I have to begin by saying I think the book cover is great! If you want a picture to draw you into a story, this one certainly does. Its atmospheric black and white picture of a moonlit street simply shouts mystery and intrigue, a very good start for a detective novel!
As the blurb tells you, Cass Claymore is a red-headed, motorbike riding, ex-ballerina who inherits her uncle’s detective agency. That alone was enough to tickle my interest buds and make me buy the book.
And I wasn’t disappointed. From the get-go this tongue-in-cheek detective novel had me turning pages.
I really enjoyed the ‘lightness’ not taking itself too seriously, tone of the author. The editing style also helped keep things crisp and easy to read and I found this very easy on the eye and relaxing to read.
The story is well paced and has good structure. I instantly liked Cass Claymore and enjoyed the world-building that was created around her. But I simply fell in love with the dwarf Quill (as apparently all the women around him do). He’s a marvellous character, laid back, smooth talking and totally knows how to wind up Cass, just loved the conversations between the two, and have to say I do hope the author is planning a book two because I want to see more of them.
The only, very slight, downside for me was the ending. It felt rushed, unlike the rest of the book which moves along at a lovely steady pace. One minute something is left on Cass’s doorstep and the next minute (it felt) it was all round-up and over. Who did leave the clue on the doorstep and why did they? That’s too much of an unknown to leave me completely satisfied with the ending of the book.
That said, I totally enjoyed this book and found myself smiling in every chapter, and I would most definitely recommend you read it for yourself if you like murder-mysteries.
To conclude: A great, tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted mystery. Highly recommend.
