DEAD EVEN
A Mattie Winston Mystery # 12
Annelise Ryan
Kensington Books
March 30, 2021
Death Examiner Mattie Winston is looking for a quiet weekend off with her husband, Detective Steve Hurley, and their small son, Matthew. However, people are dropping like flies in Sorenson, WI, and the surrounding area. Most of the deaths are not suspicious, but the sheer number stresses the small police department. Mattie and Hurley are called to an upscale neighborhood, where they find Montgomery, "Monty"
Dixon, impaled upon a pool cue. The much younger wife, Summer, is the first suspect. Summer is hardly a distraught widow, especially when she finds that her realtor husband is flat broke rather than being well-off. Then, Monty's son, Sawyer, is saddled with large gambling debts to some very unsavory people. To round up the suspect pool, Monty's twin brother is a shady businessman with financial troubles of his own.
As they are deeply involved in the case a domestic difficulty ratchets up to a real friction point between Hurley and Mattie. Juggling a busy work life, trying to manage her son and household chores is getting to be a problem for Mattie, despite help from family and friends. They are interviewing candidates for a part-time housekeeper but Hurley is resistant to having a stranger in the house. The parade of possible employees provides the humor that this series is known for. Hurley and Mattie manage to solve the case without blowing up either their house or their marriage.
I can hardly believe that this is the twelfth book in this series. All the characters, supporting and main, have evolved naturally, and keep the series fresh. I enjoy the wealth of forensic detail included in each book. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 4 Stars
