Review – She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
Synopsis
With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen―from murder to a second chance at love―in Jenny Elder Moke’s half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.
A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.
Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.
As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.
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Review
What could possibly go wrong on a secluded private island in the middle of a storm? How many dead bodies will show up? Who wants to stop the wedding?
Kate is a mystery author but seems in a bit of a funk. She can’t get into her character’s head; worst of all, she has been invited to her ex-fiance’s wedding. Or maybe Jake, the hunky Australian that she has lusted over, seems to be her plus one. The wedding appears jinxed, and they use parts of Kate’s books to throw suspicion her way.
There is an interesting cast of characters, lots of misunderstandings, and revelations that slowly bring all of the pieces together to solve the crime.
Even though Kate writes mystery novels, she seems to have issues uncovering the truth in this case. But her bumbling is somewhat endearing. I love that she has a sleuthing sweater and uses one of the walls in her room as the “murder wall.” Oh, and speaking of her room, it is in the attic! You read that right: the attic with a pull-down staircase and everything.
I would not classify this as a cozy mystery because there are several f* bombs dropped and some gratuitous sex. However, it is a mash-up of a romance and a mystery, which results in some humorous situations for Kate, Jake, and the others.
I enjoyed reading this book, especially when some of Kate’s books are quoted. Kate might be thinking about how Loretta would solve the crime, but can she live up to the hype?
We give this book 4 paws up.
About the Author
JENNY ELDER MOKE is the author of award-winning children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. When she’s not writing, you can find her knitting, puzzling, or fighting imaginary crime as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She Doesn’t Have a Clue is her adult debut.
Jenny lives in Denver, CO.
