An Ivy Beasley Mystery #3
Ann Purser
Berkley Prime Crime
May 2012/ 978-0-425-24804-1
British Mystery / Cozy
Amazon
Reviewed
by Laura Hinds
Life in the Springfields Luxury Retirement Home isn't always boring.
Ivy Beasley and her merry band of cohorts, known as Enquire Within,
had success in crime solving recently and they are itching for more.
Ivy is irritated by the day-to-day necessities of life, like the
early morning cleaning crew, and by the gossip about her late-in-life
engagement to fellow resident Roy Goodman. She feels somewhat stuck
in a rut.
The routine is broken when Gus Halfhide, a member of Enquire Within,
hears from his ex-wife, Katherine. She claims to need a hideout,
but she's short on information about why, so Ivy's hackles are raised
and she's determined to find out the truth.
This is a series spun-off from the Lois Meade mysteries, and all
three books to date have been excellent. Ivy is a tough nut to crack,
and she may come across as demanding and complaining, but her strong
values and core make her the leader of the pack in retirement home
living.
The plot is original, the characters realistic and often humorous,
and I love the golden-age romance between Ivy and Gus. The supporting
cast is great fun to read about, and the setting is comfortable.
Overall the book fulfilled my need to sit down, put up my feet and
let myself disappear into a richly satisfying cozy mystery, fronted
by a firecracker of a senior citizen sleuth.
Readers who enjoy British mysteries, particularly the cozy sub-genre,
will love this book, and I am confident that if you enjoy the Lois
Meade mysteries you won't be disappointed by the spin-off series.
Reviews of other titles in this series
The
Measby Murder Enquiry, No 2
The
Wild Wood Enquiry, No 3
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