Author: Peggy Ehrhart
Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496738851
Kensington Cozies
304 Pages
$8.99; $6.99 Amazon
February 21, 2023
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A member of a prominent New Jersey family has been found dead on St. Patrick's Day -- and Pamela Paterson and her knitting club have a parade of suspects...
The Listers have been part of Arborville society for generations -- though seventy-something Isobel Lister doesn't fit the role of upper-crust heiress. She's always been a colorful character, and her fun-loving spirit is on display at the senior center celebration as she performs some beloved Irish songs. But just minutes later, her body is found backstage.
It's hard to imagine who'd target such a harmless eccentric, but Pamela finds herself suspecting everyone. There's the Wiccan who thought St. Patrick wasn't so saintly, the woman upset about cultural appropriation who feels the commercialization of shamrocks is a sham; the two men Isobel was seeing who could have been green with jealousy -- and old friends and family who may have feared Isobel would spill their secrets. But Pamela's on the case, and that means for the killer, the jig will soon be up...
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When Pamela attends a senior luncheon with her best friend Bettina, who is a journalist, she expects a pleasant afternoon eating and watching entertainment. But then a lively senior, Isobel Lister, enters the room and starts singing, and things change. Pamela notices that not everyone is enjoying the entertainment, and one woman even walks out.
When the hostess goes to find ISobel, she comes back almost immediately with the news that Isobel is dead. Who could have killed her? And why? When Bettina convinces Pamela that they must at least investigate, they discover that the Lister family might be hiding secret, and those secrets got Isobel killed. But with so many suspects, how is Pamela going to figure out who killed the woman? Will she be able to find a killer, or will they celebrate the holiday by getting away with murder?...
This is the ninth book in the series and I have read them all. I've enjoyed most of them, too; quite a bit. But there are things that have finally begun to irritate me. There is too much repetition. We already know Pamela insists on using her wedding china. It doesn't have to be repeated every time she has a cup of coffee. Same with Bettina's "sage green pottery," "whole wheat bread." and what is a 'serviceable compact?' This could be what women keep in their purses to check their lipstick. Why not just call it a car? I do realize she is trying to acquaint new readers of these things, but they are not needed to be said every time she does something. Unless she uses other plates, we don't need to hear of making whole wheat toast and putting it on wedding china. I have ceramic hand-made dishes, but I don't tout it to everyone who will listen. It's just gotten very annoying.
Sorry about the rant, but most of the book seemed to involve Pamela's day-to-day routine, with not as much attention to the mystery. When she did, though, it kept me reading, and when the murderer was discovered it was a surprise, which is what a mystery should do. There were clues, but many more red herrings. The writing was very good, and I liked the fact that Pamela is finally trying to change her outlook on certain things. (I will not say so as not to spoil the book for others). Other than that, I enjoyed the book and will keep reading the series.
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Peggy Ehrhart's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/peggy-ehrhart/
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