Rivers and Creaks

Redwood Country Mystery, #1

by

Marc Jedel

Fun characters and an intriguing murder make this debut cozy mystery a winner!

River and Creaks is the first book in veteran author Marc Jedel’s new cozy mystery series, the Redwood Country Mysteries, and with its fun characters and intriguing murder, it’s a definite winner. Great characterizations, snappy dialogue, the protagonist’s entertaining inner monologue, and a mysterious death in the first chapter immediately hooked me. 

Andy Shirley is a recent widower, novice innkeeper, and, of necessity, an amateur sleuth. He’s still well within the grip of grief over his wife’s sudden death the previous year, and the idea of purchasing and running a B&B was really her dream, not his. I felt he was torn by trying to make a go of her vision for their future or turning around and selling the inn without taking too much of a loss and completely withdrawing from life. (He says his plan is to become a recluse.) The death of a young guest is discovered within minutes of his taking possession of the place, and as the day progresses, things get even more complicated. He’s completely unprepared to manage his new business, although he does possess some skills in minor maintenance. However, even his planned maintenance activities hit snags at every turn, and I was reminded of the 1986 Tom Hanks film, The Money Pit, by the plethora of mishaps. His cantankerous attitude also hits a sour note with the local tradespeople, and he finds himself on the outs with a few of the locals. 

The plot features more than one mystery, and Andy’s amateur sleuthing, as he tries to save his inn from a reputation as a place of death, uncovers key pieces of information. The story has a couple of twists that kept things interesting and me reading well into the night. But, even with my dedication, I still didn’t catch on to whodunnit until the reveal. 

I recommend RIVERS AND CREAKS to cozy mystery readers looking for a great new series, especially those who enjoy humor and a clever plot. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.