Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Crown Court Killer

SERIES: London Podcast Mystery #3

AUTHOR: Dahlia Donovan

PUBLISHER: Hot Tree Publishing

LENGTH: 214 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2022

BLURB:

Months after saving their flamboyant theatre friend from disaster, Dannel Ortea and Osian Garey are back with a thrilling murder investigation in the third London Podcast Mystery series novel.

Dannel and Osian’s breakfast double date rapidly devolves into a murder mystery when a dead body is found in their solicitor friend’s car. Wayne is taken for questioning by police. He was last seen arguing with the deceased.

When Wayne’s tie is identified as the murder weapon, it’s hard to refute the growing evidence stacked against him.

Convinced of their friend’s innocence, Dannel and Osian throw themselves into the investigation. When Wayne’s boyfriend, Roland, finds himself suspended from the police, they realise powerful people are involved in the murder.

With a philandering crown court judge, two disgruntled wives, and an angry client as suspects, the clock is ticking for them to find the killer before Wayne winds up arrested—or dead.

REVIEW:

“There isn’t, really. A me without you.”

Crown Court Killer is another great cozy mystery in the London Podcast Mystery series. It’s the third murder investigation/adventure for Osian and Dannel. I love these guys but I’m not sure I’d want to be in their circle of friends and acquaintances because of the number of murders they encounter. (Dating myself here but, in a similar vein, I always wondered why anyone would want to live in Cabot Cove for all the fatal crimes Jessica Fletcher stumbled upon on Murder She Wrote.)

Darling Osian and Daniel, both former first responders, have carved out a nice life for themselves, living and working together as real-life crime podcast creators and cosplay costume fabricators. If only those pesky murders wouldn’t keep dropping into their laps.

The book picks up a few months after Ghost Light Killer ended. This time around, Wayne, the boyfriend of Dannel’s brother Roland, is framed for murdering a fellow attorney. As usual, Osian and Dannel jump right into investigating the crime in the hopes the police will stop considering Wayne a suspect. The guys discover numerous potential suspects, including the not-grieving widow, a two-timing judge, and an angry, volatile bodyguard. They bring together their team of friends and family to assist, including Abra, Chris, Ian, Roland, and Wayne. Of course, no book in this series would be complete without Detective Inspector Haider Kahn, forever exasperated by Osian and Dannel interfering with his investigation. Osian and Haider’s interactions are some of the best parts of the book. “My job used to be so simple. I do not enjoy being part of an episode of Scooby-Doo,” Haider complained. 

Best friends since infancy, Osian and Dannel are their usual lovable selves. Their love for each other shines brightly through their banter and playful sarcasm. Dannel – with his love of musical cast albums and cake (always cake) – is even more endearing because of his autism. No one in these stories views his autism as a detriment, just a difference that he needs to manage. His inability to read people and understand figurative speech, for example, bring humor to the narrative without being offensive, patronizing or poking fun at him.

While Osian is more optimistic and tends to believe the best about everyone, Dannel is more practical and suspicious. Their differences work well together during their investigations and on a personal level, they’re ideal mates. I adore their dynamic.

Another of my favorite aspects of the series is how respectful and caring Osian is for Dannel’s special needs, like recognizing when he’s becoming overwhelmed or reaching his limit and nearing a meltdown. Osian seamlessly and unobtrusively helps his partner do what he needs for self-care. “Osian gets the best of me because he sees the best in me.” 

While the mystery isn’t complicated, it kept me guessing. Near the end, Osian gets himself into a dangerous situation as he always does.

If you’re ready for a fun mystery, complete with all of Dannel’s favorite foods (pizza, donuts, chips, and lots of cake…these guys eat a lot), heartwarming friendships, googly eyes, and a story about the abuse of power by the extremely rich and privileged, this is the book for you. While this could be read as a standalone, your enjoyment will be greater if you get the background information provided by the previous two books. Happily recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon