GENRE: Mystery (British)
Former police detective Michael McLaren is at the home of his lady friend, Melanie. The house is sold, the removal van is booked. All that is left is to help her pack her belongings for her move to his village. But the laborious task is interrupted when one of Melanie’s neighbors asks McLaren to investigate the circumstances of her parents’ murders.
McLaren’s reluctance to take it on and abandon Melanie appears to be solved when his best mate, Jamie, steps in to help with the packing. It’s not the easy investigation McLaren was hoping for, however. Sightings of Mordred and a ghost, and a burglary at the local Tudor Hall complicate the murder inquiries. What had seemed to McLaren a perfect remedy with Jamie close at hand now disintegrates into a horrendous mistake. And McLaren questions if the investigation is really worth it, especially when he puts the people he cares about most in danger.
She had that urgent look about her, had that implication in her voice. He knew the signs all too well, for he had seen and heard similar pleas during his years in the job. But the phrases were left unsaid, and he struggled with his feelings. It was the last thing he wanted to do, take on an investigation. He tried to force a bit of optimism into his voice, but he was still struggling with his duty and feelings. “Well, I don’t know. Melanie’s a strict master. It’s not time for my afternoon tea break.” He grinned to lessen the awkward situation and put her at ease. It seemed to have worked, for the woman before him smiled. “Seriously, Miss, I don’t know what I can do for you. I don’t live here in Moorton.”
“I aware of that, Mr. McLaren.”
The use of his name surprised him. He angled his head slightly, trying to remember if he had come upon her before, but he had no recollection of it. “You know who I am. I... I’m sorry. I don’t know your name. Have we met? If so, please forgive me. I’ve an atrocious memory.”
“You’ve an excellent memory, Mr. McLaren. That’s evident from your previous investigations. But no, we’ve not met. I know of you through the articles that appeared in our newspaper. Also, Reverend Redfern and some of the other villagers talk about your sojourns here, when you previously visited Melanie, and how you solved those other murders.”
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Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes a British mystery series (the McLaren Mysteries)—of which three books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ three years straight. She also writes a Missouri-based cozy mystery series that is grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly and sings loudly. She loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.
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The book will be $0.99 during the tour:
https://www.amazon.com/Cottage-McLaren-Mystery-Jo-Hiestand/dp/B0CD8W5TD3
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cottage-jo-a-hiestand/1143862736
World-wide Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-cottage-40
USA Kobo link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cottage-40
The Cottage by Jo A. Hiestand is another novel in the McLaren Mystery series. Michael McLaren is helping his lady friend, Melanie clear her house after it had been sold. She wanted to live closer to Michael if their relationship was to continue.
She wants to open up a B&B and be able to send her daughter to college. All is going well, Michael is asked by Melanie's neighbors to investigate the deaths of her parents. Even though Michael is no longer with the police force, his friend Jamie is so he enlists Jamie's help in helping Melanie pack up her house.
With that, Michael is able to focus not only on the friend's parents. She does not believe how they died. There is a cottage that her parents had purchased and were in the process of renovating when her father went missing, was found deceased and then her mother died. Both were under strange circumstances.
There is a burglary at the local Tudor Hall, so that is just an added complication in Michaels's investigation. He had thought that this would be easily solved but that is not to be. He feels that his investigation could put those he cares about in danger.
There are a lot of characters in the story, why were the two people targeted and were they guilty of something else. Michael and Melanies relationship continues to bloom and his camaraderie with Jamie is very evident. The three of them seem to have an honest relationship where they all care for each other.
I have read one other book in this series, Overdue. I enjoyed this series so far and hope to read more, the author does a great job leading the story to the suspenseful ending.
I give the book 5 stars!
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only
