Review: Mysteries Squared by Russ Hall

 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Description:

“Retired teacher Esbeth Walters isn’t the type to spend her golden years playing shuffleboard with the other old ladies at the senior center. She would much rather stay at home, tending her flowers and reading. But after finding Jake Marston’s arm in a bed of coreopsis, Esbeth devotes her free time to sleuthing, channeling Agatha Christie detectives, much to the chagrin of Sheriff Danvers. She can’t help it if she’s better at solving crimes than he is.

But soon, her life becomes a series of real-life murder mysteries.

Between Tupperware parties, weddings, and a trip to the north woods of Maine, Esbeth and her eccentric group of pals butt heads with local law enforcement while unraveling a series of seemingly unsolvable cases.”

Author:

Russ Hall is the author of fifteen works of fiction as well as the co-author of numerous non-fiction books. The award-winning author has also worked as an editor for multiple major publishers. Homebase is Austin, Texas.

For more about Russ, visit his website.

Appraisal:

The title Mysteries Squared might have come from the fact that the protagonist, retired teacher Esbeth Walters, doesn’t solve just one murder mystery. In fact, it isn’t even just two murder mysteries, but several. In a way the book reads like a set of murder mystery short stories with the same protagonist and many of the characters showing up in multiple stories. But, of course, that means that the reader knows Esbeth and the other characters that much better as the story moves from the solution of the murder in one section on to the next mystery. The history between the characters adds to the story and the reader’s understanding of Esbeth as the book progresses also adds to the experience.

As for Esbeth and the mysteries, they’re fun in some ways (other than people being murdered, of course). I was amused as Esbeth would consistently put things together and point law enforcement in the right direction since they were constantly reading things wrong. As you might expect, showing up the police can annoy them a bit. Others are more appreciative or amused by it. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, this is right up your alley. If, like Esbeth, you’re no spring chicken, you might find yourself pulling for Esbeth and liking the book even more. At least that’s how it felt to this old guy.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an ARC (advanced reader copy) and I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words