by Sarah Erwin

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

A Basket Case is book two in Lesley A. Diehl’s Maddie Sparks Mystery series, and I am glad to be back with Maddie in a second adventure. I am especially delighted that this mystery features her close relationship with her granddaughter Sara.

Maddie is a retired librarian, cozy mystery author, and now romance author. In addition to her writing, she also volunteers her time at a local museum with her granddaughter. Unfortunately, the museum director is found murdered just as the museum is about to return a collection of Native American artifacts to the Onondaga and Oneida nations. A local Indigenous man is found standing over the body, and authorities assume he’s the killer, but that simply doesn’t ring true for Maddie or Sara. Never one to sit idle, Maddie jumps into the investigation and reveals some jaw-dropping secrets.

This is a layered mystery with some intriguing twists. Maddie not only investigates the murder mystery, but also unravels the truth about the owner of one item in the collection of Native American artifacts. These layers make for a page-turning read. I was also fascinated by the rules regarding Native American rights to their artifacts. I have read a few other books with this topic as part of the story, and it is something I did not know much about before. I am always glad to learn more.

Sara and Maddie are my favorite characters, and I just love their close relationship. After the museum director’s murder, Sara takes on more responsibilities at the museum, and Maddie is always quick to offer her confidence and support. Much of the mystery is confined to the museum, which offers readers an interesting behind the scenes look at the running of such a place.

In addition to the mysteries surrounding the museum, there is drama in Maddie’s love life. I might have wanted to shout at Zack as I read, but Maddie holds her own. I am hoping we will learn more in future books.

I thought I had my suspects narrowed down, but there are some twists at the end that had me gasping. This is a wonderful addition to an enjoyable series, and Maddie is quickly rising to the top of my favorite sleuth list!

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of A Basket Case, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “basket case” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 11, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.