feast, by Jan Durham

 

Liz McLuckie amazes me. That's both good and bad. Good because she's smart, plucky, and makes connections others miss. She's loyal to her friends and loves her dog. On the other hand, she's impulsive and doesn't seem to always think things through before blundering into situations that could be dangerous. Her persistence in asking "rude" questions is just one example of that although, I have to admit, visualizing her on the exercise machines while she tries to pry information from a potential suspect is rather amusing. So, too, was the, sigh, tug-of-war she gets into over a Christmas tree which, unfortunately, puts Nelson, her English Bull Terrier in jeopardy. She's....human. Impulsive, smart, deserving of eye rolls at times, but I like her. 

Author Jan Durham does an excellent job introducing new readers to the series (I read book 1 but not book 2) and revealing how they are intertwined and connected as well as setting the scene. Whitby is a real place, by the way. It was the birthplace of explorer Captain Cook, not to mention helped inspire Bram Stoker's "Dracula". There's even a connection to Queen Victoria but I'll leave that for readers to discover on their own. It sounds like an interesting small town fishing village, an excellent setting for a mystery series.

As for the murder mystery itself, although you'll find the plot detailed elsewhere, I will note that it sounds simple on the surface. Who killed Mayor Neil Grogan? Why didn't his Epi-pen help? Was it an accident? How did sesame oil get into the food? That's when things begin to get, well, weird. Why would anyone steal the mayor's body the night before the funeral? Did the wife do it? I mean, the spouse is usually the first suspect. Why is Liz tasting possibly tainted coffee? Will Liz ever learn to be more subtle in her questioning? Oh, probably not. Will she survive her visit to the gym after years without exercise? Will Liz and Benedict ever figure out if they're "just friends" or more? Oh, what's this? Another romance blossoming? And, uh, how does one "un-steal" a body? In fact, why? And, oh, wait. Nope. Not sharing any more. You're just going to have to read the book for these answers and more. Despite the slow to me start, the mystery was intriguing with several funny scenes to visualize as they happen, not to mention as you wonder if Liz, who admits how much she enjoys investigating, will survive to sing in that year's Christmas service. Well, that's assuming it even happens. Give it a read! 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #InkubatorBooks for inviting me to visit Liz in Whitby again. Can't wait to see how her shaky efforts to become friends with Dora work in the next book.