Mikki Lincoln moved away from Lenape Hollow, got married, raised a family, and lost her husband. Now, years later, she's moved back, and she's constantly learning how her hometown has changed while she was gone. Mikki may be sixtysomething and wear hearing aids and glasses, but she seldom misses a trick when it comes to grammar or murder. I really enjoy this character, although I certainly didn't enjoy how everyone forced her into dealing with that script for the play. As you know, when you get roped into something after being told over and over again that it's just "this one little thing that won't take but a minute," that one little thing rapidly turns into a time-consuming rattlesnake den of problems. I did notice, however, that once the cold case popped up, Mikki stopped complaining about missed earnings. She's definitely got the amateur sleuth bug.
She's also got an old school acquaintance named Ronnie who always bulldozes everyone in her path into doing things her way. I would dearly love a future book in this series to have Ronnie be forced to do everyone else's bidding. What deliciousness!
Luke makes his first appearance in Clause & Effect, and I'm hoping that he'll return; otherwise, he's a bit of a wasted character. And while we're talking about residents of Lenape Hollow, there's Calpurnia, the de rigueur cozy mystery pet. Calpurnia is for those cat lovers who only require their felines to demand food constantly and occasionally deign to be cuddled. (I know, more action from the cat detracts from the mystery. It's just the dog lover coming out in me.)
As you can tell, I've fallen under the spell of the cast of characters, and Dunnett knows how to write a strong mystery as well. I wonder what sort of trouble Mikki Lincoln will find herself in next?
She's also got an old school acquaintance named Ronnie who always bulldozes everyone in her path into doing things her way. I would dearly love a future book in this series to have Ronnie be forced to do everyone else's bidding. What deliciousness!
Luke makes his first appearance in Clause & Effect, and I'm hoping that he'll return; otherwise, he's a bit of a wasted character. And while we're talking about residents of Lenape Hollow, there's Calpurnia, the de rigueur cozy mystery pet. Calpurnia is for those cat lovers who only require their felines to demand food constantly and occasionally deign to be cuddled. (I know, more action from the cat detracts from the mystery. It's just the dog lover coming out in me.)
As you can tell, I've fallen under the spell of the cast of characters, and Dunnett knows how to write a strong mystery as well. I wonder what sort of trouble Mikki Lincoln will find herself in next?
Clause & Effect is the second installment in A Deadly Edits Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you have not had time to read Crime & Punctuation. I like that Mikki Lincoln is a mature main character (70 years old). She is a retired English teacher who now lives in the home where she grew up with her cat, Calpurnia. I think the name of her proofreading and editing business is clever (The Write Right Wright). We learn a little more about her friend, Darlene Uberman and her frenemy, Ronnie North. Personally, I could do without Ronnie. She is an abrasive character (the traditional mean girl) who quickly got on my nerves. The endless sniping reminded me of high school girls instead of mature women. Mikki's cousin, Luke shows up and we learn more about Mikki's family tree. I enjoyed Mikki's reminiscing about her childhood as it lets us get to know Mikki better. The two mysteries tied together nicely which provided multiple suspects and a red herring or two. There are clues to help the reader identify the evil doer before Mikki. Mikki's questioning technique leaves a lot to be desired (blunt). She comes across as a busybody instead of amateur sleuth. Detective John Hazlett tells her multiple times to stop investigating, but he does appreciate the intel Mikki shares with him. Readers also learn more about the village and how it has changed over the last twenty-five years. I admit it is confusing that there is a town and a village with the same name. I did feel that the story lacked humor and the pacing was lethargic (action was sorely needed). The literary and grammar references that were sprinkled throughout Crime & Punctuation were missing in Clause & Effect. There are some language and grammar tips from Mikki at the end. Clause & Effect has a town celebration, two dead bodies, a crumbled fireplace, feuding sisters, a cat named Calpurnia, and one prying proofreader.
