New (to me) Series from a Favorite Cozy Author

IN THE DRINK (Mack's Bar Mysteries #3)
Allyson K. Abbott
Kensington Books
July 28, 2015

In the Drink is the third mystery in the Mack's Bar Mystery Series. Mac Dalton grew up in the Milwaukee bar that bears her name, and she now owns. Her mother died very shortly after her birth, and she and her father lived above the bar. The people who come in are more like family than patrons. Mack has an unusual neurological condition, synesthesia. Synesthetes are wired differently from the rest of us, in that they get sort of double wiring, allowing Mack to "see" words and numbers with associated colors, and "taste" sounds. She always saw it as more of a curse than a gift, having a had a very hard time growing up until the condition was diagnosed. When she is involved in a suspicious suicide actually on her premises and later in a kidnapping case she found that her condition could be helpful. She also started a relationship with the investigating detective, Duncan Albright. She and her bar patrons have even formed a crime-solving club, the Capone Club, upstairs in the bar.

The flip side of her new pursuit into crime solving is increased notoriety, and she is mostly hiding out in the bar to avoid journalistic hounds and a curious public. Duncan was suspended and only reinstated when he promised to stay away from her, not using her on any more cases. The two can only communicate covertly, at least for awhile. This restriction comes even more problematic when she receives a letter threatening her friends unless she solves a puzzle set out for her. Mack has been letting the letters pile up and by the time she opens the letter, it is too late to save the first friend to go. Mack, of course, blames herself and has to involve Duncan, who fears for her life. She needs the help of her Capone Club friends as well. Duncan has one of his cop friends who is already undercover, become a sort of bodyguard for her- too bad that he is a very attractive friend!

I found In the Drink a very enjoyable cozy mystery with a nice twist. I had heard of Synesthesia but found it rather hard to wrap my head around. The ramifications of the condition are very well explained. Mack is a very appealing, mid- thirties grown-up, and I enjoyed all of her rather motley crew of friends. I wish that I had known this was a third book in the series, but Abbott does a great job of bringing us up to date on previous happenings. That just entices me to read the first two! There is not so much a cliff-hanger as a lack of resolution, making me anxious for the next book in the series.

I want to mention that Allyson Abbott writes another series under the name Anneliese Ryan, "The Mattie Winston Mysteries". Mattie is very different, very funny, and a great favorite of mine. How Abbott/Ryan manages to write two series and be a practicing ER nurse I will never know but hats off to her! Thanks to Kensington Books and netgalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING-3.5 Stars