Dying to Read

Title: DYING TO READ
Author: Lorena McCourtney
Publisher: Revell
August 2012
ISBN: 978-0800721589
Genre: Inspirational/cozy mystery

Cate Kinkaid hasn’t had an easy time of it. She moved in with her uncle when her trial run as a teacher went south, and started looking for a job—but after a brief foray as a Christmas Elf, a bunny, and another failed job, she takes a temporary PI job for her uncle. The assignment is easy. Go to an address and see if someone named Willow is employed there—since Willow’s great-uncle Jeremiah is looking for her.

The assignment isn’t as cut and dried as it seems. Cate arrives to find a bunch of quirky book club ladies gathered outside the door bad-talking the woman hosting them—who wasn’t answering the door. Further investigation reveals that the hostess is dead, having fallen down three flights of stairs, and the hired help—Willow—has packed up and left.

Not wanting to give up on Willow and finding the circumstances of the woman’s death suspicious, Cate keeps investigating. But will she find out the truth before she is silenced?

DYING TO READ is the first book in Ms. McCourtney’s The Cate Kindaid Files series, and wow. I loved Ms. McCourtney’s other cozy mysteries and am so glad to have gotten this one to read. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.

Cate is the main point of view character and she is adorable. I loved her quirkiness and the other quirky characters in this book. It was laugh out loud funny at times. I also fell in love with Mitch, a man Cate met in her investigations and I can’t wait to see what happens in the development of that relationship.

I am usually really good at figuring out “who-dun-it” but this book kept me guessing. If you are looking for a great cozy mystery, pick up DYING TO READ. You won’t be disappointed. 5 stars. $14.99. 320 pages.