A Mysterious Mix Up
Allie Cobb returns home from a book conference armed with hugs for her cat and her boyfriend and dreams of a long, hot bath. She’s also getting ready to take the plunge by hiring an intern for her expanding literary agency. But it’s one for the books when Allie finds the town’s librarian—and her longtime role model—seconds away from death on the library floor.
Who would want to poison Vicky Napier—one of Rushing Creek’s most beloved citizens—on the eve of her retirement? But it seems there were toxic people in her life, like the handyman with an obsessive crush, and a woodcarver with a hair-trigger temper. The list of suspects includes Allie’s boyfriend, Brent, who’s in the running to take over as town librarian. Avenging her friend’s murder could be a trap as she goes up against a killer determined to write Allie’s epitaph.
Series: An Allie Cobb Mystery – Book 3
Author: J.C. Kenney
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Literary Agent
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Page Count: 189
Rating: 
New from Lyrical Press is the 3rd installment in the literary series, “An Allie Cobb Mystery,” and possibly the best one yet, A Mysterious Mix Up.
Allie is always getting herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Sometimes she is also the main suspect. In this literary series, amateur sleuth and literary agent Allie Cobb is once again skirting danger and worrying her friends and family. For the most part, Allie is a very likable character, as are all of the repeating individuals throughout this series, but she has a nasty habit of getting herself involved and hurt as a result of her inability to let the police do their job. Great if you are a suspect, not so great if you are her boyfriend, mother, or other friends and family members.
This time Allie’s childhood hero, the local librarian, is murdered for no apparent reason. She vows to get justice. The suspects are few, and the motives are a bit thin in this third book in this literary series. Unfortunately, I was able to figure out who the guilty party was almost from the first chapter. But other readers may not catch on to who the killer is until midway through the book. That said, the fact that I figured out who killed Allie’s hero immediately did not detract from the great storytelling or the enjoyment of the read.
From start to finish, A Mysterious Mix Up is a fast-paced, easy read. The characters are delightful, and the victim sympathetic. The relationships between Allie, her boyfriend, and her family members are becoming stronger, and readers will love having Brent, Allie’s boyfriend, around a lot more. This is one of my favorite literary series,’ and I am happy to recommend this book along with the other two for readers who like quick reads and characters with oodles of personality.
Miranda James’ (Dean James) literary series “Cat in the Stacks Mystery” or Kaitlyn Dunnett’s fascinating “A Deadly Edits Mystery”.
About the Author
J.C. Kenney grew up in a household filled with books by legends Agatha Christie and Lilian Jackson Braun, among many others, so it was no surprise when he found himself writing mystery stories.
Mr. Kenney writes cozy mystery stories set in small towns in his home state of Indiana. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two sons, and a kitty cat who is the inspiration for Ursula in the Allie Cobb series. J.C dreams of one day retiring to a place where the water is warm and the beaches are soft. He loves motorsports, so when he’s not writing, you can probably find him checking in on the latest from IndyCar and Formula 1.
J.C. is a member of Sisters in Crime, as well as his local SinC chapter, Speed City Sisters in Crime.
Represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.
Contact J.C.: jc@jckenney.com
Find J.C. on Social Media
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