Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Broken Bird

SERIES:  The Last Picks

AUTHOR:  Gregory Ashe

PUBLISHER:  Hodgkin & Blount

LENGTH:  209 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 2. 2024

BLURB:  

All’s fair in love and…publishing?

It’s nearly Christmas, and Dashiell Dawson Dane already has enough on his plate: finding a present for his parents, coming up with excuses not to hang the Christmas lights, and finishing this stupid story he’s been writing (okay, maybe he needs to start writing it). On top of all that, Bobby has been acting…well, strange. The last thing Dash needs, in other words, is to play host when Marshall Crowe—celebrity author and, worse, a friend of Dash’s parents—comes to town.

When Marshall dies in the middle of a public reading of his latest novel, Dash can’t bring himself to believe it was an accident, but he’s determined to stay away from the investigation. Until, that is, the prime suspect shows up on his doorstep, begging for his help. The catch? It’s the same woman who accused Dash, not so long ago, of murdering Vivienne Carver—Hastings Rock’s resident cozy mystery author, Pippi Parker. And helping Pippi might just be the death of Dash.

REVIEW:

Well once again, the town of Hastings Rock has a murder on its hands.  The acting Sheriff is tasked with figuring out who (or possible more than one who) would want to do in famous thriller writer Marshall Crowe shows up for reading at the library.  But instead he is insulting to local writer, Pippi Parker.  Yes the same Pippi Parker who accused Dahs of Vivienne’s murder when he first came to town.  Things get out of control quickly.  There are fights with agents, insults to various players, including his agent, his assistant and even poor Dash.  Turns out he’s a friend of Dash’s parents who had never been particularly nice to Dash.  It wasn’t like Dash was looking forward to this “reconnection” but he’d hear about it from his parents if he didn’t make nice.  But Marshall ends up dead and it looks like murder.

You know that Dash and his band of Last Picks can’t help but get involved.  There are missing clues, a widow who maybe wasn’t all that happy and more surprises.  Oh and Deputy Bobby and Sheriff Acosta worried that Dash will rush in and put himself in danger 😉

For the first two thirds of this story, I just kept wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.  And I did miss Deputy Bobby quite a bit as his presence during most of the murder mystery was quite peripheral.  Thankfully the ending saved it 😉  Honestly this book was hilarious  Pippi and her brood are a hoot and a half.  Every time she popped up it was more outrageous than the previous escapade.  The mystery took center stage with a lot of suspects and red herrings, and even the Last Picks were less prominent in this one.  I enjoyed the holiday vibes and that ending?  Seriously Mr. Ashe??  Now we are of course waiting impatiently for the next book!  Recommended 😉

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon