This week I selected a three-book set from BookBub. The cozy mysteries by Michele Pariza Wacek feature inadvertent sleuth Charlotte “Charlie” Kingsley and are set in the small town of Redemption, Wisconsin. “The Murder Before Christmas,” “Ice Cold Murder” and “Murder Next Door” gave me a bit of Charlie’s backstory.
Escaping an abusive relationship, she got lost and stopped for information in Redemption, which turned into her permanent residence. Now Charlie owns a well-known haunted house and runs a small business creating special teas and tinctures. Many customers have become friends and often refer others to Charlie.
In “The Murder Before Christmas,” Courtney Fallon came to Charlie hoping to buy a love potion tea. Charlie tries to explain that her teas are simply herbal combinations, but pregnant Courtney insists she needs a potion to make her husband, Dennis, love her again. She claims that he is having an affair.
After a heated discussion, Courtney mutters that maybe she needs poison instead. Within days, Dennis is dead and Courtney is the prime suspect. Fearing her tea might be blamed for the death, Charlie and her friend Pat visit Courtney. She explains that Dennis received a gift bottle of his favorite whiskey and dropped dead after the first glass.
Long story short, Charlie begins her own investigation with the grudging consent of Officer Brandon Wyle. Apparently, they have some crime solving history. Charlie has a strong “feeling” that Dennis wasn’t having an affair and Courtney is innocent, but she has to dig deep to find the truth.
Dennis was a very successful financial advisor, but now his partner Glenn is saying Dennis had stolen money from the business. As she slogs through all of Dennis’s personal and professional relationships, she unravels a complex tangle of love, jealousy and misplaced suspicion. Combining that with questionable financial advice and a failed investment deal, Charlie uncovers a compelling motive to kill Dennis.
Eventually, Charlie and Wyle find that Glenn is behind the accusations of theft but didn’t send the poisoned whiskey. It falls to Charlie to ferret out the real culprit.
The second and third books follow the same vein. We learn that many believe that Redemption decides who stays in Redemption and who is allowed to leave. Belief in otherworldly things are a constant undercurrent in the village.
In “Ice Cold Murder,” Charlie accompanies Claire to a will reading at a remote home. While waiting for the lawyer to arrive, they become trapped by a freak snowstorm. The lawyer is found dead and, due to her history of “feelings,” Claire is accused of the murder.
“Murder Next Door” involves the disappearance of a teenage girl, the appearance of a house sitter with an allergy to the sun and the murder of an unpopular property manager. Once again, Charlie uses unconventional methods combined with common sense to uncover the truth. I imagine the four through six set will contain similar mysteries to solve.
AT A GLANCE
Books: Charlie Kingsley Mysteries, Books 1-3
Author: Michele Pariza Wacek
Publisher: Love-Based Publishing
Year published: 2021-2022
Number of pages: 727
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