Greetings! Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley is A Below Stairs Mystery. It will be published on January 2, 1018 along with The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz.
Unnatural Causes by Dawn Eastman
is the first book in A Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series. Dr. Katie LeClair has joined the family
practice of Dr.’s Emmett and Nick Hawkins (father and son) in Baxter, Michigan. She is called into the hospital when Ellen
Riley is brought in from an overdose of diazepam (and Nick did not answer his
page). The bottle states that Katie wrote
the prescription, but she never issued it to Ellen. The police believe it is suicide, until Ellen’s
daughter, Beth convinces them to take another look. Beth states that Ellen was stressed over
research she had been conducting. Ellen
had discovered something—did it get her killed?
Katie wants answers and enlists her brother, Caleb to assist her. What was Ellen Riley researching and why did
Nick not answer his page? Someone is not
happy with Katie’s meddling and warns her off her search. Can Katie uncover the killer, or will she end
up the next victim?
I thought Unnatural Causes was
nicely written and had a good pace. The
author establishes Katie’s background early in the story and I found her a
likeable, relatable character. The transitions between scenes was smooth
(nicely handled by author). There is a repetition
of information that could have been eliminated. The same details do not need to
be repeated throughout the book. There
are two mysteries in the book and both can be solved. The murderer can be discerned early in the
story. The why is slowly revealed as the
story progresses. There are good clues
that will aid readers in solving the mystery.
It is slightly convoluted and there is a surprise that readers may not
anticipate. There are several suspects
and some nice misdirection. The
secondary mystery (regarding Nick Hawkins) is interesting and a common problem
in our society (unfortunately). The
action ramps up in the last 12% of the story.
There is a love interest for Katie in the story. I was glad that the romance element was light
and not rushed. Unnatural Causes is different
from Dawn Eastman’s A Family Fortune Mystery series. It shows the author’s versatility. Unnatural Causes has good bones, and I look
forward to reading the next book in A Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series.
Thank you for reading my latest review. I will be featuring The Trouble with Murder by Kathy Krevat tomorrow. By the way--Where does Santa put his suit after Christmas? (prepare to groan). In the Claus-et! It is so bad, that it is funny! May you have a very merry day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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