“This is a helluva way to take people’s minds off last month’s murder, darling.”
That’s right, there’s been another murder at Emma Andrews’ Old Manse in Newcastle. Previous to this freshly dead body, a skeleton was found between the walls of the same building during renovations. Poor Emma. She’s trying to make a go of the Old Manse as an arts and culture venture for the city as well as maintaining an apartment there where she writes freelance articles on wine.
Emma is not one to shy away from solving her own mysteries, especially if the authorities appear to need a little help or appear to be dragging their feet. This sophomore effort from Alexa Bowie more or less picks up where 2020’s Death Between the Walls left off, as we can see from the opening quote by Emma’s Aunt Emm. The dead body between the tables is a long-time employee of the Newcastle Fire Department, and the investigation takes a turn when the Fire Chief gets involved, as he is one nasty piece of work and has it in for Emma, for no apparent reason that she can discern. Naturally, this heightens her curiosity even more.
The Old Manse Mysteries have all the necessary ingredients for a good “cozy”: a likeable protagonist, helpful and supportive friends and family, local yokels, and of course a body or two. I would rank this entry in the series as a notch above its predecessor, which was the typical introductory type of story where we meet the principals and get to know their backgrounds and roles in the town as well as those who use the Old Manse for creating their art. Now, with Death Between the Tables, we get more mystery and fewer character backgrounds. Well done, Ms. Bowie!
Alexa Bowie writes cozy mysteries because she wants a well-written tale told that delivers a satisfying ending and because she wants her readers to experience a warm, humorous, story with a happy ending. This is her second novel in the Old Manse Mysteries series, with more to follow. Alexa makes her home in New Brunswick, Canada.
- Publisher : Independently published (April 21 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 238 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8738053863
James M. Fisher is the Founding Editor of The Miramichi Reader. He began TMR in 2015, realizing that there was a genuine need for more book reviews of Canadian literature. It has since become Canada’s best-regarded source for the finest in new literary releases. James has been interviewed about TMR on CBC Radio and other media sites. He works as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist and lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick with his wife Diane, their tabby cat Eddie, and Buster the Red Merle Border Collie.
It’s gratifying, in my opinion, to have a Cozy Mystery set on the east coast of Canada, specifically New Brunswick. Thanks so much for this review, TMR.