Book Review: Critters and Crimes (Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club, #11) by Elizabeth Pantley

Critters and Crimes by Elizabeth Pantley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mystery and unrequited love mix signals in this latest adventure.

Mystery and unrequited love mingle in Critters and Crimes, the eleventh book in author Elizabeth Pantley's Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club series, and readers get a deeper, closer look at the book club members while they crack their latest case. But don't worry if you haven't read any of the previous novels; this one stands well on its own.

This book club meeting lands the group in the small town of Rivershade, where they find themselves attending yet another book club meeting at the home of Lillian Henderson, a hostess with the mostest and the reins of her club firmly in hand. But the following day, when they discover a dead body, they are back on the track of a killer, and are soon surprised when their first and best leads come from the deceased's pets.

The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club series continues to entertain, and each new book offers a unique adventure, and Critters and Crimes maintains that vibe. In this tale, each member gets a significant role in the investigation and a moment to shine, and we learn even more about each character than we did before. Paige and Atticus are getting close, but she has reservations about taking their friendship to the next level, worried about the consequences if things don't work out. It was nice seeing Atticus through Paige's eyes and the revelation of what a genuinely kind man he is.

The plot takes quite some time to evolve from mystery to murder, as the death isn't clearly a homicide from the start, and the club members had to do a lot of repetitive work each day at the victim's home, as they took care of the house, garden, businesses, and pets. The talking pets were fun, and each lent something new to the investigation, with an INCHWORM playing a major role. I enjoyed how the folks from the Snapdragon Inn were already woven into the chosen cozy's setting and were recognized by the book's characters as familiar faces rather than strangers, unlike in the previous books in the series. It was a giggle watching them try to figure out how the Rivershade residents knew them and what their prior interactions might have been. However, I was surprised they didn't think the deceased's partner's departure from the home immediately after the death was extremely odd, though perhaps in their desire to have the possible murder scene to themselves, they were just that glad for the opportunity that presented. Also, not one person in the town showed up with a dish? Or, is that just a Southern thing?

Clues to the identity of the killer and who was involved are sprinkled throughout the story, and sharp-eyed armchair detectives may be able to successfully guess the truth about the death and what's going on in Rivershade before the final reveal. When all is said and done, I can report that there were good red herrings and plenty of surprises and twists to make this a genuine page-turner. I recommend CRITTERS AND CRIMES to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous books in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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