Blown Away

Title: BLOWN AWAY
Author: Nancy Mehl
Publisher: Barbour Books
February 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60260-570-1
Genre: Inspirational/cozy mystery

Hildegard Higgins is a beautician who works with funeral homes, styling the hair of the dearly departed. When delivering a clown hat to the cemetery for a deceased clown who couldn’t be buried without his clown hat, she discovered a body—of another clown in full costume—at the bottom of the grave.

Adam Sawyer is a stockbroker, and clown, who lost two of his friends—both clowns—within a matter of days. Unfortunately, he is also the main suspect of the police, as the grounds-keeper swears that he saw Adam’s car on the premises when the clown is murdered. Adam insists he’s innocent, but he’s rattled and nervous, and the police are more convinced than ever that he’s their man. Especially since he has no alibi, and he has a motive.

Hilde is determined to prove that Adam is innocent, but she doesn’t know where to start. Can she find a beginning and find the real killer before any more bodies are found?

BLOWN AWAY is the newest cozy mystery by Nancy Mehl. Set in Wichita, Kansas, this first person cozy is just as fun as the other cozy mysteries you’ve come to expect from Barbour. Written with a touch of humor and a lot of realism, these stories will tickle your funny bone even while you try to solve the mystery before the heroine solves it.

Hilde is a realistic heroine, a bookworm, who is thoughtful, caring, and sweet. I couldn’t help but care for her as she struggled to prove Adam innocent before the police proved he was guilty. If you like to read cozy mysteries, you won’t want to miss BLOWN AWAY. $10.99. 256 pages.