Lost Under a Ladder (A Superstition Mystery)
Brand New Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (October 8, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0738740775

Synopsis

Is it luck or is it . . . Destiny?

Are superstitions real? Rory Chasen doesn’t think so–until her beloved fiance walks under a ladder and is killed by a car five minutes later. Needing closure, Rory takes her dog Pluckie to a town called Destiny, where superstitions are a way of life.

Rory’s visit to Destiny takes an unexpected turn when Pluckie saves the life of Martha, the owner of the Lucky Dog Boutique. To show her gratitude, Martha offers Rory a job at the pet store. But when Martha becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the local bookshop owner, Rory refuses to believe that she would do it. Rory is convinced the real killer still roams Destiny’s streets, and she must uncover the truth before Martha is hauled off to jail.

Review

An interesting concept for a new series – set in a town that thrives on superstition.  The shops are all tied to superstitions (Break a Mirror Bookstore, Apple a Day diner) and that is what the town is known for and thrives on that tourism.

Rory ends up in Destiny trying to find answers for her fiance’s death – he walked under a ladder and was killed by a car 5 minutes later.  She isn’t sure if she believe all of that and is what you might called a Superstition Agnostic.  However, she is willing to check out the town to see if there is anything to superstitions or is it just fate?

As with all cozies, Rory stumbles across a murder and feels inclined to help solve it even though she is just a visitor to this town.  She also befriends the owner of Lucky Dog Boutique, Martha, when she finds her in the storeroom of her shop thanks to Pluckie, Rory’s faithful companion.  Because Martha is out of commission, she asks Rory to manage her shop and she couldn’t ask a better person since Rory manages a large pet store in LA.  However, I thought this was a little unbelievable, but maybe it is just the small town way of thinking, but who asks a total stranger to manage their store?

I enjoyed the book but it took me a little bit to get into it, mostly because I had forgotten this was a new series and not part of the Pet Rescue series and I was lost with the characters.  duh!  The town is fun and whimsical and the characters endearing, definitely a small town and all that goes with that.  Definitely a new series to watch.

We give it 4 paws up!

About This Author

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 37 romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery Series, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, plus Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.

Her latest cozy mystery series, the Superstition Mysteries from Midnight Ink, kicks off in October 2014 with LOST UNDER A LADDER. Linda believes that reading the Superstition Mysteries will bring good luck!

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