Death and the Viking's Daughter - Cozy Mystery Review

Death and the Viking's Daughter (An Auction Block Mystery #4) by Loretta Ross

Rating:  I Really Liked It!

Source: NetGalley

Description: Auctioneer Wren Morgan and her private eye fiance Death Bogart are ready to meet the parents and settle down together. But their sleuthing days are far from over. While Death and Wren are helping prepare auction items at an old supper club, a Viking reenactor nearly dies at the historical settlement next door. The cause? Seeing the ghost of his daughter, who went missing twenty years ago.

As Wren looks into what happened to the Viking's daughter, Death is hired to investigate the theft of historical items that have high sentimental value. When their respective investigations turn out to be connected, the couple gets caught in a deadly conflict.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I love this series!  Death and Wren are fantastic main characters and there's always a bit of history mixed in with the mystery.

My Impression:  This series has been a favorite since the very beginning and this was my favorite book yet!  In the past 3 books there’s always been a transition.  First Death and Wren  meet and then they have a lot of Death’s past to deal with and even in book 3 things didn’t feel quite settled.  In this book, really for the first time, Death and Wren are able to focus on their future - and of course art theft, an old missing persons case, and a body in the rose bushes.

I really enjoyed following Death around on his investigation.  He’s good at what he does and is also just thoroughly likable.   I especially liked that he discussed his investigation with his brother, Randy and Wren and they brainstormed a bit together.  I'm a big fan of the team effort.  As well as Randy, Wren's employers the Keystone family get in on the action as do Wren's parents Edgar and Emily.

Now this isn't a typical dead body shows up in the first 50 pages/killer is arrested in the last 50 type book.  If you're wanting a standard mystery this isn't the book for you.  However, if you like a bit of history and a stone cold missing persons case (which is so me!) than this is a serious page turner.  I wasn't sure how it would all work out but I couldn't put it down until it was all revealed.  I was sick in bed reading this one and it pulled me completely into the book and I forgot all about just how miserable I was feeling.  

If you're looking for a great cozy with characters that you want to be friends with, a good dash of history, and an unusual plot than this is a must read!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm already looking forward to the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  If you enjoy a cozy with great characters and a little history than this is a must read.  I think you could jump in with this book without any problem understanding what was going on and how they're connected.