A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe
The small tourist town of Confection, Oregon, isn’t as sweet as it’s name in this exceptional cozy mystery by Kitt Crowe. A Poisonous Page is a cozy lover’s dream – Kitt Crowe gives us one neat, tidy mystery wrapped to perfection and topped with a blood-red bow!
Lexi Jones manages the Sweet Fiction Bookshop owned by her retired parents who are off enjoying their well-deserved “leisure time.” It’s late summer and for the town of Confection, tourist season is beginning to slowly wind down.
The town isn’t particularly shocked when Marilyn, a local hot shot real estate agent, keels over dead from heart failure. But unlike a few months ago, when murder struck in Confection, this time it isn’t anything sinister. After all, even though she was fairly young, she had a long history of heart disease.
Marilyn was a super real estate agent, she didn’t think twice about going after any man she wanted (married or not). Many town folk also suspected Marilyn of some downright shady real estate deals. Then a few days later, Selma, an elderly woman also dies from natural causes. But unlike Marilyn, Selma was a pillar of the community – not a harsh word against her character and mourned by everyone.
Then one day while Lexi is managing the bookstore, her “sort of nemesis,” Detective Chad Berg stops in to do some browsing. She can’t help but overhear his work-related phone call. It’s a 10-54 (possible dead body). What? Huh? Another body discovered in Confection?
Through the small town grapevine, Lexi quickly learns that this death, unlike Marilyn’s and Selma’s, was not due to natural causes. But to her shock, this murder victim was staged in the backyard of her best friend’s brother, Dash! And now Dash has become the premo suspect. Not not only had he dated the deceased, but some pretty damning evidence was found inside his house. Ohhhh brother – that’s a problem!
Lexi knows Dash is innocent – and she’s up against the rigid Detective Berg who doesn’t give a darn about what she thinks. As she starts her own quiet investigating, she’s more than butting heads with the hard-core detective and getting more exasperated than ever. But Lexi is out to solve this crime one way or another with the help of her adorable dog, Cookie, and her sleuthing book club friends.
This cozy is a standout in it’s genre. Kitt Crowe’s infallible mystery is one of my favorites. With a cold-blooded killer hiding in plain sight, you’ll find more suspects than fire ants at a 4th of July picnic!
The victim was a single businesswoman who belonged to the local chamber of commerce. The chamber members have some serious in-house fighting, making almost every one of them a suspect. Lexi focuses her invisible magnifying glass on the town’s mayor, veterinarian, doctor and – yes – even the pastor and his wife!
Kitt Crowe’s superb writing style hit me immediately along with the most delightful cast of characters. The town itself is deliciously detailed and if indeed, there really is a Confection, Oregon, I’m adding it my bucket list!
Don’t miss this 2nd in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery series, a recent release from Crooked Lane Publishing. A Poisonous Page is undeniably a MUST for cozy mystery fans.
A copy of this book/photo was provided by publisher.