Reviewed by Jeanne
Librarian Greer Hogan, fortified by successfully discovering a
murderer in An Unkindness of Ravens, is now ready to start working on a
mystery in her own life. Her husband
Danny was murdered and while a man was tried and convicted for the crime, Greer
believes he was innocent. An invitation
to the wedding of an old friend will bring Greer back in contact with people
from the couple’s past—people who may have some answers or at least help her to
find the questions to be answered.
This quest is derailed when one of the guests turns up dead
under suspicious circumstances, and Greer finds herself dealing with more than
one mystery.
Having loved the first book, I was anxious to read the next in
the series. I was glad to find many of
the features I loved showing up in the second book. First and foremost is Greer herself: she’s no
flighty heroine, rushing into trouble. I think of her as one of the few
grown-ups in the contemporary cozy scene.
She thinks things through rationally and goes prepared. For example, after
her previous experience, she’s begun exercising and training in case she finds
herself in another physical altercation. She’s honest with herself. Her
marriage was not perfect, and she doesn’t put her late husband on a pedestal.
She’s not desperately looking for a new relationship, either. She’s comfortable
with who she is. Of course, she is a reader and offers a number of literary
references, but these never come off as an in-joke or an attempt to one-up the
reader. It’s more like the way readers talk to each other and I love it.
In general, the other characters are fully realized people,
with different facets to their personalities. There’s also a good sense of
place, which I appreciate.
If I have a criticism, it’s that dealing with two very
different crimes can be a bit frustrating. As a reader, I was more invested in
Danny’s murder than that of the wedding guest and was more anxious for Greer to
pursue those clues. Still, this is an excellent second book in a series and I
very much look forward to reading Three Can Keep a Secret which came out
in February, 2023.
While Danny’s murder is first brought up in the first book,
you do not have to read them in order. The author fills in the background
information if you start with the second while not giving away the plot or
solution of the mystery in the first book.
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