I had a mixed feelings about this book. I didn't love it but also didn't dislike it. There is a lot of potential here for a series. We meet Madeline Brimley and things start happening almost immediately. That was rather fun, actually, even if I had no real clue why things were happening. Nor did Madeline. She's barely walked into the house when a fire starts in a gazebo in the garden. Rather than call the fire department immediately, for reasons you'll learn, she sets out to put it out in her not so efficient way. When she does finally call the fire department and is being asked routine questions, she immediately feels she's being accused of setting the fire herself and is rather confrontational. Then, much to my surprise, she pretty much just goes off to bed. Tired or not, that struck me as odd. Even weirder, even after receiving a threatening phone call later that same night, she decides to just ignore the call. She's telling herself it was just a prank but, well, just seemed odd.
I can't say I immediately disliked her but I certainly wasn't warming up to her. And that was even before the murder. I don't want to detail any more of the plot, which for the most part moves along quickly, but will say that while I warmed up somewhat to Madeline as it went along, she still left me more puzzled than charmed. Most likely, most of my questions will be answered in the next book since this definitely seems to be setting up a series. Philomena, a college professor, and Gloria, the pastor of the local Episcopal church become her support team, so to speak, although neither is fully fleshed out, leaving us much to discover in future books.
As for the murder, it takes Philomena to make Madeline realize that the killer probably meant to kill her, not her college-age bookshop helper. So, it all becomes personal. And, in her seemingly dramatic way, Madeline sets out to investigate. That seems to largely translate to jumping quickly from one conclusion to the other. As the plot unfolds. we are reminded that bad things happen everywhere, even in small towns and learn that this small town has many secrets, including those of her late Aunt Rose. I lean toward feeling we only discover a few of those secrets this go-round, so buckle up for more to come. Seriously, despite being perplexed by Madeline as a character, I see much potential in this series. The supporting cast is interesting, especially the inclusion of a pastor, and, hey, there's also Cannonball, the bookshop cat who you'll see more of as you read. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for this early intro to Madeline and the rest. Loved the small town Georgia setting.
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