Author: Gerri Lewis
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (February 20, 2024)
Description: An obituary writer finds one of her neighbors dead before her time in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Eva Gates.
Obituary writer Winter Snow is no stranger to grief, and writing obituaries for the citizens of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is her way of providing comfort to those who have been in her shoes. But funerals and eulogies are meant for the dead, so when the very much alive Leocadia Arlington requests her own obituary by the end of the week, Winter’s curiosity is piqued. Even more so when she finds Mrs. Arlington dead soon after. Officer Kip Michaels and his relentless partner Tom Bellini make it clear that Winter is under suspicion for the death.
Drafting an obituary for someone who hadn’t died yet certainly looks bad, but Winter knows that it wasn’t her, and she becomes obsessed with trying to figure out the real killer. She dives headfirst into the investigation to give Mrs. Arlington and herself some peace. When Winter realizes Mrs. Arlington was working on a revealing memoir that has now gone missing, Winter begins to wonder if the death wasn’t exactly random–accident or otherwise.
With the help of her foodie Uncle Richard, her wise octogenarian neighbor Horace, her best friend Scoop, and Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy she inherited from Mrs. Arlington, Winter must uncover the killer before the next obituary written is her own.
My Thoughts: Winter Snow is trying to build her career as an obituary writer when she receives a call from the very much alive Leocadia Arlington, local philanthropist, asking her to write her obituary before the week ends. Winter is willing and curious and goes to visit her despite stormy weather brewing.
She invites Leocadia and her puppy Diva, a Great Pyrenes, to go home with her to weather the storm since she has a generator at her lakeside home. Mrs. Arlington declines. However, when Winter gets home, she phones to try to convince her, but Mrs. Arlington doesn't answer.
Winter ventures up the next day to find a locked house, an upset caretaker, and a barking puppy. After managing to get inside, she finds Mrs. Arlington sprawled at the base of a flight of stairs but still breathing. Calling 911 brings not only an ambulance but the police who check out the house. For some reason, one of the police officers suspects Winter of having something to do with Mrs. Arlington's fall.
When Mrs. Arlington dies, Winter decides to find out what happened and begins to look into more of her life than she had given Winter when she wanted an obituary written. Meanwhile, another local luminary contacts Winter to write an obituary for her very recently deceased husband and seems to know a lot she shouldn't know about Mrs. Arlington's death. Her husband and Mrs. Arlington were friends.
This was a nice cozy mystery that introduces a main character with an unusual profession. I liked Winter's determination to find out what really happened to one of her clients. I also like her budding romance with the rookie policeman Kip. And Diva is a great character too and holds a substantial clue to the events Winter is trying to understand.
Favorite Quote:
Diva thumped her tail, an indication that it was time for her pet. I sighed, reached down, and gave her a cuddle. When I looked up again, Kip was staring from me to Diva."What can I say?" I said. "She's a needy, claustrophobic, aquaphobic, willful dog."
Intriguing
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