Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, mystery, Review on July 20, 2018

Disorderly Conduct (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Lyrical Underground (July 10, 2018)
Print Length: 233 pages

Synopsis

Professional organizer Maggie McDonald manages to balance a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s finally found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . .

With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for a rapid evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters discover the body of her best friend Tess Olmos’s athletic husband—whose untimely death was anything but accidental. And as Tess agonizes over the whereabouts of her spouse’s drop-dead gorgeous running mate, she becomes the prime suspect in what’s shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts through clues in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. But when her own loved ones are threatened, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?

Review

I’m going to say right off the bat I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. It had nothing to do with the plot line, I just didn’t understand how the day a woman finds out her husband is dead why all these people would come over that same day and Maggie would set up an atmosphere that was almost party like. I understand people paying condolences and bringing food, but within hours? There were just a few things that happened the first day that just didn’t seem logical.

All of that aside, once I got past that first day the story line picked up speed as Maggie and the crew were off trying to decipher who killed Patrick and why. The final result was quite surprising and the author does a great job of misdirection with the characters. I honestly expected the killer to be another character based on information provided. There are still the pesky neighbors that we still don’t like even into the fourth book.

Maggie remained true to her character as in previous books – a mother hen with fantastic organizational skills that is able to ferret out the true criminal.

I appreciate all the hints and tips at the beginning of each chapter. I can use all the help I can get when organizing my own life, and these tips can be quite helpful. This book even has a list at the end related to emergency preparedness for acts of nature and the like. I had no idea that the CDC in efforts to reach more people created a program that tied to what to do if there was a zombie apocalypse. Granted this will most like never happen, but if it intrigues others to become prepared then I’m all for whatever it takes!

We give this 4 paws up

About the Author

Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She’s worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises competed in whaleboat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character’s stead, but Maggie’s skills leave her in the dust.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog