Open For Murder - A Review

 

Open For Murder

By
Mary Angela

The culprit in this cozy mystery was as elusive as George the cat. Set in the heart of Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, home of the Homestake Mine. Homestake was a gold mine converted at the beginning of the 21st century into a major physics research center. It was also home to Spirit Canyon Lodge, recently inherited by Beth Everett and now reopened as an inn located on the edge of Spirit Canyon.

The inn was mostly rented out this weekend for a small sorority’s 10-year reunion. However, Enid Barrett, the only real competitor to Beth’s lodge, also stopped in for a one night visit. Her goal was to put Spirit Canyon Lodge out of business. It did not go well - she was found dead the next morning.

The suspects included the guests and employees of the lodge, but the local sheriff decided Beth Barrett was guilty early in the process. Beth certainly could have pulled it off - she had means, motive, and opportunity. It now fell to Beth’s friends to stumble (literally) onto the killer.

The book included enough historic, geographic, and biographic details to warrant several Google searches for this reader - a trait that improves the quality of a cozy mystery very quickly. This reader’s only real concern was the small hint of a paranormal presence - though not a major part of the story, it was an unnecessary distraction from the rest of the book. I will give the book 4-½ stars out of a possible five.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.