This week, we have a review of the cozy mystery A History of Murder by Brook Peterson (check her out at https://www.brookpetersonauthor.com/!).
A History of Murder is a great example of a well-thought-out cozy. The protagonist, Chloe, has a history in the small town she left behind, and that history intertwines with the present-day murder. When she shows up in town at her Grandma’s request and soon afterward discovers a dead body in the garden, Chloe has to deal with memories and old acquaintances on top of new accusations and suspicion. She stays in town to help clear her grandmother’s name, but along the way she learns about herself and the life she left behind. Oh, and they live in a historic town in Nevada, so the reader gets to hear all about the old houses and hidden mine tunnels too! 😀
Chloe herself is smart, takes initiative, and gets into some pretty funny scrapes. All of the supporting characters make sense — no one falls flat or becomes terribly annoying, which believe me, can happen! Plus her love interest is super sweet. Oh, and she acquires a golden retriever, which of course is worth five stars all on its own. 🙂
My one complaint as I came away from the book [SPOILERS!] is the way that past-murder subplot was left. The ends aren’t tied up. Now, that in itself isn’t so bad — it must be a set up for the second book, right? But there’s a diary left over from the past, and one clue which seemed like a blazing red flag to me as soon as the characters discussed it. After a moment’s reflection, I had a strong suspicion who the past murderer was, and I kept waiting for Chloe to wrap up both murders by the end of book one. It was frustrating to me that she didn’t, because it seemed simple (read the diary, Chloe!). But, I can understand that she was pretty busy with other big changes in her life, not to mention past trauma.
All that said, I still really enjoyed the book, and the main mystery was well done. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in cozies, and particularly to people with an interest in history! Chloe’s descriptions of her historic town and home are great. (I also loved the professor character!) And, my frustration aside, I will definitely be on the lookout for book two.
Bottom line: a very fun, engrossing read!
