Monday, September 19, 2016

An Unhappy Medium by Dawn Eastman


First Line: My chest burned, my legs ached, and I felt a cramp in the vicinity of my liver.

Clyde Fortune is convinced she's lost her mind; otherwise, why on earth would she have agreed to participate in Crystal Haven's Zombie Apocalypse Fun Run? But... it's organized by Clyde's nephew Seth, and it's for a good cause.


Unfortunately she just can't shake the feeling that something is about to go wrong. Her sister Grace has shown up in town for the first time in fifteen years. Then someone is murdered during the run, and Grace disappears. Now Clyde and her police detective boyfriend have to find a killer before Grace can become the #1 Suspect.

I enjoy Dawn Eastman's Family Fortune cozy series. The main character Clyde (short for Clytemnestra-- don't tell anyone) has a police background which comes in handy whenever she trips over a body, and she's funny, smart, and full of common sense to boot. The paranormal element in this book-- and the entire series-- is done with the very lightest of touches, which is something that I prefer.

Eastman does an excellent job in the scenes that take place during that Zombie Apocalypse Fun Run, making them both extremely creepy and very funny. Thank heavens for that humor because zombies give me the willies. (Yes, I know that's silly.)  

As in all the best cozy series, characters are the strength of the Family Fortune mysteries. In An Unhappy Medium we finally get to meet Clyde's sister Grace and her husband Paul. Since they've seemed perfectly happy to have their son Seth move across country to live with Clyde and go to school, this was a much-needed meeting. Something's got to be going on, right? 

Probably the biggest character of them all in this series is Aunt Vi, supposed pet psychic, owner of the new Psychic Finders business, and all-around yarn bomber. Yes, she's more than a bit kooky, and... if her businesses are so popular, why does she always have the time to stick her nose into Clyde's business, hmmm? She's one of those family members that you just have to shake your head at and laugh.

Amidst all these characters and relationships, Eastman has created a good solid mystery. There's more going on than meets the eye, and there's some excellent misdirection. If you're in the mood for well-written, light-hearted reads, I recommend Eastman's Family Fortune series, which just keeps getting better with every book.
    

An Unhappy Medium by Dawn Eastman
ISBN: 9780425282809
Berkley Prime Crime © 2016
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Family Fortune mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen


 

4 comments:

  1. Hmm....the setting and context sound good, Cathy. I'm not at all one for the paranormal. Still, I can see how it might work here.

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    Replies
    1. It's a good series, Margot. I'm not one for a lot of woo-woo, but this series works.

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  2. I have always thought that I hated zombies. Give me witches, ghosts, and vampires any day. Even werewolves. But lately, I've been rethinking that. Anyway, this one sounds fun.

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