On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young is the first book in the NEW “Jane Doe Book Club” cozy mystery series, coming October 6, 2020.
The Jane Doe book club enjoys guessing whodunit, but when murder happens in their midst, they discover solving crimes isn’t fun and games. . .
Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle’s private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she’s always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla’s front door.
Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol’s heart condition, the coroner rules Carol’s death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla’s best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend’s name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club’s studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer’s next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse.
Dru’s Musing:
Lyla Moody loves mysteries and it showed by the fact that she works for her uncle’s private investigative firm and she is a member of the Jane Doe Book Club. And it all hits the fan when a member of the club is found dead, this amid one of the cold cases the group is investigating. What followed next is a puzzling case of who wanted Carol dead and the why.
The author did a great job in telling this evenly-paced drama that had me immersed in all aspects. From meeting the various characters and the pivotal role they played, this was an enjoyable read. The mystery was well-written where the potential suspects were hiding in plain sight and the clues, were told in a way that kept me guessing. I had my suspicion as to the perpetrator and it was fun watching all the pieces fit together. There were a few red herrings, one in particular, that enhanced my reading pleasure. Lyla is a likable protagonist and I like the relationship she has with her friends and family. Overall, when all was said and done, this was a great start in this debut series, and I look forward to more exciting cases with Lyla and her friends.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.