Something Shady at Sunshine Haven (The Accidental Detective)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Arizona
Tule Publishing (April 7, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 324 pages

 

Synopsis

 

She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

 

 

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Review

 

What initially drew me to this book was the protagonist Kate. She is about my age and has seen a lot in her lifetime, perhaps more than anyone might expect since she was a journalist overseas. All this came to a crashing halt when she was hit with shrapnel and needed time to recover and rehabilitate. This brings her back home to Arizona which is also a blessing because her mother is in a memory care unit at a local nursing home and she can spend time with her even if her mom doesn’t always remember her in the present but in the past.

Almost right off the bat, Kate is threatened by a mysterious caller that isn’t who he says he is, and that creates a rabbit hole for Kate to traverse on top of the request from the high school friend. Actually, that conversation with her friend is what spurred this mysterious caller and further entrenched Kate into figuring out what happened to the residents of the home. Her journalistic background helps her chart a path of investigation and she brings in family and some new friends to help her out. I really liked the character Mac. She doesn’t need to be paid but is looking for a mentor and Kate would be perfect for this role.

I thought that this was a well thought out book and mystery. The characters seemed well developed for the first book and I expect that to continue with future books. The mystery of who killed the patients was a tough one to untangle, but I enjoyed the journey. I suspected one character of nefarious objectives but not for the reasons I initially considered. There isn’t any sort of love connection; however, I think one might be developing between Kate and a former classmate who is now the mayor. Only time will tell.

There is also some family drama between Kate and her sister Jen, but I’m happy to say that by the end things are resolved and perhaps going forward they will have a closer relationship.

Overall, we enjoyed this new series and can’t wait to see what Kate might be up to next. We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin.

 

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Giveaway

 

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