Killer Jam by Karen MacInerneyMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Charlaine Harris and Susan Wittig Albert, two of my favorite cozy mystery authors, had nice words for this one so I was really looking forward to reading it. A disappointment, however. Found myself more than once checking to see if I was reading an ARC the editing was so poor. At first the detailed description of everything the heroine, Lucy, saw, smelled, tasted, cooked, mixed, molded was pleasant but it soon became irritating. Her mouth watered everytime food was mentioned and it was mentioned often. It actually watered twice in three sentences when she was in the kitchen of the Blue Onion, owned by one of the locals of the small town of Buttercup, Texas--a name I kept confusing with her milk producing heifer--which unless she is a first calf heifer isn't producing any milk--Blossom.
The ongoing dislike of Czech vs German settlers of this part of Texas also became somewhat tiresome, especially when it seemed to be the basis for the sheriff's single-minded goal of getting Lucy arrested for the murder of his aunt Nettie, a Czech descendent who was thrown over a few decades ago by Lucy's grandfather, who preferred her German grandmother. Old Rooster, the sheriff's name, is as anti-Lucy as his deceased aunt became when she realized that Lucy, an outsider who purchased Dewberry Farm from her, actually had bought back her grandparent's place.
Unfortunately, MacInerney mentions Albert and her amateur sleuth, China Bayles several times in the book. This only reminded me of Albert's books and her more masterful handling of the genre. Actually, it made me feel as though this book was an Albert plot sketch filled in with this author's characters--there was so much similarity.
In summary, if you haven't read Albert this book is fine--slow paced with little meat. But if you, like me, have read almost all of the China Bayle's series you will find this a poor imitation.
This book was won by me in the Good Reads giveaways.
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