After splurging to buy her childhood home in the Catskills, recently widowed Mikki Lincoln emerges from retirement as a freelance editor. With her ability to spot details that others fail to see, it’s not long before Mikki earns clients—and realizes that the village of Lenape Hollow isn’t the thriving tourist destination it was decades ago. Not with a murderer on the loose . . .
When perky novice writer Tiffany Scott knocks at her door holding a towering manuscript, Mikki expects another debut novel plagued by typos and sloppy prose. Instead, she finds a murder mystery ripped from the headlines of Lenape Hollow’s not-too-distant past. The opening scene is a graphic page-turner, but it sends a real chill down Mikki’s spine after the young author turns up dead just like the victim in her story . . .
Mikki refuses to believe that Tiffany’s death was accidental, and suspicions of foul play solidify as she uncovers a strange inconsistency in the manuscript and a possible motive in the notes. Then there’s Tiffany’s grandmother and husband, who aren’t exactly on friendly terms over the local area’s planned rejuvenation efforts . . .
Unable to convince police that they are focused on the wrong suspect, Mikki must rely on her keen eyes to catch the truth hidden in Lenape Hollow. As she gets closer to cracking the case, only one person takes Mikki’s investigation seriously—the cunning killer who will do anything to make this chapter of her life come to a very abrupt ending . . .
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Series: Deadly Edits
Book: 1
Publisher: Kensington
Price: $12.99
Mikki Lincoln is recently widowed and has purchased her childhood home in Lenape Hollow, New York. After relocating from Maine, Mikki sets up a freelance editing company to supplement her retirement income. Mikki is excited to get a new client right away, a young woman named Tiffany Scott. However, after she drops off her historical crime fiction manuscript for review, Tiffany is found dead, and the police are investigating to figure out if Tiffany’s death was an accident, suicide, or murder. Even though Mikki only met Tiffany once, she is determined to find out if Tiffany was murdered, and if so, who the killer is.
Mikki’s job of freelance editor makes an interesting premise for a cozy mystery series. I enjoyed the two pages of grammar hints at the end of the book to support Mikki’s love for the English language. I like that Mikki is a strong, intelligent, and mature character. Mikki has integrity and even sticks up for her long-time nemesis Ronnie, who has never been nice to her, is falsely accused of murder. Mikki’s renewed friendship with her high school friend, Darlene, is enjoyable and realistic. Darlene is often confined to a wheelchair because of severe arthritis, but that doesn’t stop her getting involved in the investigation. The two women support each other, joke around with each other, and work together to get clues about the cause of Tiffany’s death. It’s fun to see the two friends reconnect after Mikki’s long absence living in Maine.
The book is interesting, and Tiffany’s manuscript plays a role in the crime in an unexpected way. A questionable development project in the book also plays a role, providing a few different suspects as a potential killer. I became engaged in the story from the very beginning and was eager to find out what really happened to Tiffany. I’ve read a few of the Liss MacCrimmon books by this author and think she has a winner with this new series. Crime and Punctuation will appeal to readers of this author’s other series as well as fans of Ellery Adams. I like Dunnett’s new book and hope there will be other books in the series.
~ Christine
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