2022 Free Range Reading
A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. I've found myself ‘stuck' this week, making little progress at anything, be it a book, household chores, or projects. Choosing a free range book will often shake me out of the rut that I'm mired in.
Having said that, I have a mixed relationship with cozy mysteries. The writing must be top notch to keep me focused on the story and not mentally editing & critiquing. This novel came close to that threshold, but didn't quite meet my criteria. The author used one of my most hated tropes, the completely incompetent cop. She sets him up to be an asshole, naming him Brad Pitt, but making him unattractive and dumb, then gives him an insulting childhood nickname (which Samantha's grandma knows because she taught him).
There is also a novel within the novel here, as Sam is writing a British cozy mystery whenever she is stressed or sleepless. Her story is not bad, but the British details are stereotypical and awkward, leading me to urge my friends in the UK to avoid this book (unless they want a laugh, I guess). The plot itself isn't horrible (although basic, as necessitated by the book-within-a-book format), but I would venture the opinion that Burns has never visited the UK nor had any English friends.
What made up for those two detracting factors was the coterie of older women who team up with Sam to solve the mystery. One of them has a battalion of grandchildren and great nieces & nephews with all kinds of connections that come in extremely useful. One of them is willing to date one of the elderly male suspects to get the intel on him and his family. Nana Jo can brandish a gun with the best of them and one of her pals is a martial arts student. Another can ferret out all kinds of info by making friends while in the ladies loo. They are enthusiastic, blunt in their opinions, and loyal to their friends. Samantha may ultimately figure out who dunnit, but she would never have got there without her posse of vital older women!
In short, there is potential here and I can see myself reading the next book eventually. Hopefully both Detective Pitt and the attempts to write British mysteries will be left behind and the author will find better tools for her next installment.
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