Murder Goes to Market by Daisy Bateman is the first book in the NEW “Marketplace” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Seventh Street Book, coming June 16, 2020 for e-books.
If you had asked computer programmer Claudia Simcoe what she expected to come of her leaving San Francisco for the California coast to open a farm-to-table marketplace, “assembles a mismatched team to investigate a murder” would not have been her first guess.
Lori Roth is one of the tenants of the market, or she had been until Claudia learned that the hands making her “hand-dyed” textiles belong to overseas factory workers. Claudia terminates Lori’s lease, but her hopes that this will be the last she sees of her problem tenant are dashed when she arrives at the marketplace the next morning to find Lori dead, hit over the head with a jar of pickles and strangled with a cheese wire.
The police chief thinks Claudia looks like an easy pick to be the killer, and he closes the marketplace to put the pressure on her. So, Claudia has no choice but to solve the mystery herself. Relying on the tech skills from her previous life and some help from her quirky new friends, Claudia races to save her business and herself before the killer adds her to the region’s local, artisanal murders.
Dru’s Musing:
This is a fresh new cozy whodunit that featured a determined protagonist trying to save her business and clear her name. I like how this mystery was staged with plenty of suspects that kept me busy narrowing down the field, peppered with clues and a few red herrings that had me immersed in all that was happening. The author did a great job in keeping me on my toes, especially when I thought I had things figured out and she changed direction, all to keep me more involved in how well this story was being told. I like how every character had a place and a role and when it all fell into place; the killer’s identity became evident. Boasting an eclectic cast of characters, engaging dialogue, and a small-town coastal atmosphere, this was an enjoyable read and I hope we get to visit these characters again.
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FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher.
This sounds like a great new series…adding it to my TBR list.
I agree with Christi, it sounds like a fun series. Thanks for sharing Dru, and congratulations Daisy!