by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this review on how to win a copy of No Mallets Intended, along with a link to purchase the book where a portion goes to help support KRL.

It’s time, long past time, for the old Dumpe Manor to be restored. Members of the Queensville Heritage Society have divvied up the rooms and each will decorate one, keeping in mind, they all have to blend and stay within style parameters. Jaymie Leighton has drawn the kitchen as her restoration project and that’s right up her alley as she collects vintage cookware and utensils. To add to what she can find in thrifts and at auctions, a box full of vintage mallets, like those used to tenderize meat, is found in the house. Jaymie is researching them for age and value. Too bad that before she can find all the answers, someone uses one of the mallets on her head!

Homeless people camped out in the house during bad weather; the police think one of them was in the house and felt cornered. On the other hand, keys abound as all members feel the need to have one so they can decorate or accept deliveries. Jaymie’s “kind of” boyfriend, volunteers to foot the bill for a new alarm system. It has a long delay upon entering since some of the members are older and need extra time to get in and turn off the system –and it’s still a lot of people to know the code and have a key. The theory of the homeless falls by the wayside when the historian for the group is found on the back porch, dead, killed with another of the mallets. His current girlfriend, Isolde, is missing. Will there be another body found?

There are motives of all kinds. The apparent heir to the house has long claimed that another Will existed. Jaymie had the bad luck to find it under the kitchen sink. That could derail the Society’s plans for the house, cause them to forfeit all the work that’s been done or could force a buyout at ransom prices. Stolen merchandise is found on the property too, so maybe that’s the real motive behind the attacks. The historian was accused of plagiarism also. He just wasn’t well liked, which makes it all the more puzzling why Isolde would want to be around him at all.

Jaymie has the free time to investigate as her “kind of” boyfriend is out of town and out of mind. Surely, she should miss him more and want daily phone calls, if she really loves him? That’s the question though – does she?

It is certainly easier to get things done without dealing with his overbearing ways. Jaymie’s dog Hoppy (he’s three-legged) and BFF Valetta, are on hand to help in any way they can. Since Jaymie has a number of part-time business ventures, she’s able to interrogate people under the guise of gossip without attracting attention.

This is a series to enjoy. The friendship between Jaymie and Valetta is strong and real. Hoppy is a delight. Jaymie doesn’t take silly risks in order to find a clue or two. Jaymie’s avid interest in vintage kitchenware is obvious and gives the reader an appreciation for tools that work, rather than the latest gadgets.

This is the fourth book in the series. A Deadly Grind, Bowled Over, Freezer or I’ll Shoot, are the first three. There’s even a recipe that Jaymie adapted, included at the back of the book. Hamilton also writes the Merry Muffin mysteries, Bran New Death and Muffin but Murder. All but A Deadly Grind have been reviewed for KRL.

To enter to win a copy of No Mallets Intended, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Mallets,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 15, 2014. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.

Use this link to purchase a copy of the book & a portion goes to help support KRL:

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes two mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble. You can also find several of Sandra’s short stories on UnTreed Reads including her new one Bananas Foster. Sandy’s latest short story “The Tater Tot Caper” is one of eleven stories in The Killer Wore Cranberry: Fourths of Mayhem. The annual Thanksgiving anthology has eleven stories and this year, includes recipes. And it’s on sale! Available in all e-versions and in print.