This compilation of six novellas by six mystery writers highlights the 'amateur sleuth.' The introduction to the collection reads: "Every nosy neighbor, gossipy friend, and meddling relative is just one good mystery away from becoming a detective. From behind locked doors or out in broad daylight, driven by chance or curiosity, amateur sleuths get in over their heads in these six hair-raising hilarious stories."
I"ll give a brief description of each novella.
*****
Staged by Elle Cosimano
Struggling real estate agent Lyda and her friend Dani are staging a neglected Victorian house that Lyda's desperate to sell. The century old disaster has a sagging front porch, crooked walls, and dusty foul-smelling carpets.
To spruce the property up, Lyda has hired handsome gardener Sawyer Mackenzie, who's outside showing off his sun-kissed hair, tight jeans, and toned chest. Sawyer, a lothario known for 'loving and leaving 'em', has broken a few hearts around town.
Lyda and Dani go off to purchase some things for the staging and return to find Sawyer dead in the house. The gardener is sprawled on the bedroom floor, with his clothes scattered around, and a giant purple hickey on the side of his neck.
When the authorities can't nab the the killer Lyda steps up to save the day.
*****
The Reunion Dinner by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Josephine Ying is very excited to be hosting her extended family's Chinese New Year dinner for the very first time.
Josephine's husband suggests she's gone overboard with the roasted whole pig, but Josephine retorts, "Everyone traveling from all over the country to come to dinner." This includes the couple's son Keith, who works on Wall Street and says he's bringing a 'fabulous surprise.'
Josephine pictures a necklace or bracelet from Tiffany's, or perhaps an expensive handbag. But when Keith arrives....VERY LATE....he says "Ma, Ba, remember how I said I had a surprise? Well, I'd like you to meet Lacey, my fiancée." Josephine is gobsmacked, as are other family members, some of whom already know and hate Lacey.
During the dinner Lacey drops dead: "Her eyes were open, staring glassily at nothing. There was foam at the corners of her mouth." Josephine is fearful her son Keith will be accused of murder, so she uncovers the killer herself.
*****
Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
Meticulous Nellie Otis is an assistant at the fashion magazine 'Elle', for which she "maintained, with precision, a systematically structured fashion closet that housed designer clothing and accessories." Nothing in Nellie's purview has ever gone missing.....until now!
A three-million dollar Bulgari necklace has disappeared from a fashion shoot. The necklace was on a designated jewelry table, with Nellie and an armed security guard beside it. When Nellie went to fetch a soda for the cover model, the guard apparently fell asleep, and the necklace vanished.
If the Bulgari isn't found, heads will roll, specifically Nellie's head - ESPECIALLY because editor-in-chief Charlotte is blaming Nellie for the theft.
To save her job Nellie makes it her business to catch the culprit.
*****
The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
Septuagenarian Marge has known her across-the-street neighbor Doris for fifty years. According to Marge, Doris is a busybody with her nose up in everyone else's business. Marge isn't the one to talk, however, because she stares out the window at Doris and her husband Bob all day.
According to Marge, Doris is a jumped up floozy, but Bob is "slowing down, sicker than usual, wheezy and unsteady on his feet."
Marge is surprised when Doris comes over one day and announces, "I've booked Bob and me a special long weekend in Spain. We'll be studying flamenco.....[and] you never know, one of us might like it so much, we may never come back!" Doris asks Marge to look after the house while she and Bob are gone, and to be sure to water the newly planted hydrangeas in the backyard.
Marge can't resist the opportunity to snoop around Doris's house, and for various reasons, Marge suspects Doris killed Bob. Marge tries to prove Doris is a murderer....which leads to a surprising finale.
*****
One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
Internet sensation Kidd - who does outsize stunts - is staging an event at the American Dream Mall, which has three million square feet, one-hundred-plus stores, five floors, two mini-golf courses, and one indoor theme park.
Ten contestants, flown in from all over the United States, are vying to win $50,000. The idea is that the players are given a head start to hide in the mall, each one carrying a case with fifty grand. Kidd announces, "I'll be spending the next eight hours playing the world's largest game of hide-and-seek. The [contestants] can hide anywhere they want. I find them. The money's mine." On the other hand, anyone who isn't found within the eight hours gets to keep the money.
Kidd's team will film him during the search, and Kidd expects the video to make a big splash online.
Contestant #4 teams up with contestant #2, and they find (what they think is) an excellent hiding place. The game proceeds, and after some hours Kidd has located several players and is approaching the hiding place of players 4 and 2.
Around this time there's a big kerfuffle and Kidd is injured. Kidd insists, "Someone tried to kill me. We're trying to figure out who...." and he begins accusing everyone in sight.
This leads to surprising revelations, and a light bulb moment helps contestant #4 resolve the case.
*****
A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
Audrey is a rather shy young woman who looks forward to Wednesdays.
Wednesday is the day Audrey goes to the 'Keep It Classic' video store to rent an old-timey film. It's also the day Audrey meets up with Mr. Hoffman, "the sweet eightysomething-year-old-man who came in at precisely two o'clock to renew his rental on his favorite movie, 'She Who Laughs Last', starring notoriously reclusive 1960s ingenue Katia Kelly."
There's another reason Audrey patronizes the video store. She has a HUGE crush on the owner, Grant, a nice-looking fellow who always wears jeans, a heather-gray T-shirt, and a soft plaid flannel. Grant is polite, but other than that, seems to take no notice of Audrey.
One Wednesday, Mr. Hoffman doesn't show up at 'Keep It Classic', much to Audrey's chagrin. Audrey tries to get Grant to 'investigate', but he shrugs off Mr. Hoffman's absence. Audrey decides to go to the elderly gent's house herself....and when Grant shows up as well, things take an unexpected turn.
This little mystery has fun elements and a not-so-surprising ending.
****
All the suspense stories are fun, but my two favorites, for their 'twists', are The Reunion Dinner and The Nosy Neighbor.
Thanks to Netgalley, the authors, and Amazon Original Stories for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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