Lee James’s Casket Case (The Cynthia Shade Mysteries #1)
Description
Having a bank balance of $0.33 can’t throw Cynthia, but stumbling upon a fresh murder scene sure can.
Cynthia Shade has been working her tail off to make ends meet, yet is continually falling short. And when she accidentally causes thousands of dollars of damage to a stranger’s property, her determination falters. But then that stranger latches onto her as their only hope to not be accused of a murder.
Being between jobs, means Cynthia sees a lot in their small town. A lot of things that most people wouldn’t notice, a lot of things that are connected, a lot of things that could help prove her new acquaintance’s innocence – now if only she can convince the sheriff.
Disclosure
I personally bought this book. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Note: I personally know the author of this book, this does not affect my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
Review – Spoiler Free
Lee James is also author of the fantasy novel, Azriel (read my review here), it was fun to read her murder mystery Casket Case – set in a totally different genre that still had much of the same writing style. Casket Case is fast paced, comedic, and fun, hopping from one development to the next as Cynthia tries to navigate each new development in her own way.
Cynthia’s character is painted wonderfully, from her t-shirts and leggings, to her rusty VW Beetle and trouble holding down a ‘normal’ job. It is very easy to follow her along and get swept up into the story, simply wanting her to succeed.
Other characters were not quite as developed as I’d like, but many of them were directly related to the mystery and need to be vague for much of the story. And then there’s the Sheriff, a character who also starts out vague in light of the possibility of a romance between he and Cynthia, one that plays in and out of the story.
I feel like both the characters and the setting could have been strengthened by a few more moments of recognition between, or name drops of characters. Just a little more to increase the interconnectedness of the small town and build on the grounds that Cynthia is very observant of the people there.
Casket Case has some typos and formatting errors and, while I noticed them, they didn’t pull me much from the story as it clipped along. There were a few moments where the police procedural did though.
I liked the answer to the murder, but I wasn’t as enthralled with the mystery at hand as I was more interested in following Cynthia and her story. James has created a wonderful character that I will happily follow as she powers through conflicts, happens upon solutions, and struggles with the society’s view of her decisions, while remaining true to herself through it all.
Overall, I liked Lee James’s Casket Case. Cynthia is a fun character to follow, and she’s wrapped into an interesting, fast-paced story. I would recommend Casket Case to people who enjoy mysteries with amateur detectives, and to those who enjoy soft romance that develops through multiple books.
Quote
She was hot. She was tired. But this was Uncle Garrett. The bacon to her eggs. The Abbott to her Costello.
Casket Case, Lee James
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 3
- Plot – 3
- World Building – 3
- Characters – 4
- Ease of Reading – 4
- Overall Enjoyment – 4
- Final Rating – 3.5 (Actual: 3.5) – Liked It/ Really Liked It
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.