Customer Reviews

A Flicker of Doubt (Candlemaking Mysteries, No. 4)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I feel this series is improving. The author can only fit in so much in a small paperback cozy, so here he concentrates on Harrison's relationship with Markum, as well as Sanora and Heather. I figured out the "primary" villain early on, but - quasi-spoiler alert - there's more than one.
A minor point that registered with me (as a guy) was a customer assuming that Harrison worked for a female owner/manager, presumably because it was a craft shop. There had been another character who came in looking for his aunt, and had to be informed of her death, so it wasn't that kind of a mistake. In this installment, Myers introduces a couple of new characters, who are likely to be prominent in future stories, as well as having one (or two) likely to recede.
Looking forward to the next one.

Harrison Black is trying to fit in a quick morning kayak trip on the Gun Powder River behind his shop when he bumps into something. To his horror, he discovers it's a body. He's even more upset when he realizes its Becka Lane, his ex-girlfriend. While the two no longer dated, they had remained good friends.

Despite the fact that she was found in the river, the coroner declares her death an overdose. That immediately sets off warning bells in Harrison's mind. Becka hated pills. There's no way she would take them willingly. When the sheriff concludes it was a suicide, Harrison feels the need to investigate to find the murderer.

Unfortunately, Harrison is facing some other problems. A developer is trying to buy the undeveloped land next to his story and turn it into condos. When Harrison tries to visit his neighbor to talk to him about it, the man refuses to see him. And, two of Harrison's tenants are still feuding; each threatening not to sign a lease renewal if the other stays. How can he cope with all of this?

As with the other books in the series, Harrison is the glue that holds the story together. His stubbornness and honorability make him instantly likeable, while his recklessness and lack of tact get him into all kinds of trouble. His relationship with Eve, his employee, is still rocky. I can never decide from one page to the next if I like her or not. I wish we'd really delve into her a little more in the series. Taking a larger role in this book is Harrison's friend Markum. He's always intrigued me, so I was glad to see more of him.

Unfortunately, the plot could have been better. Killing off a series character is always risky, but here it worked well. I'd never especially liked Becka, but I felt sorry at her demise. Too much time is spent on the other problems Harrison is facing, and not enough time is spent developing the mystery. That's probably because it was rather thin. I knew right away who the killer was. Even so, the ending felt a little abrupt.

This is not one of the stronger entries in the series. Fans of Harrison will still find it satisfying, but others should look elsewhere for a good read.

I really like the candlemaking series. I recommend it to anyone wanting a fast, enjoyable read.

As far as cosy mysteries go, this was a pretty darn good read, much better than most.

In this go around, Harrison Black, a local candle maker come across a dead body, and the body happens to be an old girlfriend of his. Harrison is shocked, that he feels that he needs to find out who did it and why. That being said, Harrison has some other problems. It seems that two of his tenants might leave his building, and he doesn't want that to happen. Along with all of this, it seems that a shady land developer has come along and wants to take some land, tear it down, and has some uses for it, uses that nobody else wants.

There are a lot of interesting cast of characters that we meet along the way. Some of the interesting characters are Eve, his partner, his friend, Markum, Grover who has wonder BBQ, but if you get on his bad side, he'll bad you. Like I said, a lot of interesting cast of characters. I also like how Myers has a writing style that has a "down home" feeling. That's such a nice touch. I would have liked to have seen Black and Markum do a bit more investigation into the murder, but this was an enjoyable read.

Myers' writing style is pretty easy to read. There aren't any plot twists, but he has a way of keeping the reader hooked to the very last page. This is the first book I've read by Myers, and I plan to read the rest in the series.

Enjoyed reading this book very much. Enjoyed the whole series written by Tim Myers.