I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or the review itself.

Samson has returned to his home town, to the father he had stopped talking to and the place that still thinks of him as a black sheep. Now he's working-temporarily he thinks-as a detective, and has been hired to look into two mysteries-strange occurrences at an old age home, and the disappearance of a prize-winning ram.

Delilah has lived in this town all her life, and now that Samson is back, she's found herself drawn into helping Samson navigate the town and its mysteries.

To start with, I loved the ending! I was worried that too much was being telegraphed too early on, but the solutions to the mysteries were clever and surprising.

I also really liked the characters, from Samson and Delilah to the supporting cast. Everyone is compelling and serves a real purpose.

The book started out slow for me. It did eventually pick up, but it took a while. I almost gave up on it (though I'm glad I didn't).

I also felt like I was missing some things because I hadn't read the first book in the series. There were quite a few references that I didn't get.

There were definitely things I really liked about this book, and I could see myself someday reading another entry in the series. But there are other cozy mystery series that will take priority first. ( )

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This follows on from the first in the series, just a few weeks later in time, so none of the overarching background stories (Samson's suspension and possible danger from his job in London, what Rick Proctor is doing at Samson's old home, Samson's living situation, Deliilah's ex etc etc) have moved on at all. There are two mysteries here: what happened to a missing ram, and (more seriously) what is going on at the retirement complex where Samson's dad is living. Despite the seriousness of what happens to the residents, there is something of the romp about the investigation. Delilah does the odd bit of work on her businesses, but mainly operates as Samson's sidekick.

Entertaining in a cozy way, but slow in places. ( )