Heather’s Bookshelf: Puzzled Pieces
Author: Katie Graykowski
Released: 05/30/23
Genre: Murder Mystery
‘Mr. Anderson leaned forward. “Promise me you’ll find out who did this. I need to know that there will be justice for Ms. P. She looked out for all of us. It’s our turn to look out for her.”
“I promise I won’t rest until I know who did this and why.” I meant every single word. Ms. P’s killer was going to pay.’
“Puzzled Pieces: PTO Murder Club Mystery Book 5” is part of a series, but is reviewed here as an independent book. The story follows Mustang Ridges, a young mother and billing manager who finds her son’s school bus driver murdered.
The victim, Imogene Puzzle or Ms. P., was by all accounts a wonderful person. So, who would want to kill her? Mustang and her best friends, Haley and Monica, want nothing more than to find the truth.
As their investigation grows cold, the only item of suspicion they find is Ms. P’s connection to the true crime investigative group, The Puzzlers. The group runs a podcast and reportedly helped solve an art theft that had run cold. When she was murdered, the group was investigating the Hill Country Strangler, another cold case.
Unfortunately, Ms. P’s murder isn’t the last. How many more people will die before Mustang, Haley, and Monica find the killer?
Trigger Warning: murder, adult language, sexual situations
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It’s written in an easy-to-read manor that’s pleasing and flows well. Told by the POV of the main protagonist, Mustang, the author does well in incorporating emotions and connections to ancillary characters including with her son, besties, and boyfriend Daman. Her interactions with “Evil Mags” also further enhance her character while providing background information without relying on over-done tropes like flashbacks. Mustang’s a likable, funny, flawed, and intelligent protagonist and I enjoyed following her along on this journey. There are parts of the story that are not very believable, like the AI and the HIPAA violations done throughout the book. I also found the PCOS scene to be a bit flippant, uncaring, and presumptuous. However, the rest of the book is more entertaining with the setup of the murder in a who-dun-it and how mystery format. I found the part about Ms. P’s house fascinating and super creative. Things happen and characters are introduced throughout the ride that all add up to what happens at the end and what’s revealed to be the truth. The end of the story wraps everything up nicely, though the mystery would be a pretty hard one to solve on your own (without the big reveal).
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A murder mystery with a memorable/funny protagonist and a satisfying ending. Some details are distracting, but an overall fun ride.
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