I’ve got to had it to Annie and Fletcher. When a seemingly confused potential client shows up not only agitated but covered with blood, they don’t even flinch. Instead, they sit him down and start asking questions to gather timely information while trying to calm him. Could Josh have killed his fellow high school track coach and blanked it out of his mind?
While I'll admit to not being too fond of Annie when the original series began, she quickly won me over. Let's face it. She had a lot to work through. She found her niche at the Secret Bookcase and has blossomed into not just a first class bookshop owner but a licensed private detective with Fletcher, he of all things Sherlock, with both still managing to run the bookshop and their Novel Detective practice. The book segues from the tense encounter with the bloody client-to-be to cozy moments in the bookshop and with friends, giving it an interesting vibe. Annie's romance with Liam has also blossomed and, of course, she can't resist popping in and out of friend Pri's coffee shop frequently. I enjoy the regulars, including relative newbie hires at the bookshop, making this a likable, character driven read for me.
Bottom line, this is a fun read with ups and downs and, yes, even lots of bookshop talk in the midst of an investigation. I don't want to reveal much more of the plot and ruin your sleuthing other than to say the suspect list quickly widens. Could seemingly low-key English teacher Josh have actually killed Rob? And, speaking of schools, what is going on there? You'll learn a bit about track events, by the way, ranging from the choice of running shoes to how events are timed. Yet, in the midst of normal, every day life, things are not copacetic, a word Fletcher throws out at Annie. Too bad she didn't listen to him when he also made the suggestion that at the very least she should carry pepper spray. Yep, you guessed it. Annie once again finds herself in danger. And, oh, for long time readers, the side story of Hal's quest to prove his heritage also moves along with some intriguing revelations. Thanks #StormPublishing for introducing me to Annie and allowing me early peeks into how her life as a bookshop owner/private investigator is going.
No comments:
Post a Comment