Book Review: The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn

The Body in the Wetlands
Author: Judi Lynn
Series: A Jazzi Sanders Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Lyrical Press (April 23, 2019)

Description: High summer in River Bluffs, Indiana, turns chilly when house flipper Jazzi Zanders has to catch a killer while hammering nails and stripping paint.

When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .

When the friendly senior’s dog tugs Jazzi and the guys toward the wetlands beyond Olivia’s neighborhood, they stumble across a decomposing corpse—and a lot of questions. With Jazzi’s pal Detective Gaff along to investigate, Jazzi finds her hands full of a whole new mystery instead of the usual hammer and nails. And this time it will take some sophisticated sleuthing to track down the culprit of the deadly crime—before the killer turns on her next . . .

My Thoughts: The second Jazzi Zanders cozy mystery has her remodeling a house with her cousin Jerod and boyfriend Ansel. They are working on her sister and brother-in-law's recent house purchase in a quiet neighborhood. 

A daily gawker lets Jazzi know that a brain injured young man has recently disappeared. Leo and his dog walk twice a day, and Leo likes to keep track of what happens in the neighborhood. When Leo doesn't come home one day and the dog comes to Jazzi to get help, Jazzi follows the dog to an undeveloped area when she discovers two shallow graves. 

Not only has she found the missing young man but the body of a woman too. However, Leo is still missing and presumed dead. Jazzi finds herself juggling her renovations work with helping her friend Detective Gaff question suspects and search for clues. 

Things get more difficult when Ansel is guilted home to help his family even though they threw him out years earlier. Ansel is afraid that his leaving, even if only temporarily, will ruin his new relationship with Jazzi. He wants to marry her, but she's still recovering from a former bad relationship. 

This was a nice cozy mystery with lots of clues and suspects. I like the way Jazzi helps Detective Gaff. I also like her relationship with her family and the Sunday dinners she makes for them all. 

I bought this one July 12, 2024. You can buy your copy here.