Murder by Death

Wow.  Just wow.

I've often said here that Henery Press is putting out some excellent books, and this series, in spite of its superficial name, is one of the best.  Maybe the best.  I've loved every one of the four books up until this point, but Cover Shot was just that little bit better.

It’s been a slow news month in Richmond, and crime reporter Nichelle Clarke is enjoying the downtime when ominous messages and a dead body kick things into high gear. And that’s before the guy with the rifle takes a hospital full of people hostage.

This is billed as a cozy mystery, and I'd argue all day long that it is, but this isn't your mama's cozy.  This is a meaty, suspenseful story that was so well-written I could not and did not want to put it down; MT complained yesterday that I barely spoke two words to him all afternoon and I woke up this morning at 7am, went straight to the couch and didn't stir until the book was finished.

The marketing on this series might make some readers think Nichelle is a shallow fashionista, but she's not.  She's that rare (extinct?) journalist that cares more about what she writes than the headlines, but she does have a weakness for shoes and there is a bit of label-name-dropping.  It's not enough to bother me, but some might find it tedious.

The plot was fast-paced, exciting, and incredibly well done.  The romance thread involves a love triangle but it isn't the same old, tired, worn-out love triangle.  There's no competition, there's no "who's Nichelle going to choose?!?" crap.  But that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

I devoured this book and I've got the book hangover to prove it.  That I have to wait until Autumn 2016 for the next book just sucks.