Monday, February 5, 2024

The Fog Ladies: A Date with Death (A San Francisco Cozy Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Susan McCormick
Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781509249817
Wild Rose Press
338 Pages
$9.50; $3.99 Amazon
October 2, 2023

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The Fog Ladies are at it again, spunky senior sleuths and an overstressed young medical resident solving murders from their elegant apartment building in San Francisco.  They join a senior dating group, and romantic intrigue soon turns to murder.  Graham Parselle, lady killer extraordinaire, plunges off a cliff on a Senior Singles outing.  Did one of his dates pitch him over?  Or is Olivia Honeycutt's new beau to blame?

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When the Fog Ladies (most of them, anyway) decide to join a senior dating group, it seems there is a dearth of men.  However, Olivia Honeycutt has reconnected with an old beau from high school.  Even though the others might be suspicious of him, Olivia is happy with her Malcolm, and he seems to be so with her.  But one of the group's members -- a man named Graham Parselle, seems overly friendly with some of the senior women.  He's not afraid to break hearts, and with his trim figure and nice face, women can't help but fall for him.  But it's Graham who's fallen -- right off a cliff on a senior hike.  While the police think it was an accident, the Ladies aren't so sure, and they're again on a case to find a murderer...

I must admit that I have never read any of the other books in this series (as there are so many books out there and I just haven't gotten to these yet!).  But I also have to admit that I enjoyed this one very much.  Many of the characters are interesting, and the Fog Ladies are given enough in their descriptions that even if you haven't read the other books, you are able to decipher what they look like and act like.  While I did enjoy interacting with many of them, I also have to say that by the end of the book I was, myself, wanting to throw Enid Carmichael into the ocean.  Yes, I said it.  She's annoying and pushy, and is wrong on so many counts that I won't list here.  Read the book and draw your own conclusions.  (Okay, mini-rant done!)

Other than that, the book was filled with questions surrounding the murder (because, of course, we know that it was, even if the police don't), and I loved how the Ladies went about trying to figure it out.  Then another murder occurs, which puts the Ladies on high alert, and now they're wondering if one of their own is the next target.

Sarah, their friend and medical resident, has problems of her own.  She's still figuring out her new relationship with boyfriend Andy, and trying to get a fellowship at the hospital where she works.  She has little free time, but is more than willing to help the Ladies -- and it's a good thing, too -- when she can.

When the ending comes and we reach the climax, it's both satisfying and rewarding.  While I knew the murderer before they did (once again I will say that I read a lot of mysteries, so most times it comes easy for me), still, I liked how it all came together.  I will say that I am going to go back to the first in the series and see how the Ladies started.  Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the author and Voracious Readers, but this in no way influenced my review.



More on Susan McCormick's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/susan-mccormick/

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