Murder, She Edited by Kaitlyn Dunnett

 Murder, She Edited

Book Summary

As the hesitant new owner of a rundown property outside of sleepy Lenape Hollow, New York, freelance editor Mikki Lincoln must get her facts straight about an old murder on the premises--before the killer returns to meet the next deadline!

When Mikki inherits a nearby farm from a woman she hasn't seen in two decades, the unexpected arrangement comes with a big catch: forgotten diaries hidden in the neglected house must be recovered, edited, and published across the internet within one month. The lonely locale is like an untouched time capsule from the 1950s, and it was left behind for good reason

While searching for the mysterious memoirs and clues about the former owners, Mikki discovers that the once peaceful place was punctuated by an unsolved homicide and other rumored crimes. Worse, suspicious activity in the creepy, dilapidated barn suggests it really hasn't been abandoned at all...

In a remote farmhouse with only her observant calico cat, Calpurnia, keeping her company, Mikki must swiftly crack an eerie cold case from the past and stop a clever culprit from leaving red markups on anything other than pages of revised copy..

 My Thoughts

Murder, She Edited by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 4^th A Deadly Edits Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series.  Mikki Lincoln is surprised when she learns she has inherited a house and some land from an old friend of her deceased mother.  Of course, there is a catch to the bequest.  She must locate and publish diaries hidden in the old farmhouse within a specified time period or the inheritance will pass on to another individual.  Mikki has a feeling there is something the lawyer is not disclosing.  Entering the old farmhouse is like stepping back in time.  Nothing has been changed since the 1950s.  As Mikki expected, the lawyer failed to tell her about the murder that occurred in the house.  When Mikki learns the case was never solved, she sets out to unravel the case.  

I like that Mikki Lincoln is a mature protagonist.  She is a retired schoolteacher who now does freelance editing.  Mikki is a friendly, relatable character.  She is smart, meticulous, and cautious.  Mikki pays close attention to details and does her research (well, her friend Darlene does the heavy lifting in that area).  She is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it plus Mikki does not put herself into dangerous situation without taking precautions.  I like how she talks to her cat, Calpurnia.  There are some great, developed characters in the series that includes Mikki’s best friend, Darlene.  I enjoy the humor sprinkled throughout the story.  Mikki’s anecdotes about grammar missteps had me chuckling.  The mystery was interesting and well-plotted.  I like that it was a cold case.  In addition to the 1950s murder, Mikki wonders who made some recent modifications to the barn.  I like how everything tied together with a complete resolution.  There was action toward the end that spiced things up.  This is not an action-packed cozy series (just to let you know).  This series focuses on Mikki (her life, job, family, and friends) who stumbles upon the occasional mystery. There is a secondary storyline involving a fan of author who blames Mikki for typos in her latest book.  The woman is relentless.  It will take a special solution to resolve this problem.  The ending left me smiling.  If you like Jessica Fletcher cozy mysteries, then check out Murder, She Edited.  Murder, She Edited is a charm filled cozy mystery with grammar gaffes, a faithful feline, hidden diaries, a fanatical fan, and a bizarre bequest.  

Murder, She Edited is available from Amazon*.  The other A Deadly Edits Mysteries are Crime & Punctuation, Clause & Effect, and A Fatal Fiction.  Kaitlyn Dunnett also writes A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series.   You can follow Kaitlyn Dunnett on Amazon to get emails when she releases a new book.  Thank you for reading my review today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Much Ado about Nauticaling by Gabby Allan.  It is the debut of A Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.   I hope that you have grammatically correct day (or Mikki Lincoln might pay you a visit).  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Welcome!  I got a thesaurus recently.  It's nothing to write house about!  A friend has his thesaurus stolen.  He's lost for words.  I could not resist sharing these jokes with you today since they tie in with Mikki French the main character in A Fatal Fiction.  Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton and Hairballs & Homicide by Ruth J. Hartman release on June 26.  Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flower will be out on August 11 along with Peachy Scream by Anna Gerard.  For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black will publish on September 8 and so will Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker.  Are any of these new cozies on your wish list?

Catskills, New York

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett has Mikki Lincoln working with Sunny Feldman on her memoirs in Lenape Hollow, New York.  Mikki is at the gas station when Greg Onslow comes storming up to her and accuses her of sabotaging his latest project.  Greg purchased the crumbling Feldman’s Catskill Resort Hotel from Sunny which he is in the process of demolishing.   After one insult too many, Mikki ends up losing her temper causing a spectacular scene at the crowded gas station.  The next day, Mikki is working with Sunny at the library when she learns that Greg Onslow was found dead at the site of the old resort hotel.  Mikki soon learns that she is at the top of Detective Brightwell’s suspect list since her altercation with the victim went viral.  Mikki has no choice but to prove her innocence before she finds herself teaching English grammar to inmates.

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 3^rd A Deadly Edits Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone if you are new to this series (or skipped a book).  The author has a casual writing style which makes the story easy to read.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and the surrounding area.  The pacing varies throughout the story.  Mikki Lincoln is seventy years old and a widow.  After her husband’s death, she moved back to her hometown of Lenape Hollow.  Mikki also purchased her childhood home and spent most of her retirement money fixing it up.  Mikki is a retired English teacher.  She takes those skills to begin a manuscript editing business out of her home.  Grammar is a theme featured throughout the series with helpful tips at the end of the book.  Mikki rarely loses her temper, but Greg Onslow pushed her buttons when she was filling up the tank of her car.  Unfortunately, the whole scene was caught by someone wielding a cell phone and posted online.  When Onslow ends up murdered, Mikki along with her cousin, Luke find themselves suspects.  When the detective seems to focus on the cousins, Mikki sets out to find the true culprit.  I like that Mikki is an older protagonist who brings a mature viewpoint to the cases she investigates.  The mystery had multiple suspects courtesy of Onslow’s swindling ways.  There is a red herring or two to distract the reader.  Devoted cozy mystery readers will have no problem pinpointing the guilty party.  I would have liked a better wrap up of the case.  I was left with a couple of unanswered questions.  Mikki needs to work on her questioning technique.  She is too direct which can come across as rude.  Mikki also feels the need to use her “teacher” voice to put people in their place too often.  Nick, Mikki’s nephew, pays a visit and I found him an annoying individual. I know he was trying to protect his aunt, but his behavior bordered on boorish. Nick and Mikki clashed frequently.   I have trouble liking the characters in this series.  I want them to be more like those in the author’s A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series.  My favorite line in A Fatal Fiction came from Sunny when she said, “Good riddance to bad rubbish” when she learned Onslow was dead.  A Fatal Fiction is a blithesome cozy mystery with one dead developer, a reckless writer, magnified memoirs, a nagging nephew, and an annoyed aunt.

A Fatal Fiction will be out on June 30 and can be obtained from Amazon*.  The first two A Deadly Edits Mystery novels are Crime & Punctuation and Clause & Effect.  Thank you for dropping by today.  Tomorrow I am featuring The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor.  I do hope you have a joyful day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

Clause & Effect by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Welcome!  Wonton Terror by Vivien Chen releases on August 27 with Mulberry Mischief by Sharon Farrow.  Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay along with An Amish Christmas Kitchen by Kate Lloyd, Jan Drexler and Leslie Gould comes out on September 3.  The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking by Leigh Perry publishes on September 24.  So many new books!  Is there a new book you are looking forward to reading or adding to your TBR stack?

Clause & Effect by Kaitlyn Dunnett returns readers to Lenape Hollow, New York.  Mikki Lincoln is a widow and retired English teacher who returned to her hometown after the death of her husband.  To pay for repairs on her home, she started The Write Right Wright which is a proofreading and editing business.  The village (not the town) of Lenape Hollow will be celebrating the 225^th anniversary (called quasquibicentennial) of their founding.  They have decided to resurrect the pageant script from the bicentennial and Mikki is drafted to whip it into shape.  With the only copy of the play at the historical society, Mikki sets up shop in the archive room to transcribe it.  She son hears a loud commotion where remodeling work is being done in the building.  A wall covering the old fireplace has collapsed and a body wrapped in plastic has tumbled out.  Mikki is curious as to the identity of the victim and begins to do a little digging.  Work on the play is progressing, but the cold case has stalled out.  Then one of the people on Mikki’s suspect list is killed and she wonders if the two cases are linked.  Mikki needs to be careful or she could be history.

Clause & Effect is the second installment in A Deadly Edits Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone if you have not had time to read Crime& Punctuation.  I like that Mikki Lincoln is a mature main character (70 years old).  She is a retired English teacher who now lives in the home where she grew up with her cat, Calpurnia.  I think the name of her proofreading and editing business is clever (The Write Right Wright).  We learn a little more about her friend, Darlene Uberman and her frenemy, Ronnie North.  Personally, I could do without Ronnie.  She is an abrasive character (the traditional mean girl) who quickly got on my nerves.  The endless sniping reminded me of high school girls instead of mature women.  Mikki’s cousin, Luke shows up and we learn more about Mikki’s family tree.  I enjoyed Mikki’s reminiscing about her childhood as it lets us get to know Mikki better.   The two mysteries tied together nicely which provided multiple suspects and a red herring or two. There are clues to help the reader identify the evil doer before Mikki.  Mikki’s questioning technique leaves a lot to be desired (blunt).  She comes across as a busybody instead of amateur sleuth.  Detective John Hazlett tells her multiple times to stop investigating, but he does appreciate the intel Mikki shares with him.  Readers also learn more about the village and how it has changed over the last twenty-five years.  I admit it is confusing that there is a town and a village with the same name.  I did feel that the story lacked humor and the pacing was lethargic (action was sorely needed).  The literary and grammar references that were sprinkled throughout Crime & Punctuation were missing in Clause & Effect.  There are some language and grammar tips from Mikki at the end.  Clause & Effect has a town celebration, two dead bodies, a crumbled fireplace, feuding sisters, a cat named Calpurnia, and one prying proofreader.  

Lenape Hollow High School Mascot

Clause & Effect is available through Amazon (as well as other retailers) as well as Crime & Punctuation (on Kindle Unlimited).  Kaitlyn Dunnett also writes A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series.  The latest A View to a Kilt will be out on January 28 2020.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow's selection is Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks.  It is the seventh A Quilting Mystery.  I hope you have a luminous day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader