Book Description:
Susan Breen introduces a charming new series heroine in this poignant and absorbing cozy mystery with a bite. Maggie Dove thinks everyone in her small Westchester County community knows everyone else’s secrets. Then murder comes to town.
When Sunday School teacher Maggie Dove finds her hateful next-door neighbor Marcus Bender lying dead under her beloved oak tree—the one he demanded she cut down—she figures the man dropped dead of a mean heart. But Marcus was murdered, and the prime suspect is a young man Maggie loves like a son. Peter Nelson was the worst of Maggie’s Sunday School students; he was also her late daughter’s fiancé, and he’s been a devoted friend to Maggie in the years since her daughter’s death.
Maggie can’t lose Peter, too. So she sets out to find the real murderer. To do that, she must move past the grief that has immobilized her all these years. She must probe the hidden corners of her little village on the Hudson River. And, when another death strikes even closer to home, Maggie must find the courage to defend the people and the town she loves—even if it kills her.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the description of the small town in New York and how the characters are all interconnected due to that small town “thing.” I was a little surprised that the main character, Maggie, was actually an older woman. Surprised, but not bothered by it. I definitely didn’t guess ahead of time who the bad guy actually was. And I also enjoyed that the character of Maggie Dove is also a mystery writer. I was able to read this book very quickly and would definitely recommend it to others. I look forward to more books by this author and especially those featuring Ms. Dove.