Strike Out 4 Murder (A Sophie Kimball Mystery #11), by J. C. Eaton

 Publication March21, 2023

This is a fun book/series. Seems odd to say about a murder mystery, but if you need a laugh, you should give them a try. The characters are all likable and realistic but over-the-top eccentric at times. We get two quirky dogs to enjoy this time, too, as visitor Thor joins Streetman in some antics. Main character Sophie/Phee is her usual caring self, albeit prone to jump to conclusions that suit her findings and hunches. Marshall, her husband and the real private investigator, is the voice of patience and calm reasoning while, quite frankly, Phee tends to get sucked into the moment and frantic energy of those about her. Toss in how much not just Phee but those who surround her genuinely care about each other and they are easy to like.

But, how will she deal with the paranoid fears of her mother's circle of friends when, in a panic, one of them suggests the living-dead may be stalking one of them. Hey, I said they tend to be over-the-top. I won't detail the plot, it's just too much fun to hop in the roller coaster ride and enjoy how it all plays out yourself, but will say it all starts when Shirley spots a dead body, a body that does missing before it can be seen by anyone else. Not long afterward, she gets hit in the head by a deliberately thrown softball. The plot twists involve softball, fish in a pail, hot dogs,  gambling, blackmail, and, well, too many other seemingly unrelated things to list. I will say that the scene with the fish in the pail is laugh-out-loud funny, however. That poor waitress. 

While I thoroughly enjoy each and every one of the characters, it's the humor that keeps me coming back to this series. I love the interaction between Phee and Harriet, her mom, not to mention her reluctant shepherding of the unpredictable Streetman to the dog park, which seems to be a regular plot event. Although her hunches are usually close, some of Phee's plans to gather info tend to go, well, not as intended. Poor Lyndy. You'll see what I mean when you encounter that dang fish, or maybe the mayhem two dogs can cause on a town ball field. 

Bottom line, another winner from JC Eaton. Thanks #NetGalley and #BeyondThePagePublishing for inviting me to Sun City West again to catch up with Phee and her mother's energetic circle of senior friends.