Mystery

The trio is at it again, solving mysteries, but this time in the mountains. I really enjoyed Qwill's way of asking questions, prodding, charming and agile: one can definitely learn from his manner. The plot is thin and it's easy to guess who the culprit is, but it's the dynamics between the villagers and the setting that make this book a light, fun read.
Amateurs of the series will enjoy this one. ( )

I guess it makes sense to move the action away from the same small town/northern county now and then, so it doesn't become a place full of murders, but sadly, the change of locale often means I won't like the book as much. Still, this one wasn't too bad. I liked the way Qwilleran sees both sides of an ongoing battle, meeting and talking talking to people with both points of view. The mystery was decent, though not quite as interesting as others in this series have been. Koko's antics that inspired the title aren't exactly new, though I did appreciate the play on words.

I recently read a mystery novel with a main character who had been a gangster in the past but was forced to change due to circumstances beyond his control. In that book, the MC's new life involved things he never would have done or cared about in the past, but it felt really forced to me. That made me notice all the more the way Qwilleran's changes in lifestyle and personality throughout the series have been a lot smoother and more subtle. He's certainly still himself, but also quite different from the man that used to live in the big city and write about urban crime. Overall, this was a good addition to the series. ( )

Fun mystery. Read in one day.

I love these books. I listened to a lot of them many years ago on cassette and it has been really fun revisiting them. George Guidall is an amazing reader and they are the coziest of mysteries. ( )