Spiked Punch
Maddie Sparks Mystery Series
by
Lesley A. Diehl
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Upstate New York
Publisher: Camel Press
Publication Date: November 14, 2023
Paperback page count: 248 pages
ISBN-10: 1684921252 / ISBN-13: 978-1684921256
Digital ASIN: B0C6NR8C3G
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About Spiked Punch
On the other side of seventy, Maddie Sparks decides to spice up her life by changing her writing interests from cozy mysteries to romance. She also determines her appearance should reflect this transformation in her writing career. A sassy new haircut and more fashionable clothes complete the newer Maddie Sparks. Before she can begin this new chapter in her life, a stabbing death in the quiet country village she has made her home shocks the town's residents.
When her son is accused of the murder, Maddie and the acting county sheriff come together to find the real killer. Their relationship soon blooms into more than one of shared determination to solve the murder. As they enjoy a hike in a nearby park, someone shoots the sheriff, barely missing Maddie. Another killer could be loose in the area, and the person may be closer to Maddie than she realizes. Maddie discovers parts of herself she didn't know existed: real life romance with the sheriff, a talent for sleuthing and room in her life for a fuzzy, orange cat named "Spike." This recent lease on life may be more exciting and more dangerous than Maddie expects.
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REVIEW
4 stars!
Intriguing debut of a new cozy mystery series!
Spiked Punch is the first book in author Lesley A.
Diehl’s new cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth and former librarian
turned mystery writer, Maddie Sparks. With its sassy heroine “of a certain age”
and an intriguing mystery of a murder to solve, this series’ debut is sure to
please cozy mystery fans of all ages.
Maddie Sparks feels restless and ready for a change when the
story begins. Since her retirement from the library, she’s had a fair amount of
success as a cozy mystery writer, but after a decade of the same old thing,
she’s feeling as stale as the tea cookies she found in her cupboard. When she
discovers the body of one of her son’s property management clients, life
suddenly gets a bit more interesting. Enter investigating officer and interim
county sheriff Zack Montgomery and her jerk of an ex-husband, Dan Sparks, and
things get a whole lot more interesting. While Dan is a real piece of work,
Zack is a work of art. Maddie is as spunky as they come and even gets into a
physical altercation or two with the heinous ex-husband. She’s also a pit bull
on the trail of the killer, asking tough, pushy questions of those who cross
her path.
With the plot focusing on her eldest son, Geoffrey, the
mother in Maddie leaps into action to prove his innocence. She follows each bit
of information that comes her way to find the client’s murderer as well as the
owner of the strangely omniscient cat found at the crime scene.
I recommend SPIKED PUNCH to cozy mystery readers, especially
those who enjoy more mature amateur female sleuths, sexy law enforcement
officers, and stories featuring cats.
Cows, Lesley learned growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she went to the field to herd them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t a good career choice, instead she uses her country roots and her training as a psychologist to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. “A good chuckle,” says Lesley,” keeps us emotionally well-oiled long into our old age.” She is the author of the
Eve Appel mysteries from
Camel Press as well as several cozy mystery series and numerous short stories. Go to her webpage to find out more:
www.lesleyadiehl.com.
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