Author: J.C. Eaton (Ann I. Goldfarb & James E. Clapp)
Sophie Kimball, at almost 45, is enjoying her life. She works for the Mankato, MN Police Department in accounts receivable. Her daughter is in college and her mother has moved to Arizona. Her life is pretty well set. Peaceful. Until......members of her mother's book club start dropping dead after reading their book selection for the month, a little known self-published tragic romance, The Twelfth Arrondissement. Sophie's mother, Harriet, immediately calls her daughter, demanding she come to Sun City West to investigate. The book must be cursed! Can Sophie discover what happened the four book club members who died? Is the book really cursed? Or were they victims of foul play?
I love this book! The relationship between Sophie and her mother is a hoot! Sophie keeps saying she isn't a detective that she handles accounts receivable not investigations, but her mother keeps demanding that if she can hunt down receipts that she can solve the mystery of the cursed book. Both women are intelligent,independent and stubborn! And they love each other, despite a bit of grousing. The side characters in this story are quirky and charming. I love the retirement village setting where residents fight over bingo, wreck golf carts and vie for the best sun chairs at the pool. I had to look up the definition of arrondissement...but I didn't feel bad because characters in the story admitted they didn't know what it means either.
The mystery portion of the plot is interesting and different. There are several suspects and scenarios that keep the reader wondering, and plenty of action to keep the suspense going. I enjoyed reading about a middle-age sleuth....no romance with a local cop or other overdone tropes. This story was new, refreshing and different. Plenty of humor. Great side characters. All in all, a fun read and a great start to a new series!
J.C. Eaton is the pen-name for this collaborative effort between writers Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp.
I will definitely be reading more of this new series! Luckily, the second book in the Sophie Kimball Mysteries series, Ditched 4 Murder, will be available in December 2017! Not long to wait!!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington Via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. **
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