Booked 4 Murder

June 1, 2017

When four members of a book club in an Arizona retirement community die while reading their latest selection, Harriet Plunkett insists the book is cursed and demands that her daughter, Sophie, fly out to investigate. It doesn't matter that Sophie works in accounting for a Minnesota police department; Harriet is convinced Sophie can help. To placate her mother, Sophie heads to Sun City West, where accidents accumulate as Sophie probes the deaths and her mother gathers information from a network of seniors. The roundup of suspects for the grand reveal results in a rollicking, slapstick finale. VERDICT This series debut by the pseudonymous Eaton (the husband-and-wife team of Ann Goldfarb and James E. Clapp) is an entertainingly funny cozy that will tickle the fancy of readers who enjoy mysteries featuring active seniors, such as Maddy Hunter's "Passport to Peril" series.--LH

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2017
Sophie Kimball works in accounting in the Mankato, Minnesota, police department and knows little about detective work, other than what her friend, Nate Williams, a detective nearing retirement, has told her over the years. But that's close enough for her mother, retired in Sun City West, Arizona. According to her, Sophie must drop everything and solve a mystery before any more members of her book club, Booked 4 Murder, die. The body count is three alreadyand they aren't due to discuss their next book until the following week, by which time they might all be dead! Then Thelmalee, the fourth club member, dies from a bee sting, so Sophie reluctantly flies to Arizona to appease her mother. Sophie both trails her mother around and explores on her own, checking out the pool where Thelmalee died, the front steps where Edna Mae fell, and the local dog park, the best place for gossip. After Nate's computer-geek friend determines that the soon-to-be discussed book is self-published, with no Amazon sales, except in Sun City West, Sophie pieces together the explanation. A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable, yet realistic characters and enough plot twistsand dead endsto appeal from beginning to end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)