Book Review: Gravely Murdered by Marty Damon

 

Welcome back to Calvin, Massachusetts, where Cate MacLeod stumbles upon another murder that interrupts her otherwise mundane life. 

Gravely Murdered by local author Marty Damon is the second book in her mystery series featuring Cate MacLeod. In the first book, Cate returned home to Calvin after losing her job in the city. Now working on a project for the town planners, Cate expects a September evening to be a boring night of small town history. Instead, she stumbles over a body and is dropped into a tangle of jealousy, past injustice, and revenge.

The second Cate MacLeod mystery novel is even better than the first. Damon blends established characters with new in a small New England town that makes you think of Angela Fletcher's Cabot Cove without the water. 

The murder of one of the well-known residents in town, who isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea, lends itself to a story filled with a plethora of potential suspects. Damon knows the cozy mystery genre and she writes it well. Filled with twists and turns, any cozy mystery lover is sure to enjoy Gravely Murdered and might be surprised by who the actual culprit is--which in my mind, is the makings of a great mystery.

Though you don't need to start with the first book, Well Murdered, because both stand alone, I am enjoying the evolution of Cate and her relationships as she navigates being a city girl living in her hometown and solving mysteries along the way.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GVCMW8N
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (August 27, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8678799029

I purchased the printed version of this book from a library book sale and own a Kindle version. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Well Murdered by Marty Damon

 

Cozy mystery lovers, welcome to a new series filled with humor, a never ending list of suspects, and a hint of romance in a small town.

After losing her job in Providence, Cate MacLeod returns to Calvin, Massachusetts to live next door to her perfectionist mother and work in the local gift shop. 

While walking a neighbor's dog, Cate stumbles upon the body of local real estate agent Arlene Gerrigan, who she learns through the course of the investigation, had made many enemies. Cate quickly finds herself in the middle of small town drama and catching the attention of a murderer.

If there were ever a classic small town cozy mystery, Well Murdered by Marty Damon is it. Damon has created a story with memorable characters residing in a small New England town where a murder unfolds and Cate finds herself--and her mother--right in the middle of it.

In addition to Cate, numerous secondary characters that live in Calvin will make an impression that will leave you eager to dive into the next book in this series, Gravely Murdered, so you can get reacquainted.

As a lover of cozy mysteries since childhood, I can say this ranks right up there with other novels from famous authors in this genre. It has all the crucial elements--mystery, twists and turns, too many motives to count, and a smart main character who "assists" with the investigation whether the police welcome her help or not. I wish I had read it sooner. 

Highly recommended!

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06Y5M6CVD
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 9, 2017
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2913 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 259 pages
• Purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y5M6CVD

I purchased a digital copy of this book in 2020. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.