Review: Gone Crazy

GONE CRAZY by Terry Korth Fischer

Fiction, Cozy Mystery/Crime

4****

Blurb: A formal declaration of love scares the bejesus out of small-town Detective Rory Naysmith. As Valentine’s Day approaches, he evaluates his relationship with bookkeeper Esther Mullins, and decides to take her on a romantic date that ends with a poet’s murder. Assigned to the case, Rory pushes his private life aside. Things gets tricky after Esther is appointed Executrix for the estate—then rumors start that place a priceless item among the poet’s many possessions. The race is on to unearth the treasure and solve the murder, but it leaves Rory wondering if Esther will live long enough to become his Valentine—or end up as the murderer’s next victim.

Thoughts: This is the second Rory Naysmith mystery I’ve read. It doesn’t quite follow the standards of a cozy mystery in that the sleuth is actually a police detective and not an amateur. But it still takes place in a small town and there is a small handful of people who help Rory with his investigations. I love Rory. He’s so totally inept when it comes to his girlfriend, Esther. And he’s not exactly a curmudgeon, but he comes close sometimes. Rory is no youngster (and neither is Esther), which makes things even more interesting sometimes. He had issues with aches and pains (mostly from a crushed ankle in an earlier story) and wears a fedora (which I love!). Rory is definitely unique. And Esther is the perfect foil.

This story is all about family relationships as well as Native American culture and secrets that some people want kept buried. The plot twists and turns around so many events that I was actually a little confused at times – but it all works out in the end, which is always a good thing. And for a change, I didn’t know exactly who the murderer was until the end, so good going!

Note: If you want all the details on Rory and Esther and the rest, please pick up the other books in the series and start from the beginning. But honestly, you don’t have to. This is a stand-alone part of the series so you can read it and understand what’s going on. But it will be even better if you do start at book one.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”: