CHARLESTON CONUNDRUM

A Liz Adams Mystery

by

STACY WILDER

Cozy Mystery / Female Sleuth / Cozy Animal

Publisher: Wild Hawk Press

Date of Publication: January 15, 2022

Number of Pages: 235 pages

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A Cozy Mystery with a Twist…

Liz Adams never imagined when she moved to Charleston with her truth sniffing Labrador retriever, Duke, that she would use her skills as a private investigator to avoid winding up on Death Row.

Liz’s life is upended when her best friend, Peg, is murdered and she becomes a suspect.  Liz’s gun was the murder weapon. Tensions flare between Liz and the cops as she rises to the top of their suspect list.

At the request of Peg’s father, Liz agrees to take on the investigation. Riding a roller coaster of emotions, Liz uncovers many secrets Peg kept from her despite being best friends. The suspects include a cast of characters: the ex-husband, the boyfriend, a coworker, several neighbors and family members.

Charleston Conundrum takes the reader from Charleston, South Carolina to Paris and back in the emotional unraveling of Peg’s life and death to a killer ending. It is the first book in the Conundrum series.

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Blue Willow Books | Murder By The Book

I do love a good mystery and this one will definitely keep you guessing who the murderer is because many have motives, but the truth just might surprise you.

I have never visited Charleston but it is on my bucket list and the descriptions in this book might just bump it up a few places. From the crayon-colored homes to the old brick buildings, there is a lot of history in this town that is referenced in this story.

Liz decides to become a PI after a disastrous divorce and ditching her life in Atlanta for Charleston. All things considered, I can’t blame her for making that move. She has really made this town her home and her neighborhood seems tight-knit which is a plus and a minus when you take into consideration the busybody that has her nose in everyone’s business. But this plus is this is where she met Peg, her best friend. A senseless murder takes Peg’s life and Liz sets out to uncover the truth because she doesn’t have much faith in the police. After experiencing the cranky police officer Sam, I can see why. He seems to have it out for Liz and instead of looking for other possible suspects, he wants to pin it all on her. Liz sets out to uncover who has the best motive and might have killed Peg. Unfortunately, most of the suspects are her friends and neighbors. But Liz persists in uncovering the truth while dealing with the grief she feels at the loss of her friend. She is also a little angry at Peg for not being told about Peg’s love interest, Bjorn.

Besides the Charleston setting, we get to experience a little bit of Paris and the mention of the Lourve and Musee d’Orsay took me back to a trip I took to Paris years ago. These are some amazing museums that I am thrilled I could experience. And let’s not forget the patisserie and chocolate! My mouth was watering as I imagined indulging in a pastry or two. There is also a love interest for Liz and the potential for a love triangle, but I think Liz realizes that one man may be enough for her.

There are some intriguing twists to this story that definitely kept me on my toes and the revelation of the murder took me by surprise a little bit but as it was close to the reveal, I wondered if this character could be the suspect but didn’t know why. This person wasn’t even on my radar until the end. I kept trying to pin it on a family member but that just wasn’t working out well for me.

I think a character that deserves a bigger part next time is Duke, her labrador. He seems to have a lie detector sense about him and knows when someone isn’t telling the truth. That does pique Liz’s interest, especially during conversations with a few of the characters during her investigation.

A couple of things surprised me about this book. Liz breaks into multiple homes to snoop for clues that might give those homeowners a motive for killing Peg. Would a PI really do that? Maybe but I don’t know for sure. Secondly, when Liz is arrested she is put into an orange jumpsuit. That seemed awfully quick considering she was being held in the local jail and overnight at the most, but perhaps that is their process there.

Overall, this is a solid story and I was able to read a sneak peek into the next book, Caramel Conundrum, and can’t wait to read it. We give it 4 paws up.

Stacy writes mysteries, children’s stories, short stories, and poetry. Her debut novel, Charleston Conundrum, is the first in the Conundrum mystery series.

Stacy’s mission is to deliver a delightful story to readers of all ages while benefiting a larger community. She donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of her books to causes that support wildlife conservation, and the homeless, both people and pets. A portion of the proceeds from Charleston Conundrum is donated to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

As well as writing, Stacy is passionate about her faith, family, Labradors, the causes that she supports, the beach, art, and reading books.

She and her husband live in Houston, Texas with a totally spoiled Labrador retriever, Eve.

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