Summary
It started with an emu.
A dead emu. Rosemary and Alan Brewer said the barking is what killed it. In their opinion, Kyle and Lola Hanson’s dogs scared the emu to death.
The death of the emu led to the fight. At the funeral home. That’s how Desiree got dragged into the mess. She was working at her family’s funeral home when Rosemarie and Lola had an altercation over the emu. Desiree was supposed to be helping her family business. A fight during a funeral isn’t very helpful. Not Desiree’s best moment. (Also, not her worst!)
Things go from bad to worse when Alan is found dead and Kyle is arrested for the murder. Kyle has been like a second father to Desiree. And with her own father presumed dead after a surfing accident, Desiree is determined to track down the truth and exonerate Kyle.
Her skills as a former reporter and her ties to the folks in her home town could be just what Desiree needs to puzzle things out.
Review
This was excellent! The setting – a funeral home – is unusual and gives Desiree access to lots of folks around town. The mystery is complicated and the pacing for it was perfect. Every so often a new layer or wrinkle or clue comes along to keep the reader engaged and guessing. And there are side stories like Desiree’s sister’s pregnancy or her best friend’s maybe-stalker that serve to cement the other characters into the story. Everything connects and makes sense yet doesn’t overshadow the main plot.
Desiree is great. She’s smart and determined and likable. She’s hoping to reinvent herself eventually after a major gaffe. But she stays focused on the here and now – helping her family and proving Kyle innocent.
There are a couple potential love interests for Desiree and an overarching mystery that will carry into the next book. The overarching mystery is a brilliant thing I have seen in some other series recently. It draws readers onto the next book to see what happens. I know I will definitely be reading book 2 (If the Coffin Fits – Fall 2018) in this terrific new series.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a treat to read this one!