MEDAL FOR MURDER by Leslie Langtry

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Humor, #34 in series

4****

Blurb: It’s not news that the Iowa towns of Bladdersly (Home of the Raging Bladders) and Who’s There (the Fighting Who-rish) are rivals and have been for more than a century. And as everybody knows—the best way to deal with a rivalry is to exploit it! So Who’s There’s youngest mayor creates The WhoBla Olympics to settle things once and for all! Everyone is going to compete, including ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath Ferguson and her troop. The events are a bit strange, with Extreme Hide & Seek and Dodge Archery, but all’s fair in the spirit of competition, right? Sure, there’s a little cheating and sabotage going on, but it’s nothing…until a body turns up with Merry’s arrow in its chest. And what could go wrong when you have two police departments taking the spirit of competition too far in seeing who will solve the crime first? Will Merry and her teammate, Hilly, medal in Dodge Archery? Will the event heal the rift between these two towns? Can Merry solve the crime before Chief Magnum of the Bladdersly PD locks her up? Get your nachos and take your seat in the stands to see who comes out on top…and who is going down!

Thoughts: The crazy teen mayor of Who’s There, Iowa, and her cronies are up to their usual hijinx once again. In this case, they’re holding Olympics style contests—though who would want to compete in Dodge Archery (think dodge ball, but with bows and arrows), or hide-and-seek that turns deadly? While Merry attempts to keep a lid on the shenanigans (and the cheating), she’ll also need to figure out who killed the mayor of Bladdersly before their sheriff throws her in the clink.

These books are a hoot to read. A mayor who’s only fourteen? An ex-CIA agent who’s in charge of the Girl Scouts? A pal of the mayor who is as bloodthirsty—and sly—as they can get? Four hamsters who are actual deputies? Raccoons who bake? There is so much going on in these stories—most of it definitely in the “unbelievable” realm of thought. But they’re full of ridiculous fun. So if you want to just shake your head and laugh…

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”