Source: Publisher
Description: Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she's left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn't leave immediately.
But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there's another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it's up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.
Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: A mystery that takes please in an inherited bookstore located in an old mansion. How could I resist?
My Impression: I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one at first. Madeline isn't the most likable character and at the end I wasn't entirely sure she completely won me over. However, while Madeline wasn't my favorite even at the end the book did win me over.
Madeline is a bit of a mess and never met and impulse she couldn't jump at. She's a bit at the end of her rope when she learns that her aunt has died and left her The Old Juniper Bookstore. When her gazebo burns down, and she starts receiving threatening phone calls it is hardly a peaceful homecoming. Things really go off the rails when a guest is murdered and Madeline gets pulled into the investigation.
This book tackles a lot of more serious issues including grief and the desire to fit in or become what you know you can be. This isn't the typical cozy small town with lots of shops and quirky characters. Enigma, Georgia is a small town without many jobs and not always a lot of tolerance. There are a lot of bits and pieces around just who would have wanted Tandy dead - or was it Madeline someone wanted dead. I really liked that there's a bit of a team element with Father Gloria Coleman - the local Episcopalian minister, and Madeline's Aunt Rose's best friend who is a professor at the local college. The three of them put their heads together to try and solve the murder - though the local police detective is no slouch.
The mystery kept me guessing and the end was a bit of a surprise. While I wasn't in love with the book from the beginning the writing grabbed me and soon after the story had me completely hooked. I'll keep a lookout for anything else by this author - especially if there is another book in this series.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes, I would. I'm interested to see what this author does next.
Would I Recommend this Book? Yes - if you're a mystery reader and are looking for something a little different with lots of character development than I think you might enjoy this one.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? Yes - if you're a mystery reader and are looking for something a little different with lots of character development than I think you might enjoy this one.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I kind of think I'm hearing that some have liked this one and some not so much. Of course, that piques my interest and so I might have to try it to see how it goes for me. Thanks for featuring it!
ReplyDeleteI wondered about this one. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart