I liked Carol J. Perry’s Witch City Mysteries. She ended that series, and spun it off with It’s About Time, the first Wicked Salem book. I won’t be reading more of these. The main character, and her friends, are just too ridiculous. I found all of their antics, as women in their sixties, just too silly.
Ibby Russell is a part-time research librarian in Salem, Massachusetts, with way too much time on her hands, if you ask me. She rents out two apartments to short-term renters. When the police show up with a warrant, they want to search Josh Alper’s room. It’s supposed to be an investigation into a cold case art theft. But, Ibby’s other tenant, a nature photographer, finds Josh’s dead body in a local county park. According to the police, he was murdered, by poison from a drone.
Here’s where the whole story went off the tracks for me. Ibby and her two best friends decide to investigate because they watch Midsomer Murders on TV every week, and they’re going to adapt Chief Inspector John Barnaby’s methods for their own case. Previously, when they investigated, they called themselves the Angels, but they feel they’ve outgrown that. Now, these “women who enjoy scandal” are calling themselves 34T, based on “Three Four Tea”. Please. They’re playing Nancy Drew in their sixties. In fact, Ibby frequently refers to Nancy Drew and “What would Barnaby do?”
Frankly, the author lost me when the women wanted to don disguises and watched movies for pointers for their investigation. I didn’t care about the art heists or the murder or all the lunches and teas they attended. Ibby refers to the case as a “tangled mess”, and I think the entire book was a tangled mess. Just my opinion, but the cat, O’Ryan, was the best character in the entire book, and Ibby even turned off the TV on the poor cat when she was jealous of his interest in a woman on screen. It’s About Time to give up on this series for me.
Carol J. Perry’s website is https://www.caroljperry.com/my-books
It’s About Time by Carol J. Perry. Kensington, 2026. 288p.
FTC Full Discosure – I received a galley from the publisher through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
Lesa, I guess I won’t be reading the book now, but I enjoyed your review. I had to laugh; you’re so balanced and fair in your reviews, and always find at least a couple of things about each book to compliment, even if you don’t really like them all that much. But not this time. Very refreshing!
Agree completely Lindy. I am often impressed how Lesa can dislike a book but still pull out some positive attributes in her reviews. This one, not so much. It made for a fun morning read. And I know to skip adding this book to my TBR.
Hey! I liked the cat.
But, thank you, Lindy and Susan. I do try to find something other readers will like, even if I didn’t.
Oh dear, oh dear. I also laughed while reading this review, Lesa. The book sounds like a parody of everything I don’t like about (some) cozy mysteries. Also a reminder to me as a writer of how hard it is to make attempts at humor in mysteries truly funny.
I also enjoyed your review but I’ll be skipping the book.
What’s funny, Kim and Sandy, is that I never intended the review to be funny. I just expressed my exasperation with it. I’m glad everyone enjoyed it, though!
Yeah, much better than the book,I’m sure. it sounds both too cutesy and idiotic. Besides, if they want to be like Barnaby, does it take them three murders (the Midsine acerage) before they solve the case?
It is too cutesy, Jeff. And, I’m sorry about that. I was in the mood for a good cozy mystery. A good one!
That’s good. Yes, three murders is about the average for Barnaby.
Midsomer
I hate autocorrect
Based on our long history of watching NCIS, and despite the fact that we have no database, not even one for pollen of a certain tree that is only grown in a half mile area of Virginia, Scott and I will now buy some shirts, some guns, and deploy TCIS. Tipple Criminal Investigate Services will first find a really good bakery to patronize.
We also will need a squad room…
I also snickered while reading this. Annoyed Lesa is funny.
Or you could just shoot them like Ziva would, or maybe Torres.
Oh, yes. Ziva would just shoot them.
Ha! A good bakery, and a bookstore to read about how to solve a murder. I’d prefer that over doing whatever Barnaby would. (Although I do like Midsomer Murders.)
Probably the most fun I’ve had on my blog except for Thursdays.