Survival Can Be Deadly: A Discount Detective Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Walrus Publishing (September 10, 2019)
An imprint of Amphorae Publishing Group
Paperback: 308 pages

Synopsis

When single mom and recent widow Cameron Chandler takes a much-needed job at Penny-wise Investigations, a detective agency conveniently located in a suburban shopping mall, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Her first case is to locate a runaway girl, something her predecessor had been pursuing before he disappeared. Following in his footsteps, the trail leads to a survivalist camp on a remote island in northern Puget Sound. Armed with only a Swiss Army Knife and her quirky on-the-job training as a suburban sleuth, Cameron uncovers more than she bargained for. She soon finds herself in a fight for her own survival in this lighthearted mystery set in Seattle and the San Juan Islands to the north.

 

Review

Take one widowed mother and a discount detective service located in a mall and you have this series that is bound to charm the reader.

There was so much to like about this series so I will start with some of my favorite characters. Cameron is a widow with a PhD yet no job to go with it trying to manage two children and a busybody mother who thinks that Cameron just needs to find a new husband. All Cameron knows is that she needs to find a job. You have P.W., the head of the discount detective business that is a bit of a mystery herself. Many of the people working for her have tried to unearth who she really is but to no avail. Yuri is Cameron’s main teacher at the PI agency, showing her the ropes and assisting with her first case. Yuri is a crazy driver and I was very glad that I wasn’t physically in a car with him. Will is like Q in the Bond movies – all sorts of gadgets that might help out on any case. He can be something of a trickster.

I have to credit Cameron for taking on a career field that requires observation and deductive reasoning. Sure I’ve read mysteries for years but that doesn’t mean I should be a PI. I chucked on her first day on the job and her choice to wear heels. Everyone forewarns her that P.W. isn’t going to like the shoe choice. Thankfully it is only her first day so she won’t have to chase after suspects quite yet.

Cameron’s first case is a missing person’s case but it evolves into so much more including some radical Survivalists on one of the San Juan Islands in Washington. This is where the action really heats up and some interesting twists and turns occur. I was spellbound throughout the book and stayed up a little too late the first night because I had to know what happened next.

If you like witty, quirky, and a little crazy then this might be a mystery you will want to read.

We give this 5 paws up.

About the Author

In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and survived being the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.

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