Verena DeLuca

Thanks to Aconite Café Publishers, BookFunnel and Lise McClendon for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is a book of short cozy mysteries, all related to books and writers. My review is for "Under The Gun” by Lise McClendon.

This short story is told in the first person by Zoe Sexton, a bestselling author who is experiencing writer’s block. She has a deadline that provides even more pressure than her blank computer screen. Any distraction will do, so when she sees author Emerson Bullock’s launch party on her calendar for that evening, and her agent Maisie calls insisting she attend, she has no choice but to don something black and appear.

Zoe had never gotten along with Emerson, so wasn’t surprised when he started antagonizing her and her agent. Drinks are thrown and words are shouted. Typical diva drama from Emerson. But not so typical is the news the next morning that Emerson is now dead and Zoe is a prime suspect.

I liked the story’s humorous tone, and I liked Zoe. She is jaded but funny. And I bet her books are good, too. The rest of the story consists of Zoe and Maisie discovering the real killer. Twists and turns and surprises. It’s a good mystery with surprising clues and red herrings. I’d like to spend more time with Zoe – hope McClendon has more mysteries for her to solve.… (meer)