A pleasing debut for a complicated sleuth in this up-to-date take on the cozy mystery.
Description
Autumn on the Sonoma Coast. A welcome chill is whipping through the crisp Pacific air, but something else is stirring in this rural California town…
Witty and down-to-earth Claudia Simcoe is sure that the gourmet harvest dinner being held at her artisan marketplace will wipe away any memories of the unpleasantness last summer. Not to mention give her a chance to figure out the bewildering relationship budding with her craft-beer-brewing neighbor, Nathan. But rather than dealing with carefully curated food and cautious flirting, Claudia finds herself thrown into the center of a murder investigation when a secret compartment in her market is tied to the death of a local lawyer.
At least this time she isn’t the prime suspect. Instead, it’s one of Claudia’s marketplace tenants who is wanted by the police: the locally-famed cheesemaker, Julie Muller. Determined to help clear her friend’s name—and to discover the history connecting her market to the murder victim—Claudia is forced to test her mettle as a detective once more. As she starts digging into San Elmo’s long-buried past, she is confronted with Prohibition-era mysteries, shady land deals, and a small town bursting with motives to kill the crooked lawyer. But just as she thinks she’s getting a handle on this investigating thing, another gruesome death brings Claudia dangerously close to the killer.
The second installment in Daisy Bateman’s Marketplace series delivers cozy mystery and charming humor as Claudia works to uncover the truth about the murders, her marketplace, and her feelings for her ruggedly attractive neighbor.
Reviews
Claudia’s lively and often highly amusing narration presents plausible potential suspects and motives galore—all this plus intelligent furry and feathered friends. Cozy fans will eagerly await Claudia’s next adventure.
There’s nothing like a good murder weapon, and Daisy Bateman delivers, with several, including a jar of pickles, a cheese wire, and a butcher knife. Bateman brings us Claudia Simcoe, a smart businesswoman and manager of an artisanal market who knows her way around software, her tenants’ two-year gouda, and the occasional goose. Claudia is a rich character who gets into the kind of trouble we love: tracking down a murderer who has not only killed, but pushed Claudia to the top of the suspect list. Bateman writes with confidence, providing descriptions that are a sensory delight, whether of frittatas or splendorous bay and ocean views, and a crew of characters who stand out as unique and unpredictable individuals. We hold our breath as Claudia investigates, sometimes sneaking around, other times frighteningly out in the open, but always holding our attention.
This is my favorite debut novel ever. Bateman's wit, warmth, and charming depth of descriptive power don't just leap off the page, they welcome you into the company of such splendid characters you won't want to leave. Pick your coziest chair, bring snacks, and don't forget to hydrate. May she write fast: I can't wait to devour her next book.
