Review of 'Death on a Christmas Stroll' on 'LibraryThing'
It's the Christmas season in Nantucket, and the recently-appointed chief of police has her hands full. First, the POTUS visited, then the Secretary of State, with her family and a large retinue of security folks. Topping it off, a film is being shot on the island, and the large crew of actors, some of them famous, and technical crew staying at a tech mogul's island estate adds another wrinkle. Especially when two seemingly unrelated murders happen, affecting each of the parties. One of the victims seems to have no enemies, but the other has far too many. returnreturnWhile I wasn't especially puzzled by the mystery, Mathews has done a great job of creating characters and relationships that carry the story along at a brisk pace. Of particular interest are two children who have histories of serious emotional problems and fraught relationships with their over-protective parents. The government and film circles …
It's the Christmas season in Nantucket, and the recently-appointed chief of police has her hands full. First, the POTUS visited, then the Secretary of State, with her family and a large retinue of security folks. Topping it off, a film is being shot on the island, and the large crew of actors, some of them famous, and technical crew staying at a tech mogul's island estate adds another wrinkle. Especially when two seemingly unrelated murders happen, affecting each of the parties. One of the victims seems to have no enemies, but the other has far too many. returnreturnWhile I wasn't especially puzzled by the mystery, Mathews has done a great job of creating characters and relationships that carry the story along at a brisk pace. Of particular interest are two children who have histories of serious emotional problems and fraught relationships with their over-protective parents. The government and film circles are enriched with details but without info-dumps, and one character, a bird photographer, is drawn with especial skill. This series is a cross between police procedural and cozy, leaning into the cozy designation at times, but overall is a solid traditional offering that can please even those who are cozy-allergic.