Something Deadly on Desert Drive (The Accidental Detective)
Cozy Mystery – Humorous Amateur Detective Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Arizona
Tule Publishing (June 21, 2022)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 209 pages

Synopsis

Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…

Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?

Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

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Review

I have really enjoyed this series so far. I love that the protagonist is a little older (50’s) and isn’t perfect. She doesn’t give in to her disabilities while she recovers and continues to move forward the best that she can.

Kate and the Coffee Shop Irregulars, a group of her dad’s friends, are concerned for their friend Larry. His new wife says he has dementia and won’t let anyone see him. This puts them into action to secretly take him out of his house and to a doctor for an opinion – does he have dementia, or is he being drugged? They return him home before his wife finds out, only to discover that she was murdered and Larry is the prime suspect. It doesn’t matter that he was doped up and couldn’t have hurt a fly, but he is the obvious suspect since no one else was supposedly in the house. Kate, her sister Jen, and the Irregulars start investigating to find the true killer. On top of this investigation, Kate is doing some work for the mayor to find dirt on one of the city council members. You could say there might be some romance happening in that department too.

I thought that the pool of suspects was much smaller this time, making it a little easier to root out the killer. That doesn’t mean that Kate isn’t put in danger at various times because what would a mystery be without the main character finding herself in hot water? I had my suspect narrowed down, and by the end of the book, this was the only possible answer.

I love all of the Coffee Shop Irregulars; they are a hoot! They crack jokes but also have each other’s back. It doesn’t hurt that Joe likes to bake and keeps them fed. We didn’t see as much of Mac in this book, and I hope she has a bigger role next time around. I think she has a lot to offer with her computer skills and quick thinking.

This is a great series and a fun read. We give it 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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