Review: Roots of Murder

Roots of Murder Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Janis Harrison
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth Cozy Ethnic
Series: Bretta Solomon # 1
St Martin's; 1999; $5.99; pp246

The cover of this first in a series promised a cozy with many of my favorite elements, amateur sleuth, florist/gardening theme, Amish culture, and it delivered. While complying with the sub-genre requirements, this story nevertheless is slightly askew from expectations. I was put off by the amount of swearing, which was not demanded by characterization. I felt it was included either in error due to inexperience of the author with the genre or deliberately to prevent to story from being labeled extra cozy, Either way it didn't ring true to the characters or the genre. I also felt the graphic details included of the embalming room of the local funeral home, were more than the average cozy reader would prefer.

The characters were well defined, with opportunity to grow in a series, and generally likeable. The plot was suprising for a first mystery with unexpected twists. The clues were fairly planted in plain sight and yet whodunnit and why came as a suprise to me at the end. The sleuth, Bretta Solomon has a lot of sides to her already. She's a grieving police officer's widow, although it doesn't weigh on the reader. She's a former full figured woman who has thinned down but fights the calories everyday without preaching at the reader about diet. She's a competitive business owner with a creative feminine side. She deals with every day aggravations like a paperboy who puts the paper on the roof, and has the compassion to reach out to the people in her community when she sees a need.

She could develop into a really interesting series character. I did not enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. I had expected to feel more cozy reading it than I did. If I graded this book for pure pleasure of my reading experience I'd only give it 3-1/2 paws, but I think the writing deserves better than that. It will likely appeal more to to folks who like their stories on the edge of cozy, more than it did to me. I would guess those who really like Earlene Fowler, Sister Carol Anne O'Marie, Veronica Black, or Peter King for example would like this book.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

Book Review: Roots of Murder