Publishers Weekly - 27.01.2020

104 BOOKLIFE, JANUARY 27, 2020

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Spent Identity

Marlene M Bell | Ewephoric

378 pages, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-0-

9995394-2-2

Romance and murder meld in

Bell’s energetic second Annalisse

murder mystery (after Stolen

Obsession), which showcases a

keen eye for the details of nature,

rural life, fine dining, and cars.

Antiques appraiser Annalisse

Drury’s romance with Greek

millionaire Alec Zavos is faltering

under the demands of his family business, which makes high-

end automobiles. Annalisse is looking for a distraction, and

rescuing her elderly aunt Kate Walker’s New York State farm

from imminent sale might be it. But when the ranch hand,

Ethan, discovers a strangled corpse in the barn and then Kate

disappears, Annalisse, Alec, and their friends follow a bread

crumb trail of texts and clues through New England to find her.

The trail leads into Kate’s hidden past, unearthing family

secrets that could explode Annalisse’s life.

The cozy, pragmatic everyday of horses, sheep, and farm

life, and Annalisse’s own grounded personality, neatly coun-

terbalance the excesses of Alec’s rarified world and the drama

of the mystery. The story is welcoming and vibrant, and much

of it is nuanced and warm. That care unfortunately falls short

in one area: Annalisse’s hateful comments on other women’s

bodies—notably her cousin Jillian’s weight—and repeated

descriptions of antagonists as ugly. This pettiness risks alien-

ating readers who expect a

light, fun story.

The fine mechanics of a

whodunit are derailed by

multiple subplots and

threats—including murder,

blackmail, kidnapping, sexual

assault, and a love triangle—

that undermine one another’s

urgency and can make Alec’s

romantic gestures feel

awkwardly mistimed. Several

threads are left unresolved,

and the answers to many

questions fall into Alec and

Annalisse’s laps through acci-

dent and luck. But when Bell

aims for fun adventure, she

hits the bull’s-eye. This

mystery will appeal to readers

who want to fall into intense

moments of danger and lyrical

descriptions of breezes

rustling through maple trees.

MYSTERY/THRILLER

The Ghosts of Notchey Creek

(Harley Henrickson #2)

Liz S. Andrews | Liz S. Andrews

334 pages, e-book, $4.99, ASIN B07XQ62VVX

Andrews’s delightful second

Harley Henrickson cozy mystery

(after The Mist Rises over Notchey

Creek) is packed with thoroughly

believable red herrings that will

keep even the cleverest readers

guessing throughout. Harley

Henrickson operates a whiskey-

distilling business in tiny Notchey

Creek, Tenn., that was left to her by her grandfather. Her child-

hood friend Beau Arson, raised in foster care, just learned his

birth parents were immensely wealthy and left him a mansion

in Notchey Creek. Beau moves from Los Angeles to Notchey

Creek and settles into his new home. Then he starts seeing

ghosts—and amateur sleuth Harley starts finding bodies. The

two feverishly try to solve the crimes and out the murderer in

their midst. Meanwhile, the townspeople are getting a little too

excited about the upcoming Christmas festival.

From the first page, Andrews demonstrates a gift for

setting vivid scenes, opening with Beau in his bed reading

Great Expectations. It’s never quite clear how Beau ended up

in foster care or learned of his origins; this was presumably

explained in the first installment, but a quick recap would be

helpful to newcomers. However, readers will readily overlook

those small distractions as they chase the killers along with

clever Harley.

Colorful supporting charac-

ters—particularly Harley’s

famous pig, Matilda; muumuu-

wearing Opha Mae Shaw and

her pink Ford Pinto; Great-Aunt

Wilma with her day-of-the-

week wigs; and Great-Uncle

Tater and his unfortunately

flammable gingerbread shed—

add hilarious touches readers

will love. Andrews’s wry obser-

vations (“A pharmaceutical

commercial advertised its

latest drug, two of the side

effects being uncontrollable

laughter and projectile diar-

rhea”) also add considerable

levity. This expertly character-

ized story will appeal to cozy

mystery fans of all ages, and

those of drinking age can

indulge in the delicious-

sounding cocktail recipes that

conclude the book.

Atmospheric

descriptions will

draw fans of thril-

ling stories to this

romantic rural

whodunit.

Production grades:

Cover: B+

Design & typography: A+

Illustrations: –

Editing: B

Marketing copy: A

Production grades

Cover: A

Design & typography: A

Illustrations: –

Editing: B

Marketing copy: B

This funny and

well-plotted cozy

mystery, which

boasts sharp wit

and a clever heroine,

will delight readers

of all ages.

Great for fans of

Joanne Fluke’s

Christmas Cake

Murder, Mary

Maxwell’s Murder &

Marmalade.

Great for fans of

Sarah Barrie’s

Hunters Ridge series,

Louise Penny’s

Inspector Gamache

novels.

PAID REVIEWS