The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn

The Body in the Wetlands

(A Jazzi Zanders Mystery)

by Judi Lynn

About  the Book 

The Body in the Wetlands (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Lyrical Underground (April 23, 2019)

Paperback: 208 pages

ISBN-10: 151610840X

ISBN-13: 978-1516108404

Digital ASIN: B07FZN7CVT

High summer in River Bluffs, Indiana, is always sweltering and sweet. But the heat is really on when a decidedly dead body turns up in the neighborhood.

When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .

When the friendly senior’s dog tugs Jazzi and the guys toward the wetlands beyond Olivia’s neighborhood, they stumble across a decomposing corpse—and a lot of questions. With Jazzi’s pal Detective Gaff along to investigate, Jazzi finds her hands full of a whole new mystery instead of the usual hammer and nails. And this time it will take some sophisticated sleuthing to track down the culprit of the deadly crime—before the killer turns on her next . . .

About the Author

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters.  She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.  Readers can visit her website at www.judithpostswritingmusings.com and her blog writingmusings.com.

My Thoughts

The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn takes us back to River Bluffs, Indiana. Jazzi Zanders along with her cousin, Jerrod and boyfriend, Ansel are helping Olivia and Thane roof their new fixer upper home.  During this time, Jazzi makes friends with Olivia’s neighbor, Leo and his dog, Cocoa.  Leo tells her about Miles Lancaster who went missing three weeks ago with the police only finding his bike.  One day Jazzi is working on the landscaping when a bloody Cocoa comes up to her.  She rushes to Leo’s home where she finds his wife, Louisa has fallen, and that Leo never came home from walking Cocoa the night before.  Jazzi contacts Detective Gaff who rushes over to investigate.  When Jazzi takes Cocoa for a walk, the little brown Labrador leads them into the woods near the wetlands and digs up two decomposing corpses.  They also find a torn piece of Leo’s sweater nearby.  Detective Gaff now has two murders and a missing person’s case to solve.  While Ansel and Jerod move inside to work on Olivia’s house, Jazzi accompanies Detective Gaff to question suspects. Will they be able to find their serial killer before he strikes again?

The Body in the Wetlands is the second novel in A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone if you have not picked up The Body in the Attic.  I thought The Boyd in the Wetlands contained good writing and it proceeded at a fixed speed (I am tired of saying steady pacing) which makes it pleasant to read.  The main characters are friendly and relatable.  It is kind of Ansel, Jerod and Jazzi to take time off from their current flip to work on Olivia and Thane’s new home despite the hot August heat.  I like that Jazzi is close to her family and that they have a big Sunday dinner each week.  Ansel is estranged from his family after they forced him to depart from the family dairy farm after he graduated from high school.  He is shocked when his brother calls because they need his help after Ansel’s father had surgery and his other brother fell off the roof breaking his leg.  I could feel Ansel’s emotions.  He is hurt by the way his family treated him and that they have only called him because they need help (and cannot afford to hire assistance).  The mystery has red herrings to distract readers from solving this multifaceted whodunit. George, Ansel’s pug, is back plus Jazzi adds two new furry friends to the household who are adorable and mischievous.  I was turned off by the excessive alcohol consumption by our characters, the focus on appearances and the attention paid to intimate relations.  It was a little much for a cozy mystery.  I am curious as to why permits are never mentioned when they plan their work.  There is an especially sweet and romantic scene towards the end of the book that will delight readers.  The Boyd in the Wetlands is an entertaining cozy mystery with house flipping, close friends, adorable fur babies, family drama, romance, two dead bodies, one missing person and a cagey killer.

Body in the Wetlands is available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Google Play.  The next book in A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series is The Body in the Gravel which comes out September 24. Please take the time to visit the other stops on the tour for author interviews, character guest posts, excerpts, and guest posts (schedule below).  Thank you for joining me today.  I am featuring The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox next time.  It is the eight novel in The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Tour Participants

April 23 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 23 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

April 24 – I'm All About Books – GUEST POST

April 24 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

April 25 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

April 25 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

April 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 26 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

April 27 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

April 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

April 28 – Christa Reads and Writes - REVIEW

April 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

April 29 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 29 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 30 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 30 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

May 1 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

May 1 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

May 2 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW

May 2 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 2 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

The Body in the Attic

by Judi Lynn

About the Book

The Body in the Attic

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Lyrical Underground (November 27, 2018)

Paperback: 218 pages

ISBN-10: 1516108396

ISBN-13: 978-1516108398

Digital Print Length: 280 pages

ASIN: B07B741L6N

Welcome to River Bluffs, Indiana, a cozy small town populated with charming homes, close-knit families, and the occasional deadly secret . . .

House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage—a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes . . .

Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda—and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms—and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good . . .

About the Author

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters.  She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes. Readers can visit her website at www.judithpostswritingmusings.com and her blog writingmusings.com.

My Thoughts

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn has readers traveling to River Bluffs, Indiana.  Jasmine “Jazzi” Zanders runs a home flipping business with her cousin, Jerrod.  Their newest acquisition belonged to Cal Juniper who was once engaged to Jazzi’s aunt, Lynda who disappeared twenty-six years ago.  They are moving a trunk in the attic when they hear rattling inside it.  When they open the trunk, they find a woman’s body.  Jazzi notices the silver locket around the victim’s neck and knows she has found Lynda.  Detective Richard Gaff is assigned the case, but it will be difficult to solve such an old crime.  Family and friends are shocked by the discovery and try to remember the events that transpired prior to Lynda vanishing.  Jazzi, Jerrod and their contractor, Ansel proceed with the renovation and notice that the water is not draining properly.  Jerrod is digging near the septic tank when he makes a gruesome discovery.  As Jazzi works on the house, she falls in love with its beauty and decides to make it her home.  Ansel has great ideas for the rooms and works with Jazzi on the finishes.  As the family reminisces about Lynda, Jazzi learns helpful information and shares with Detective Gaff who includes her in the investigation.  Someone, though, feels threatened by Jazzi and makes threatening phone calls.  Will Jazzi get to enjoy her new home or will she up the next victim?

 

>The Body in the Attic is easy to read thanks to the author’s conversational writing style.  The book has a nice, steady pace and good flow.  I liked the characters and the home renovation angle.  Jazzi is twenty-seven years old who has been working with her cousin, Jerrod for the last four years.  They buy run down homes and fix them up.  Ansel, a tall handsome blonde man (think Viking), is their contractor and Jazzi’s friend.  Jazzi is attracted to Ansel, but he is currently living with prima donna, Emily.  Ansel and Emily’s relationship is on the rocks when she takes a job in California and expects him to follow her.  I did find too much of the book devoted to Ansel and Emily’s relationship.  It competed with the mystery and it followed an expected path (reminded me of a romance novel).   I loved Ansel’s little pug, George who is his faithful companion. George is a spoiled little pooch and he has attitude (he drinks beer too).  Jazzi is the most developed character in the book.  It would have been nice if the author fleshed out the main characters more in The Body in the Attic.  I like that Jazzi is close to her family and hosts Sunday dinner for them at her place.  She has a loving relationship with her grandmother who is in the early stages of dementia.  There are two mysteries in the story.  There are a couple of suspects in each one.   The investigating is focused on Jazzi and Detective Gaff talking with various people and gathering information.  Jazzi makes various connections based on the information obtained.  Both mysteries can be solved before the reveal. Detective Gaff is a friendly, likeable man and willingly includes Jazzi.  I did find it unrealistic that a detective would take a civilian along when questioning suspects and that he would share so many details regarding the cases.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Jazzi’s finished house.  I especially loved how she finished the kitchen ceiling.  There are recipes at the end of The Body in the Attic for the dishes Jazzi created.   The Body in the Attic is a light cozy mystery perfect for reading on a relaxing Saturday afternoon.  I look forward to reading The Body in the Wetlands when is releases.

The Body in the Attic is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.  Thank you for joining me today.  I hope you take the time to visit the other stops on the tour (see schedule below).  There are character interviews, reviews, guest posts, author interviews and character guest posts.  Tomorrow I am featuring Violet Tendencies by Kate Dyer-Seeley.  It is the second book in A Rose City Mystery series.  I hope to see you then.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 26 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf - AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 26 – The Montana Bookaholic  – REVIEW

November 27 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW

November 27 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 27 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 28 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

November 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

November 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

November 29 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

November 30 – Varietats - REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 30 – Here's How It Happened - REVIEW

December 1 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST*

December 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Laura's Interests – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 3 – Moonlight Rendezvous - REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 3 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

December 4 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 5 – The Avid Reader  REVIEW

December 5 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT