Murder, She Uncovered

Murder, She Uncovered is an action packed historical cozy mystery. Biz Adams is a socialite who wants a different type of life for herself. Despite her mother’s attempts to marry her off, Biz is still single and thrilled at being promoted to crime photographer. It also allows her to interact with Detective Sal Marino to whom Biz is attracted, but she does not see how it could work out between them with their differing backgrounds. When an Irish maid is murdered, Biz and Kaminsky are assigned the case. They want to discover who killed Noeleen Donovan and scoop the other papers. I like that the investigation is actively pursued throughout the book. They question a variety of people in their search for the truth. There are a couple of side stories as well. Ralph Kaminsky is the perfect partner for Elizabeth “Biz” Adams. They have different perspectives thanks to their diverse backgrounds. Kaminsky has a nose for news plus he has knowledge of the common man and Biz helps him navigate the upper class crowd courtesy of her upbringing. I also enjoyed getting know more about Biz’s family and her best friend, Irene Nowack. I like that we are learning more about Kaminsky a little at a time (he may be crotchety, but he has a good heart). There is great dialogue in Murder, She Uncovered (book is heavy in dialogue which I like) and Peg Cochran captured the lingo used in the 1930s. There are delightful descriptions that allow me to visualize the characters and the setting. I especially enjoy reading about Biz’s clothing and her cute hats. I appreciated the references to various books and movies like Rebecca and Bringing Up Baby. It was interesting to learn that Katharine Hepburn and her family were caught at the summer home during the hurricane. I can tell that the author did her research for the series. There are some great scenes with Biz having new experiences like eating hot dogs from a street cart and consuming pizza without silverware. Murder, She Uncovered is well-written with good pacing. I appreciated the author’s writing style which made the book a pleasure to read. While Murder, She Uncovered is the second book in the Murder, She Reported series, it can be read as a standalone. One of my favorite lines from the book comes from Kaminsky when he told Biz “It’s your life. Live it your way.” I am eager to read Murder, She Encountered when it comes out later this year. Murder, She Uncovered has snappy dialogue, an intriguing mystery, developed characters, a sweet ending and lively humor.

totally enjoyable light read. Characters and historical timeline come alive and are most believable. Will most definitely continue reading this series.