|
The Avid Reader
, July 23, 2022
(view all comments by The Avid Reader)
The Sign of the Calico Quartz by Jan Drexler is the debut of The Sweetbrier Inn Mysteries. I like Emma’s mysterious Aunt Rose. She seems to have a unique past. I enjoyed the lovely descriptions of the Black Hills. The mystery is interesting. It is a busy mystery. There are a handful of suspects, misdirection, and good clues. I did feel that the solution was a bit obvious. It was fun following along Emma looked for clues, questioned the inn’s guests, and stumbled upon evidence. There was more action in the second half that kept the story propelling toward the end. I was left with a few questions regarding the case when I finished. I liked Deputy Cal Cooper who was in charge of the case. He is a nice man who takes his job seriously. I hope we get to know Emma and Rose more in the next book. I loved Becky, a baker, who is Emma’s new friend. Thatcher, Rose’s corgi, is a cutie and helpful as well. It will be interesting to see what happens next in The Case of the Artist’s Mistake. The Sign of the Calico Quartz is a charming cozy with the beautiful Black Hills, a cute corgi, a murdered man, scrumptious scones, cagey guests, cowboy Cal, and enquiring Emma.
|