Chicken Scratch

by

Becki Willis

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Romance / Women Sleuths
Publisher: Clear Creek Publishing
Date of Publication: March 13, 2015

Number of Pages: 314

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Named 2016 Best Mystery Series by Texas Association of Authors.

When Madison Reynolds finds herself widowed and penniless before forty, she does the only thing she knows to do – she packs up her teenage twins and moves back home with her eighty-year-old grandmother. Life in The Sisters, Texas has not changed much since she’s been gone, but at least her best friend Genesis is there to soften the transition back into small-town life.

To make ends meet, Madison opens In a Pinch Temporary Services. Her first real client is Ronny Gleason, but when she shows up for the first day of work at the Gleason Poultry Farm, Madison makes a gruesome discovery. The dead body she finds belongs to Mr. Gleason. When a local man is arrested for murder, Madison takes on the job of proving his innocence. Even though she is not a private investigator, both mothers are desperate: Lucy Ngyen to clear her son’s name, and Madison to pay her bills. But as she begins asking questions around town, her interference is not welcome.

With a daughter determined to go back to Dallas, a son settling into small town life, a feisty grandmother who knows all the town gossip, bill collectors calling, and now someone trying to keep her silent, Madison has no time for re-kindling her high school crush with police chief Brash deCordova. She has her hands full just trying to stay alive.

If she survives her amateur investigation, Maddy has a decision to make. Will she go back to her life in Dallas, or will she build a new life here in The Sisters?

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You know a book is going to be good when it starts off:

“Finding a dead body was never good.  Finding the dead body of your newest client – particularly on the first day of the job – was decidedly worse.”

Welcome to The Sisters, Texas.  Where rumors run rampant, small town bias is still alive, but where you will find some of the nicest people…well most of them anyway unless they are a killer!   Madison’s daughter, Bethanie, sums it up quite nicely:

“This is Juliet, the most boring town in the state of Texas.  Of course, there were more rumors. It is, after all, the favorite pastime of rednecks near and far.”

This story has so much going for it – small Texas town, dysfunctional/quirky characters, a killer on the loose, old loves, close friends, and family.  I quickly grew to like Madison and her best friend Genesis. They have the kind of relationship that everyone should have, a best friend that will go to the ends of the earth for you…and maybe even jail should you get caught doing something a little crazy!  Considering everything Madison has gone through, that friendship is one of the things that holds her together as she puts her life back together with her children.  Madison has flaws but I see great potential for growth in her character over the rest of the series.

The mystery was well written and I was quite surprised when the killer was revealed because I don’t think there were any (or very few) clues to point us in this character’s direction.   I have to say I will never look at a chicken quite the same way and learned things about raising chickens that I never knew.  Considering Madison’s job is running a sort of temp agency, I think she realizes that perhaps this isn’t the sort of career she wants to pursue full time.

There is the beginning of a potential relationship between Maddy and her crush from high school, Brash.  There are some assumptions on Maddy’s part regarding Brash which throw her for a loop until correct information is provided to her.

I also appreciated the history regarding the two towns and how they came to be in existence.  There was enough history to visualize and understand, but not so much that it detracted from the basic plot line.

There are a few things that I am predicting for the next book and eagerly await finding out if I am right or wrong.  We give this book 4 paws up and if you are looking for a cozy series, definitely check this one out.

Becki Willis, best known for her popular The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series and Forgotten Boxes, always dreamed of being an author. In November of ’13, that dream became a reality.

Since that time, she has published numerous books, won first place honors for Best Mystery Series, Best Suspense Fiction, Best Women’s Detective Fiction, and Best Audio Book, won the 2018 RONE Award for Paranormal Fiction, and has introduced her imaginary friends to readers around the world.

An avid history buff, Becki likes to poke around in old places and learn about the past. Other addictions include reading, writing, junking, unraveling a good mystery, and coffee. She loves to travel but believes coming home to her family and her Texas ranch is the best part of any trip. Becki is a member of the Association of Texas Authors, Writer’s League of Texas, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Brazos Writers organization. She attended Texas A&M University and majored in Journalism.

Connect with Becki below. She loves to hear from readers and encourages feedback!

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