Mobsters, mullets, and murder make for a fun prohibition cocktail
Murder on the Mullet Express
by Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn
Mystery and Horror, LLC
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
Mystery & Thrillers, History
Pub Date 16 Jan 2017
Review
The 1920s were a hot time for developers in the Sunshine State. The real estate business was booming. Living in Florida, and being familiar with some of the history led me to jump at the chance to read Murder on the Mullet Express. I am glad I did. Not only were the characters delightfully original, with intriguing and well plotted backstories, Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn do a fantastic job capturing the feeling of Post WWI prohibition era Florida. It is such an unusual setting for a historical mystery - very refreshing.
Chauffeuring Uncle Percy is always an adventure, but Cornelia and her friend Teddy don't expect him to look at land not become a suspect in a murder inquiry. Film camera in tow, the trio have driven to Florida to see the new development at Homosassa Springs. When Cornelia's car breaks down, they are forced to take the local train, the Mullet Express, for the final leg of the journey. The trip isn't without excitement as a fight breaks out before departure. Being a nurse, Cornelia notices one of the men is unwell, but she doesn't expect him to die. What follows makes for one of the best new historical cozies I've recently read. I am really hoping that Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn write more mysteries featuring Cornelia and Teddy.
5/5
I received a copy of Murder on the Mullet Express from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Description
It’s 1926. The West Coast Development Company is staging its biggest land deal in Homosassa, Florida, selling pieces of a planned city to speculators who dream of a tropical paradise. Army nurse Cornelia Pettijohn takes leave to travel to Florida with her ancient uncle, who claims that he wants a warm winter home. When their car breaks down, they take the local train, The Mullet Express, into Homosassa. By the time they arrive, though, a passenger has been poisoned. A second murder victim boards the train later, iced down with the fish. Uncle Percival’s hidden agenda makes him the sheriff’s prime suspect. Cornelia and Teddy Lawless, a twenty-year-old flapper in a body pushing sixty, must chase mobsters and corner suspects to dig her uncle out of the hole he’s dug for himself.
