MURDER CHECKS OUT

4 stars

Many times, I've gone on record as not being a wholehearted fan of cozy mysteries - mostly because the heroines therein tend to be airheads, stubbornly pushing their way into murder investigations even after they've been told by authorities to butt out. Still, cozies do play a role in my life by offering much-needed relief after reading a string of knock-down, drag-out, shoot-'em-up (and worse) thrillers. And I don't recall the last time I read an actual book instead of on one of my e-readers, I'm a huge supporter of libraries and all the wonderful things that happen in them. So when I saw that this book has a bookish focus - and I'd read and enjoyed an earlier book in a different series by the author - well, reading it was kind of a no-brainer. It's the eighth in this series and my first, so I hoped that late start wouldn't put me at a disadvantage; for the record, it did not.

The star of this show is Amy Muir, co-director of the Taylorsford Pubic Library with her friend Sunny. Job-sharing allows Amy to better care for twins Nicky and Ella, whom she shares with her professional dancer/choreographer husband Richard. As the story begins, Richard and his professional partner are in charge of the upcoming community theater production of "The Nutcracker," in which the 5-year-old twins have roles. The couple also awaits a visit from Richard's mother, who isn't, shall we say, the most lovable person on earth (but she adores the twins and they her).

The chairwoman of the overall holiday festival in town also is not much beloved, since she heads up a company that's running roughshod over property owners with the intent of building upscale development projects. But when she's found dead by the hand of someone else, one of the suspects turns out to be Amy's brother, Ethan, who lives with his husband Scott and oversees the town's volunteer fire department. When Ethan suddenly goes missing, he suddenly becomes law enforcement's primary target.

Amy, understandably, is certain her brother is innocent - and in between shuffling the twins to rehearsals and from babysitters to babysitter, working and prepping for what is expected to be a stressful MIL visit, she sets out to prove it. Accomplishing that, she says, will require her to put to put all her "research skills" to the test - though honestly, based on what I read, said skills seemed to be limited to Google searches that most seventh-graders could do. Overall, though, Amy is a likeable, competent person; and while there's very little dangerous action going on - the bulk of the story is about the daily comings and goings of her and her family interspersed with a few hints as to who the culprit might be - I really enjoyed the reading experience. No blood, no guts here - the most "rugged" parts were the times Amy got annoyed enough to swear (well, just in her head a couple of times till she finally let one actually get past her lips). There's a titch of danger near the finish line, when everything comes together to usher in an "all's right with the world" ending.  

All told, it's a perfect book to read, especially over the holiday season (a gift, perhaps, for someone one your list? I'm sure they'd love it too). As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to sample a series I'm now looking forward to reading more of. Well done!

Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert (Crooked Lane Books, November 2023); 262 pp.