A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett

First Line: Most people wouldn't consider successfully filling the gas tank in their own car an accomplishment, but I'm not most people.

Freelance book editor Mikki Lincoln has been hired  to edit Sunny Feldman's revealing memoir about life at Feldman's Catskill Resort Hotel, once a popular tourist destination and now destined for the wrecking ball. Mikki is an easy-going woman who seldom loses her temper, but real estate entrepreneur Greg Onslow causes her to have a meltdown that is captured on video.

With everyone able to press "replay" and watch Mikki threatening Onslow over and over, it's no wonder that she becomes the prime suspect when Onslow's body is found at the demolition site of the old resort.

As Mikki scrambles to prove her innocence, she uncovers Onslow's shady dealings as well as a long list of potential killers. Is Mikki going to be able to separate fact from fiction before her time runs out?

Even though this third installment of Dunnett's Deadly Edits cozy series feels a bit flat, I still enjoyed it-- and that's primarily due to the main character, Mikki Lincoln. Her deceased husband described her as a BMW-- Big Maine Woman-- and this seventy-something freelance book editor with her hearing aids and glasses is one sharp observer with a voice that draws me right into the story.

A lot of humor is provided when Mikki is sent a "bodyguard" to keep her safe while she tries to find Onslow's killer, and I did enjoy learning nuggets of history about the Borscht Belt in the Catskills. But that's not all A Fatal Fiction has. It also has a strong mystery that took me some time to figure out.

If you're in the mood for a light-hearted mystery with an older (and wiser) sleuth, A Fatal Fiction is the book for you. If you're a newcomer to the series, start with the first one, Crime & Punctuation. You're going to have some fun.

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett

eISBN: 9781496726889

Kensington Books © 2020

eBook, 288 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Deadly Edits mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Clause & Effect by Kaitlyn Dunnett

First Line: "Oh, no. You're not roping me into this."

The town of Lenape Hollow, nestled in the Catskill Mountains, is getting ready to celebrate the 225th anniversary of its founding. Freelance editor Mikki Lincoln has been roped into updating and correcting the script from the bicentennial play-- what the town movers and shakers believe to be an easy and effective way to keep down the costs of the celebration.

When Mikki goes to the historical society to take a look at that old script, she finds that the building is being given its first facelift since the bicentennial, and that's not all that's discovered: a construction worker finds a human skeleton walled up in a fireplace.

When a new murder rocks the town, Mikki finds that she's gone from editing an old script and trying to solve a cold case to trying to stay one step ahead of a killer who really wanted those skeletons to stay in that fireplace closet.

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?

Clause & Effect by Kaitlyn Dunnett

eISBN: 9781496712585

Kensington Books © 2019

eBook, 288 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Deadly Edits mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Crime & Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett

First Lines: "I don't know, Cal. It doesn't look good."

Recently widowed Mikki Lincoln has returned to the Catskills in New York state after buying her childhood home. But that purchase means that she has to come out of retirement and become a freelance editor. With her ability to spot details that others miss, it doesn't take Mikki long to earn clients, and aspiring novelist Tiffany Scott wants to add to her workload.

After agreeing to terms, Mikki accepts the young woman's manuscript and reads the first chapters. What she finds sends a chill down her spine. Not only is the manuscript based on her hometown's not-so-distant past, Tiffany Scott turns up dead the very next day... just like the victim in her story. Mikki is convinced that Tiffany's death was not accidental, especially after finding an inconsistency in the manuscript and a possible motive in her research notes. When police refuse to take her seriously, Mikki knows she's got to keep digging on her own. Unfortunately, the only person who does take her seriously... is the killer.

Readers of Kaitlyn Dunnett's first Deadly Edits cozy mystery may learn quite a few helpful tips about proper English usage, but they're also going to read an engaging story featuring a main character they're going to love. Mikki Lincoln is sixty-eight years old, wears hearing aids, and knows all about the Oxford comma. Until his death, Mikki's husband was the center of her world, but now Calpurnia the cat is the only other living soul in the childhood home that she's busy fixing up. Mikki realizes that she has to relearn how to make friends, but she has already found one: Darlene, a former head librarian who had to take early retirement due to her crippling arthritis. Her mobility has been affected so much that she gets around on a combination of walker, electric scooter, and wheelchair.

Mikki and Darlene prove that you don't have to be perky, toned, hunk-on-the-brain twentysomethings to solve crimes, and that's good news for many readers amongst us. Both of them are intelligent, honest, and filled with common sense. (I also love Darlene's way with her electric scooter.)

I have to admit that learning the differences between copyediting, line editing, and developmental editing was fascinating, and so was the fact that the author brought in the area's ties to Murder, Inc. as part of the mystery. Actually, the only thing I didn't like about this delightful book is the fact that Dunnett seemed to telegraph the identity of the killer. But... with so many other things-- and characters-- to enjoy, it really didn't matter all that much. In fact, I'm looking forward to my next visit with Mikki and Darlene. (Never underestimate the power of two "old" women!)

Crime & Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett

eISBN: 9781496712561

Kensington Books © 2018

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Deadly Edits mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley