Review: Murder at First Light

MURDER AT FIRST LIGHT by Christine Knapp

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Lighthouses, nannies, and murder… Life has calmed down for modern nurse midwife Maeve O’Reilly Kensington, following her daughter’s eventful arrival into the world. Her family has settled into a welcome routine, and Maeve is about to break new ground as the first faculty midwife at Rosemont College in the quaint New England town of Langford. Unfortunately, her tranquility is short-lived. During an early morning row on the bay, Maeve witnesses a jogger stumble out of Langford’s iconic lighthouse, First Light, and collapse. He is later pronounced dead, and Maeve wonders if it was a natural death or foul play. First Light had rescued many in the past but certainly didn’t save this hapless soul. When Maeve and her indomitable sister, Meg, assist a young Irish nanny caught in the aftermath of the death, they land headfirst in the world of Langford’s posh “Yummy Mummies.” Will the fearless M&M’s crack the case? Will Maeve adapt to the college world? Life in Langford carries on…with its usual mix of midwifery and murder!

Thoughts: This is the fourth in a series. As such, since I hadn’t read the previous ones, I wasn’t sure who all the characters were and what their relationships were, but the author quickly brought me up to speed without hitting me over the head with the information. I really liked Maeve. She’s a no-nonsense kind of person who knows what she’s doing, but still admits she has doubts about some things. Just not about her midwifery. It’s the whole teaching at a college that makes her gulp. But she handles it with the same aplomb as she does delivering a baby in the backseat of a van (which she does in the opening scene).

I found the tidbits of information at the beginning of each chapter interesting. I just wasn’t sure what they were doing there. This was a murder mystery, not a study of obstetrics. The beginning of the story started out rather slowly for me, but did pick up once the body appeared. There were plenty of suspects for her and her sister (the M&Ms! LOL) to investigate and pass along any info they got to their cop brother Pat.

There were quite a few stereotypes as far as characters went, but the author wove them in with enough skill that you didn’t mind. I loved Maeve’s mother. She’s a hoot in a wheelchair and sparkles. And her sister is stylistic in her fancy clothes and shoes. But the funniest part was the “Yummy” crowd at the posh gym. All that spandex in lollipop colors! Had to laugh at that. Especially when the M&Ms joined them. Maeve was definitely not comfortable in her violet outfit. And her coworkers! They were fun too.

In other words, though there was some slowness, there was enough LOL moments that I kept reading and smiling.

Recommended.

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”