An Equal Opportunity Death

Recently, while on vacation, I ventured away from YA Paranormal and back to an older genre: Mystery.  The main reason for the change is that I was going to be without wi-fi and therefore had to get as many books as possible on my Kindle before we left.  This led me to search out the public library’s e-book lending system.  I’m sure there are YA paranormal to be lent… but I couldn’t find them.  So mystery it was.

I found a series of books all in one package so it only counted as one of my checked-out books: score!!!  Bonus: they were by Susan Dunlap.  I have read a series by her before and really enjoyed it.  This was much the same.  I only read the first book since I didn't have tons of free time on this vacation, but here are my thoughts on the one I read.  

 As in all amateur detective stories, there were just a few too many coincidences for my taste and of course, they didn’t give you enough clues to figure anything out before the end when the main character comes face to face with the killer and confronts them (standard issue ending for such a book).  But overall I liked it.  And if I’m honest with myself there are usually many, many coincidences in all books that we read and we must use what English professors refer to as “the willing suspension of disbelief” to enjoy them.  If there are NO coincidences typically there isn't much of a story.

The main character, Vejay, was a likable woman living in a small town a little ways from San Francisco.  She was a bit quirky, but not so much that you couldn’t relate.  Her job was a bit odd (compared to what you typically find in books) as a meter reader for the electric company.  This did provide her access to information that the average person couldn’t have known and that added to the story.  

I liked the fact that she was the prime suspect in the murder so there was actually motivation for her to be snooping and trying to figure out who really did it.  So many of these stories you spend your whole reading time thinking: “Just walk away… why does it matter so much to YOU that you would ______ (insert crazy scenario here)?”    

All in all a great on-vacation-by-the-pool read.  

Now time to find some vampires!