by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this review on how to win a copy of Geared for the Grave, along with a link to purchase the book where a portion goes to help support KRL & an indie bookstore.

The plot device of a big city girl returning home after a (pick one) bad breakup, being jilted, loss of a job, public humiliation, has been done often lately but this one is different. Evie Bloomfield is trying to save her job when she takes a short term assignment on Mackinac Island. Her boss’s father has broken his leg and needs help to refurbish and run his bicycle rental shop. Of course, the boss is too busy to go.

Bunny Harrington is not well liked on the island. She’s wealthy and thinks that gives her the right to run things her way–like deciding on the décor of the whole town and which businesses get to remain and which are replace with something more upscale and genteel. The bicycle shop is on her list to be replaced. There are other contenders for the shop space too. Poor Evie, caught between the townspeople and her boss!

It’s no surprise that Bunny is killed. It’s first thought to be an accident but then not. Since it’s the end of tourist season, residents and businesses don’t want talk of murder to get around town. Bunny is safely stowed away in the walk-in at the grocery store. It’s hoped the murder will be solved quickly as a new shipment of frozen goods is due.

Détente between Rudy who owns the bike shop and Evie who has visions of making it better (and improving her chances of staying employed) is a fragile thing. Rudy is the prime suspect in Bunny’s murder so now on top of everything else, Evie has to deal with a reluctant temporary police chief and solving the crime.

This is the first in a new series. Since Bunny’s death can’t be talked about in town, it’s referred to as the Bunny Festival. Tourists who hear about that think it’s a cartoon festival, celebration of rabbits, and more which is a good indication that there will be more books in this series. It’s a book I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters are believable if weird. Humor is always present. The murderer was a surprise but once revealed, the clues were all there, just subtle.

Duffy Brown also writes the Consignment Shop mysteries, reviewed for KRL.

To enter to win a copy of Geared For the Grave, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Geared,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 10, 2015. 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 & an indie bookstore:

Geared for the Grave

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.