Freelance book editor Mikki Lincoln knows the makings of a well-written story. But she’ll need to choose her words wisely when a new assignment introduces a deadly plot twist . . .
Forgotten on the outskirts of quaint Lenape Hollow, Feldman’s Catskill Resort Hotel has outlasted its heyday as a popular tourist destination and now awaits demolition. But once Mikki is hired to edit a revealing memoir by Sunny Feldman, the last living relative of its original owners, the doomed resort quickly ends up back in the spotlight . . .
Unfortunately, everyone’s attention shifts to Mikki when a body is discovered at the demolition site. Seen arguing with deceptive entrepreneur Greg Onslow right before his shocking death, the editor has no choice but to spell out exactly why she isn’t guilty of murdering him . . .
Mikki’s dash for answers brings Greg’s shady dealings into focus, along with an unsettling list of potential culprits. As false leads and dead ends force her to revise theories on who really did it, can Mikki separate fact from fiction before the investigation reaches a terrifying conclusion?
Release Date: Jun 30, 2020
Series: Deadly Edits
Book: 3
Publisher: Kensington
Price: $12.99
Retired teacher Mikki Lincoln has moved back from Maine to her hometown of Lenape Hollow, New York. She supplements her retirement earnings by doing freelance editing. One of her latest projects is editing the memoirs of Sunny Feldman whose family owned a large resort in the area. The resort has been sold and developer Greg Onslow is heading up a new renovation and for some reason is furious about Sunny’s upcoming book and gets into a loud, very public shouting match with Mikki over the book. When Greg is found dead at the renovation site the next day, Mikki becomes one of the county sheriff’s prime suspects. In spite of the danger, Mikki starts asking questions of potential suspects so she can find the real killer.
This is the third book in this series. I enjoyed the debut but missed the book immediately preceding this one. I was able to quickly catch up and think brand new readers would have no problems getting to know the main characters. I like having an older main character who is independent, intelligent, and out-spoken. Mikki can sometimes be hot-tempered, but at least she stands up for herself. I enjoy the friendship she has with Darlene and also like her younger cousin Luke who also lives in the same town. Luke also becomes a suspect in the murder and I love how Mikki and also Darlene stick up for him. As much as I like these characters, there are a few that are annoying, including Mikki’s high school rival Ronnie, the victim’s gold-digging widows, and also the pastor’s wife. I really didn’t take to Mikki’s nephew Nick. Even though he means well, I didn’t care for his overbearing ways and wish he would have headed back home to Maine earlier in the book.
Since Greg was a shady businessman and could be quite rude in his dealings with other people, there was no shortage of suspects in his murder. Mikki does a good job of figuring out who had a motive to kill him and with help from Darlene’s online research, finding out quite a few secrets that were being kept. When the murderer is revealed, I was surprised since the clues were pointing elsewhere. The ending was a bit of a letdown because the killer’s motive is disclosed it’s second-hand instead of during the murderer’s dramatic confrontation with Mikki. Overall, I enjoyed the story, as well as the grammar and language tips at the very end. Fans of J.D. Griffo’s Ferrara Family mysteries which also features an older widow turned amateur sleuth will enjoy the latest from Dunnett.
~ Christine
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