Record Store Reckoning
Book Summary
When the manager of Marysburg Music, Darcy Gaughan, returns to work after a vacation, she expects to jump right back into work as the store gets ready for the upcoming Record Store Day celebrations. She’s also celebrating five years of sobriety and is confident that there are good things in her future. She doesn’t expect to find her boss in his office, dead from an apparent self-inflicted stab wound.
The police rule the death a suicide. Darcy, who knew her beloved boss better than anybody, knows better. She vows to get to the truth of the matter before the murderer can get away with the crime and the record store is closed forever. Along the way, she uncovers secrets and shady deals certain town residents would rather keep hidden. Secrets some would commit murder to keep under wraps. Can she assemble the clues and put them in just the right order so everything comes together like a classic jazz album? And how is she supposed to focus on finding a killer when she also needs to figure out a way to keep the record store open? Follow along as Darcy searches for the truth while learning the greatest gifts are truly those that money can’t buy.
My Thoughts
Record Store Reckoning by J.C. Kenney is a quirky cozy mystery with a unique premise. Darcy Gaughan returns from vacation to find
her boss, Eddie Maxwell dead at his desk at the Marysburg Music Company. The police rule Eddie’s death a suicide, but
Darcy knows he would not take his own life.
Darcy is determined to uncover what really happened to Eddie plus find a
way to keep the record store open. 
Record Store Reckoning is the
beginning of A Darcy Gaughan Mystery series.
The story starts out a little slow as we are introduced to Darcy Gaughan
and learn her background. There are a numerous
references to musical artists (I did not know most of them) along with drumming
terminology. The pacing increased about
a third or so of the way in. I am glad
that the author took the time to give us Darcy’s background and information on
the town. The business district of Marysburg,
Indiana sounded like a great place to browse with its funky shops. The mystery begins in chapter one with the
death of Darcy’s boss, Eddie Maxwell. I
was surprised to find the murder so early in the book since this writer is not
a newbie. It makes the book seem long
when the mystery occurs so early. The
mystery was interesting, and I liked that the death was personal to Darcy (gave
the story depth). There is the death of
Eddie plus a valuable missing record. The
are several good suspects along with a red herring or two. There are clues to help readers solve the
whodunit if you pay close attention. It
was nicely wrapped up at the end after a unique reveal. Record Store Reckoning has a sweet
ending. I like how the people of
Marysburg support Darcy and the record store.
Record Store Reckoning is a groovy cozy mystery with a stabbed superior,
a determined developer, a pilfered record, a discordant detective, a handsome helper,
and a sober sleuth.
Record Store Reckoning is available from
Amazon*. J.C. Kenney also writes
An Allie Cobb Mysteries. Follow
J.C. Kenney on Amazon to receive emails on his latest releases. Thank you for joining me today and reading my review. Tomorrow I am featuring
The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery. I hope that you have a happy day. I am going to go put together a rocking chair for our porch. I got one for myself and my mother loves it which means I had to get one for her. It is easier to sit in a rocker than an Adirondack chair (getting old is not for sissies). Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!
*This post
contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying
purchases.
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