Published: July 16, 2014

M.L. Ortega

Pages: 281

Genre: Mystery

KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This title is available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I leave my review voluntarily.

M.L. Ortega was raised in the North by Southerners and thus learned to embrace dichotomy, which shows in her writing. With humor at the wheel, dark subject matter rides ‘shotgun’. Moving frequently throughout her childhood, her family finally settled in California, where she eventually married and had four children. The children have grown and moved away, leaving her in the care of a very patient husband and two independent cats.

“To bad steps, make them quickly.”

Maggie is a busy single mom, working her regular job and any side hustle she can. She helps her best friend, Jane, clean model homes; she bakes wedding cakes, and she stages yards for realtors. If she can earn cash, Maggie will do it. When her cleaning gig with Jane comes to a deadly halt, Maggie may find herself in the crosshairs of a killer.

This was a typical cozy mystery. The characters were great, sassy, and curious, and the plot moved along at a decent pace.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their personalities. There were some memorable traits and some heavy moments. I like Maggie; she is fierce. I hope she continues as the leading lady throughout the series.

I enjoyed the way this story was told and the fact that Tuna welcomed Maggie’s opinion. It was fantastic having a lead male character be genuinely supportive and kind. I hope he stays in the series too.

The action takes off almost immediately and stays pretty evenly paced, making the book hard to put down because you feel like you’re just about to solve the case in every chapter.

I am interested in seeing how this storyline progresses and getting to know the characters even more.