Engaged in Death

by Stephanie Blackmoore

Kensington Books

Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult)

Pub Date 28 Jun 2016

Review

Finding a new cozy series that is well written and has an enticing cast is always a treat, and Engaged in Death is as delicious as Rachel's whiskey orange wedding cake promises to be.  (Yes the recipe is included). 

Engaged in Death introduces readers to Mallory Shepherd, a corporate lawyer in the midst of planning her wedding.  Her fiancé's infidelity leads her to nix the wedding.  But the deepest blow is the sudden death of his grandmother Sylvia, to whom Mallory had grown close.  Much to Mallory's surprise and the ire of Keith and his controlling Mother, Sylvia gifted her home, Thistle Park to Sylvia.  Although the house is desperately in need of repairs, interest in Thistle Park is soaring.  An energy company wants permission to frack, and rumors of valuable paintings hidden somewhere in the house abound.  Finding the energy company's representative dead on her front lawn only marks the start of trouble for Mallory and her sister.

Engaged in Death has kittens, corpses, and more than a couple of surprises in store for readers.  Port Quincy is an appealing town despite the problems caused by fracking.  I applaud Stephanie Blackmoore for making the controversial topic an integral part of the novel.  Unfortunately many people are blissfully unaware of the lasting damages caused by fracking, in part because it hasn't happened near them or affected anyone they know.  Making it part of an appealing cozy is a good way to educate without hitting a person over the head with it.  

I was very impressed by Engaged in Death and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

5/5

I received a copy of Engaged in Death from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Description

"Had me in its spell from page one. Readers will love this." --Leslie Meier

All appears peaceful in sleepy Port Quincy, Pennsylvania--but in this small town, old grudges die hard. . .

After dumping her cheating fiancé and cancelling the wedding, Mallory Shepard can't bear another disaster. So when the former bride-to-be unexpectedly inherits Thistle Park, a ramshackle mansion in her ex's hometown of Port Quincy, it's a problem she can't afford--literally. Abound with stray cats, peeling wallpaper, and nosy neighbors, Mallory is dying to sell it off--once she finally fixes up both the place and her messy life. . .

Turns out, Thistle Park has its charms. But the honeymoon phase is abruptly cut short when an unwanted visitor is found dead on the front lawn. Enlisting the help of her sister Rachel, Mallory vows to unveil the killer before she herself becomes married to the suspect list. . .

"I had great fun reading the adventures of nouveau sleuth Mallory Shepard as she wrangles corpses, kittens, and a cheating fiancé in this charming debut mystery." --Laura Levine, author of Death by Tiara