Tuesday, June 27, 2023

I Only Read Murder - Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson

Oh. my. gosh. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud. But brothers Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson did just that - many times over with their new book, I Only Read Murder. 

Miranda Abbott played a crime busting, karate kicking Pastor for many seasons on television. But, the offers are few and far between now. When a cryptic postcard arrives, she is sure things are on the upswing, so she happily packs her bags and heads to the small town of Happy Rock.

Here's the thing - Miranda still sees herself as a star. Her perceptions, actions, dialogue and certainty that she is still fodder for the gossip columns is priceless. "But no one recognized her, or if they did, they were too intimidated to approach." 

Happy Rock is home to a large cast of quirky characters - all who could be found in the pages of a book. There are many characters but its very easy to remember who's who. Again, the interactions and dialogue is so very good. Much more laughing from me! 

One of townsfolk is the owner of the local bookstore - that only sells murder mysteries. The one passion that the entire town has is their beloved yearly play. Hmm, could a role in it be a comeback for Miranda? And then, a cast member is killed. On stage. or And no one saw who did it. Perhaps Miranda's Pastor Fran skills, combined with the the knowledge that can be gleaned from a murder mystery book, could be of use? Especially the cozy mystery tactics!

The authors have excelled at weaving every facet of a cozy mystery into their homage - amateur sleuths, small town, quirky residents, misdirection, every player one is a suspect, no sex, overt violence or profanity. Instead it's a comfortable, entertaining, light hearted and truly very funny read. An easy five stars.

This is the first in a planned series. This reader can't wait for the next entry. See for yourself. Read an excerpt of I Only Read Murder. 

harpercollins.ca  Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for a review copy of I Only Read Murder. This in no way affects my review. 

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