Summary
Charlie Harris has met a lot of people through his jobs as a librarian. Walking around with a 40-pound Maine Coon named Diesel helps him meet people, too. This time, Charlie meets Bill Delaney. Delaney says he’s the son of Charlie’s late uncle from his first, brief marriage. The guy seems a little lost. His mother recently died, and the news of his father’s identity is pretty new. Charlie, being Charlie, considers inviting Bill to rent one of the boarding rooms at his house.
At the same time, true crime writer, Jack Pemberton, contacts Charlie about working together on a book about amateur sleuths and the crimes they’ve solved. Jack lives in Tullahoma, Bill Delaney’s home town. The town where Bill was suspected of four murders, but never charged.
Charlie feels a responsibility to help Bill out, but he can’t invite a murderer into his home! But when Bill is involved in a hit-and-run that doesn’t seem accidental, Charlie and Diesel decide to team up with Pemberton to see if they can solve the 20 year old cold case once and for all.
Review
I have enjoyed this series since I read the very first book. I don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries with a male protagonist, and I like how this sets the series apart. Diesel is a terrific character – not just animal window dressing for the series. He opens up conversations for Charlie, passes judgement on the character of people involved in the cases, and chirps his two cents along the way.
One of the things I liked about this particular story was the fresh take offered by a cold case and a new sleuthing partner for Charlie. The usual characters are still around – Charlie’s boarders, housekeeper, and family as well as the Ducote sisters – but they are secondary to most of the action.
The mystery in this one is “quiet.” There’s not a lot of action or danger until the very end. The case is solid. I was working on the solution all the way to the end. Since it’s a cold case, Jack and Charlie have to do a lot of digging, interviewing folks until they can shake loose a new wrinkle in the case. I enjoyed that.
The Tullahoma pieces felt like a cozy mystery in the making. I couldn’t find evidence of a series starring Jack Pemberton, but if Miranda (Dean) James decides to write one, I will definitely read it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.