Review – A Poetic Puzzle by Joanne McLaughlin
Synopsis
Internationally acclaimed poet Mary Irene Jones has vanished—calls and texts unacknowledged, bank accounts emptied, car abandoned. But before she disappeared, she mailed never-published manuscripts to a lesser-known namesake poet, M. Irene “Mimi” Jones. Are the manuscripts clues only Mimi can decipher? And what about the handsome Philadelphia cop assigned to the case? He seems as intrigued by Mimi as by the missing celebrity poet. Talk about a person of interest…
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Review
This is not your typical mystery! But don’t let that deter you from reading this novel.
Mimi has been blessed, or perhaps cursed, to share the same name as the famous poet Mary Irene Jones (MIJ). Mimi is a poet as well. But when she receives some of the other MIJ’s works and MIJ goes missing, she sets off to uncover what happened to her. Is she dead? Did she disappear? What is the answer?
Because this is a different type of mystery, it took me a little while to sort out the players and grasp the story. However, once I did, I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened to MIJ, and if she would be found dead or alive. There is much to her life that is revealed in this novel.
There is a sweet romance brewing between Mimi and Detective Mike Quinn. I like how they work well together, and he doesn’t mind her trying to help solve the mystery. This isn’t always the case in other books. They also are not rushing into anything when it comes to their attraction for one another.
There are a few despicable characters, primarily the lawyer for MIJ. He seems to rush several things that wouldn’t make sense in a normal situation. He might just be one of the sleazy attorneys.
Lastly, if you enjoy poetry, several poems are included. While poetry isn’t something I usually read, I enjoyed the selections included in this book.
This is an enjoyable read, and we give it 4 paws up.
About the Author
Joanne McLaughlin started telling superhero stories in second grade, and by age 9, she was writing plays staged in her Catholic school classrooms in Philadelphia. Eventually, she became a journalist, working on award-winning news and features for newspapers and public media. Her novels include the romantic cozy mystery A Poetic Puzzle; Chasing Ashes, a thriller; and Never Before Noon, Never Until Now, and Never More Human, a vampire trilogy. Her latest short fiction appears in Ruth and Ann’s Guide to Time Travel, Volume 1; Peppina’s Sweetheart and Grass and Granite are available for Kindle.
