Reviewed by Jeanne
Things are finally looking up for Odessa Jones. The
pandemic has made real estate a hot commodity with houses are selling like hot
cakes. The agency has even picked up a
couple of new agents who recently left the much more prestigious Delbarton Agency
to join Risko Reality—despite the fact that Risko has been connected to more
than one murder lately. Anna and Bella
have brought a new dynamic to the office, with handsome Harley becoming
besotted with Anna and Louella becoming more sullen. There’s something else, though: the two new
employees seem a bit on edge behind their smiles, especially Anna.
Dessa can’t quite
figure it out, despite a slight supernatural advantage. Dessa has the dubious gift of seeing auras,
which gives her a sense of people’s mental states. It a gift that can be reassuring or
disquieting, but at least it’s not as bad as her other gift: when Dessa smells
nutmeg, it means someone is going to die. She tries to tell herself that she’s imagining
the sudden whiff of spice is just bad memories, but in her heart she know
differently.
When Anna is killed in a hit and run, the police believe it to
be an accident. Dessa knows that it was murder. Is it her responsibility to
look for answers? Or can she just walk away?
This is the third in the Odessa Jones mystery series but it
could be read as a standalone. I’ve read
and enjoyed the others. Wesley adds just
a touch of supernatural in Dessa’s gifts, but never lets it overshadow the
human elements in the mystery. The
supporting characters are well done; I’m very fond of Lennox in particular as
well as the aunts who are determined to steer Dessa in what they consider to be
the right direction. Of course, I adore
Juniper, Dessa’s cat, but that almost goes without saying. (I’m only saying
that so people know there is indeed a cat in the story and it’s not just cover
eye candy.) The reader learns a bit more
about Dessa’s past but again, no previous books need to have been read. While there is a bit of cooking going on,
this series has more the feel of a classic mystery than a cozy which is a good
thing as far as I’m concerned.
This series has never let me down. I really like Dessa, who is
an independent woman making her way in the world. She’s compassionate and
driven to help those in need, but has no illusions that everyone can be “fixed.”
I hope there will be another entry in this series.
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