Author: Roz Noonan
Series: Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery #1
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 368
Date of Publication: July 23, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
Down-on-her-luck Alice had hoped to retire before turning sixty-five, not struggle to keep her cozy home and dependable job. But even after divorce leaves her golden years a mess, the pieces always come together with a little help from her friends—a fun-loving crew who thrive on jigsaws over coffee, cocktails, and gossip. So, when it’s time to defend close confidant Ruby Milliner, she springs into action. Only, in this case, supporting Ruby means proving she didn’t murder her cheating husband!
Ruby never wanted to kill George, although anger can make a person say questionable—and incriminating—things. And scheming, deceitful George made a lot of people angry. A quick investigation reveals the man was blackmailing whoever he could for a quick payday, from his mistress to the most prominent residents in town . . .
Alice dives into a secret search to exonerate Ruby, fiercely committed to cracking the crime and patching up torn relationships along the way. Despite using her unassuming persona to fly under the radar, slimming down a massive suspect list and restoring peace to West Hazel is a real gamble. Because if successful, Alice will meet a vengeful killer whose game she doesn’t yet know how to play.
MY THOUGHTS:
Alice Pepper is a librarian who had hoped to retire soon. Faithful to a fault to her friends, when Ruby’s husband George is found dead, Alice is determined to find out why. Alice, Ruby and their friends solve jigsaw puzzles together. So, Alice is pretty sure she can use her refined skills of deduction to solve the puzzle of George’s murder.
George was not a paragon of virtue, and it would soon come to no surprise that more than one person might have wanted him dead. However, one of those people certainly wasn’t Ruby, and Alice will go to any lengths to prove Ruby innocent of George’s murder. The more they look for answers, the more George’s faults become apparent, cheating incessantly on Ruby, as well as his penchant for blackmailing anyone he could for any reason. Certainly, more than one person might have wanted George dead.
As an avid jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, I was delighted to discover the theme of this cozy mystery woven throughout the pages with that of solving puzzles. The shared hobby of a charming group of characters introduces a fresh perspective to the plot, making this series a must-read for puzzle lovers. I eagerly anticipate delving into the next installment in this captivating series.
Many thanks to Kensington Cozies and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
In collaboration with friends and bestselling authors Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, she has written two suspense thrillers set in Wyoming: Sinister and Ominous. Her work has appeared in anthologies with Lisa Jackson, Nancy Bush and Fern Michaels.
Her Christmas Chicklit novel Charming Christmas was made into a film for the Hallmark Channel starring David Sutcliffe and Julie Bentz. She helped produce two monster TV movies for children based on a children’s book series she created called Shadow Zone. Oscar-winning actor Ron Silver appeared in one of those films, Undead Express, which appeared on Showtime.
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