BORROWING DEATH (Charlotte Brody Mystery #2)
Cathy Pegau
Kensington Books
June 28, 2016
Borrowing Death opens shortly after the close of Murder on the Last Frontier. Charlotte Brody has decided to extend her stay in Cordova, a small town on the Alaska frontier. She has found a job reporting and typesetting at the local newspaper and is still sending her serial about frontier women to be published back east. She likes her job, the people of Cordova and seeing her brother, Michael, the town doctor, on a regular basis. She especially likes the handsome Deputy Marshal, James Eddington.
The novel opens with Charlotte's editorial about the Volstead Act, which would establish National Prohibition. Charlotte, as a free-thinking suffragette, thinks it is a very bad idea which will open the doors to all sorts of crime. She expects her editorial to stir up controversy in the town. It indeed does, but is eclipsed by a fire that guts the town hardware store and takes the life of its' owner, Lyle Fiske. Cordova has recently had a series of arson fires, but none have caused such property damage, much less loss of life. It is soon clear that it was not arson, but murder. Lyle Fiske and his wife, Caroline, have many secrets, but which of those secrets would lead to murder? Charlotte wants to find out and get the story.
The Charlotte Brody Mysteries are a nice mixture of history, mystery and just a little romance. I particularly enjoy the portrayal of the characters and setting. The social issues of the day have not changed very much in the ninety plus years since the era of the novel. Prejudice and discrimination are still with us, as well attempts to legislate morality and limit the rights of women. Despite the admitted failure of National Prohibition that Charlotte predicts in her editorial. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.
RATING- 3 Stars
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