By Hook or By Book
Charmed Inn Mystery, #1
by
Misty Simon
Fun start to this unique new paranormal cozy mystery series.
By Hook or By Book is the first book in author Misty Simon's delightful new Charmed Inn Mysteries series featuring an unusual family with unique paranormal gifts who own and operate a lovely old inn. It's the 30th annual authors' weekend at the Charmed Inn, an event that innkeeper Roxanne Gleason has long helped put together, but this year, she's heading it up on her own for the first time since her grandfather, the previous owner, retired. But when one of their long-time guests and good friend is discovered dead, and the bumbling local police officer with a grudge against Roxy is put in charge of the investigation, she has her hands full, trying to unmask the real murderer before an innocent person is wrongly charged.
Roxanne is an engaging and likable young woman, with a houseful of anxious guests and quirky family members who possess special paranormal skills. She herself is a bibliomancer; she can use books or text to answer questions and clarify the unknown. Unfortunately, she hasn't quite mastered this unpredictable gift, and the answers she gets are often as not to be pretty cryptic. I enjoyed her attempts to manage her investigation and her unrecognized feelings for her best friend, Dean. She really puts him through some hoops early on as she tries to use her gift without him seeing her, running him to the library, then to the kitchen, and then abandoning him with the cat back in the library, leaving their untouched picnic feast behind. Her lively family and staff are a highlight of the book.
The plot moves quickly, with the murder occurring early in the story. The authors' group is gung-ho to try their hand at solving their friend's murder, but one of their number may actually be the killer. Roxanne must put her plans to solve the crime into high gear to come to a solution before the weekend is over and the group scatters for another year. There are plenty of suspects to consider before the truth comes out.
I recommend BY HOOK OR BY BOOK to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a touch of the paranormal in their stories.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.