Author: G G Collins
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:`9780988467460
Chamisa Canyon Publishing
212 Pages
$14.95; $.99 Amazon
October 15, 2017
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Preston Endicott, Jr. was hated by most of the staff at his book publishing house. At least until he turned up dead in his locked office in this debut of the Taylor Browning Mystery Series. Taylor, the new mystery editor at the Santa Fe book publisher, sees plenty of possible perps right in the office suite. But the employees are hardly the only people to count as suspects. Dominique Boucher, their bestselling author, just submitted her latest manuscript. It's a locked-room mystery with a similar story line to the real life puzzle. His ex-wife wasn't a fan either. And there is the matter of a large inheritance: a successful company and many financial assets. Who stands to gain the most? Detective Victor Sanchez is assigned to uncover the killer. His crime-solving style manages to irritate just about everyone on his lengthy person of interest list. But he secretly hopes the editor, Taylor Browning, is not the murdering type. Those green eyes of hers can sparkle or spark. About the only non-suspect is Taylor's Abyssinian cat, Oscar, who manages to get in enough trouble on the domestic front. Feline royalty expects to dine on schedule and penalties can be quite severe when expectations are not met. Taylor's new hobby appears to be amateur sleuthing until she discovers her own life is in danger. One thing is certain. She can't edit her way out of this one!
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Taylor Browning moved to Santa Fe after the death of her husband. She lives with her Abyssinian cat, Oscar, and works as a mystery editor at a small publishing house. But when the owner -- Preston Endicott, Jr. -- is mysteriously killed in his locked office, everyone who works there is a suspect, along with his ex-wife, Jessica, who made no bones about the fact that she hated the man. Could one of Taylor's co-workers be a killer? Perhaps -- and Taylor is determined to find out who had the best motive. Now if she can just stay alive long enough to figure it out...
This is the first book in the series, and as such, I enjoyed it very much. I found the chapters devoted to everyone's thoughts an interesting item, and something I encounter rarely in the books I read. I also enjoyed the little tidbits about Santa Fe and the surrounding areas and attractions as something nicely added. It gives you a feel for the area, which is always welcome in books.
Taylor herself is a good protagonist. Whatever she learns she shares with Detective Sanchez -- eventually, and in her own way. Do not get me wrong; she doesn't withhold information for her own use, as some protagonists do; she just forget to inform him until something triggers in her brain. How it triggers is also a bit of a twist, and a good one at that.
I do like Oscar, but I have a soft spot for cats anyway, and also for characters who like cats, so that puts Sanchez and Jim on my list. While Jim is abrasive, it's because he's been embittered, and as the saying goes, people can change given the right time. He might. Time will tell.
As to the mystery, it was done very well, and gave us clues throughout to determine our own suspect. I am glad to say that I was right, but then again, as I have said many times over, I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that.
When the ending comes, it was done in such a way as to be rather refreshing, since I have never read it this way before. I found it unusual yet satisfying, and am glad that I picked this book up. I will definitely read the next in this series. Recommended.
More on G G Collins's Books: https://www.amazon.com/G-G-Collins/e/B008C3G3X0/ref
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