Description
Go back to small-town America during the Roaring Twenties and join Doro Banyon, college librarian and amateur sleuth, as she sets her sights on solving another murder and saving her hometown’s Christmas celebration.
As the fall semester ends, Doro Banyon’s hands are full as a professor, librarian, and volunteer. She looks forward to planning and celebrating her hometown’s annual Christmas festivities, but her enthusiasm is tested when the chairwoman’s dictatorial ways create dissension among the committee members. Dissension soon turns to malice, and threats fly among the matron and several others. When she is found dead, unsettling questions arise—and so do longstanding grudges. Who caused the woman’s fatal fall from a ladder? After the chairwoman’s handyman disappears, anxiety escalates among townsfolk. Doro and her best friend, Aggie, along with two local lawmen, investigate. Can they catch the killer in time to save the holiday celebration? Or will others fall victim to the perpetrator?
Emily Gawlak –
An utterly enjoyable, cozy mystery! Everything about this book is pure perfection. I love the fact that this book is set around Christmas and it encompasses the planning of the yearly Christmas celebration. One thing I really liked about this book is the fact that it takes place a few months after the previous book and the author shares a timeline update with the reader.
Throughout the series, I have fallen in love with the characters, Doro and Ev are excellent lead characters. Their ability to work together, building mutual respect, gives the storyline a well rounded aspect and provides additional insight into the characters. Aggie and Wade are excellent characters as well. I love how Wade and Ev work together seamlessly. there’s something about their mutual respect and trust for each other that makes their working together incredibly enjoyable to read about. Of course, Aggie and Doro being best friends brings such a positive aspect to the story, especially because they are always friends first, they’re always there for each other, and they each bring their own dynamics to the table that benefit each situation they face. Plus, Tee is always an important part of the storyline and an absolute treasure to read about.
This series reminds me of my favorite cozy mystery series, the Jax Diamond series, because it not only shows how the main characters work with each other, but also how they work with the other characters in the story. For instance, Doro and Aggie are often together, much like Wade and Ev; but you also see Doro and Wade or Wade and Aggie, etc. This add so much dimension to the story because it allows for the main focus to shift between characters, deepening character development and strengthening the overall storylines. Also, there’s never any distracting plots, differing points of view, or side plots that dead end. Everything is pertinent to the plot, main storyline, and holds your attention from the beginning to the very end. Leaving you guessing the bad guys, up until the moment they’re revealed.
The Doro Banyon series has quickly become one of my favorites and I’m highly addicted to it. So far, read two books in three days and about to start the next book. It’s literally an unputdownable cozy mystery!
Overall, I highly recommend The Murdered Matron, and the Doro Banyon series. It’s not everyday you find a series that is this good. Take this as your sign and start reading it today!
A big THANK YOU to D. S. Lang for sharing your AMAZING talent with us!
Happy reading! 📖