First Chapter Review: Death by Bourbon (A Josiah Reynolds Mystery) by Abigail Keam

The first chapter of the murder mystery, Death by Bourbon, was submitted by author Abigail Keam.

BLURB:   Charming and handsome Addison DeWitt takes a sip of bourbon at an engagement party and falls into a fit a few minutes later. Josiah thinks it was murder, but no one believes her except for her friends, Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer. The three of them try to outsmart the suspected murderer, but the killer is always three steps ahead of them in this fast-paced, witty and fun who-dun-it! Death By Bourbon is the fourth installment in the award-winning Josiah Reynolds mystery series. Josiah Reynolds is a retired art professor who keeps honeybees as a hobby. She lives in an iconic house called the Butterfly designed by her now deceased husband. An amateur sleuth, Josiah lives in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon and antebellum mansions, struggling to uncover the truth in the Kentucky Bluegrass, which keeps its secrets well.

COVER: Perfect. The cover of the fourth book in the series is consistent with the previous books. Each cover ties into the setting, the main character, and the plot. Well done.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Wealthy Doreen Doris Mayfield DeWitt hires a woman to seduce her playboy husband so she'll have evidence of his adulterous ways and be able to divorce him without paying him a dime. When things don't go as planned, Doreen realizes there are times when you must take matters into your own hands.

KEEP READING: Oh yeah. I can't say I left this short chapter liking Doreen or Lacey, the woman who is supposed to get the goods on that cheating louse of a husband, Addison, but between the banter, the descriptive style of the author, and the cliffhanger, I was hooked. A nice touch was the mention of Doreen's purchase of a ring supposedly owned by Lucrezia Borgia, the ruthless illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, whose rumored history includes allegations of incest, poisoning, and murder.

My one tiny criticism, and it is a small one, is that the dialogue didn't always flow smoothly because Addison's name is repeated so often during the women's conversation. This definitely wouldn't keep me from reading, however. I want to see how the story unfolds.

Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Worker Bee Press (September 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615651593
ISBN-13: 978-0615651590
SRP: $15.00 (Also available for Kindle)

I received the first chapter of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.