Book Review: Red Flag For Murder (Pine Ridge Mystery, #2) by Wanda McLaughlin

Red Flag For Murder by Wanda McLaughlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Intriguing murder mystery served up with down-home Southern charm.

Red Flag for Murder is the second book in author Wanda McLaughlin's delightful Pine Ridge Mystery series, set in small-town Arkansas and featuring divorced part-time criminal justice student and part-time Price Savers' checker Darby Alexander and her 'ride or die' bestie, Lurlene Culpepper. In this new case, recent Pine Ridge resident and retired professional racecar driver, Leroy Crock, is found murdered at the grand opening of this car museum and racetrack by his wife, Brenda, and suspicions immediately fall on his FIANCE, the voluptuous, much younger woman, Savannah Sparks. Darby believes Savannah's protestations of innocence, but that's not the case for the county sheriff looking for a quick case closure, so when the young woman is arrested for Leroy's murder, Darby and Lurlene jump in to investigate. Of course, they do so in disregard of the town's chief of police, Scott Tipton, Darby's increasingly serious romantic interest.

While Darby is headstrong and determined to conduct her own BETTER investigation into the murder, she's also undeniably clever and an extremely likable main character. I loved that she included her best friend on every outing to gather information and clues about who the murderer might be, and that Lurlene was a willing and able participant, as well as a cautionary voice of reason. Their friendship is rock-solid, and Darby also supports Lurlene's new catering business. It was hard not to crave all the wonderful dishes mentioned in the story, especially some scrumptious-sounding Southern fried chicken!

The plot moves at an exciting pace as the two women uncover details the sheriff's department investigators failed to pursue, drawing the ire of the unknown killer. Nice plot twists paired with plausible motives and suspects kept me from figuring out the truth until the final reveal.

From the start, one of the things I enjoyed most was the clever, witty narrative and use of down-home colloquialisms. Polite Southern snark and self-examination run throughout. Darby's involvement in the case strains her growing relationship with Scott, the interim chief of police and widower with two young children. Based on earlier success, she's convinced she can help find the killer, while he is just as certain she needs to stay out of it, not only for the integrity of the case but her own safety. But as their feelings grow, he keeps their relationship hidden from his children, and Darby must make a tough but necessary decision to reconcile the two.

Although this is the second book in the series, the author does a fabulous job providing just enough backstory to clarify the relationships without spoiling the mystery in the previous novel. Readers new to the series should have no problem starting with this latest adventure; however, they'll absolutely want to go back and read the first book for the pure enjoyment and added entertainment.

I recommend RED FLAG FOR MURDER to readers of cozy mysteries.

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