Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Something Deadly on Desert Drive by Kris Bock

Posted August 3, 2022 by meezcarrie in contemporary, cozy mystery, giveaway, Kris Bock, mystery/suspense / 12 Comments

SOMETHING DEADLY ON DESERT DRIVE by Kris Bock
SERIES: The Accidental Detective #2
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Tule Publishing
RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2022
PAGES: 209

Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…
Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?
Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

Other Books In This Series

One of the things I enjoyed so much about book one in the Accidental Detective series was how it stayed true to the cozy mystery formula while also being unique in several ways. The protagonist, Kate, doesn’t own a gift shop or a bakery or a B&B; instead she is an injured 50-year-old war correspondent who has moved back home with her parents (dad at the family home, mom in an assisted living facility with Alzheimer’s) to recover. Add in a former flame (who is now the town’s mayor), Kate’s estranged-relationship-turned-wary-truce with her sister Jen, and her dad’s gaggle of fellow senior citizen men who self-draft themselves into a gang of supporting investigators and call themselves the Coffee Shop Irregulars – and you’ve got a delightful mix of characters and relational dynamics!

The plot of Something Deadly on Desert Drive is as unique as book one, and it starts with Kate & crew kidnapping a close friend of the Coffee Shop Irregulars. Yes, you read that right, and it’s just as entertaining as it sounds. Think of all the ‘funny old guys’ you know from classic variety shows – Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Dick Van Dyke, etc. – and picture them organizing a way to sneak their friend out from under the nose of his possibly-evil-intentioned & much younger wife to get him to a doctor. Watching Kate try to wrangle them all, endure the groan-worthy dad jokes (from everyone but her dad lol), and attempt to temper her sister’s newfound enthusiasm for investigating is highly grin-inducing, too. The related murder mystery has several different layers that this quirky group unearths (they’re actually much better investigators than they first appear to be haha) and a bonus case to help hunky mayor Todd fills in any down time. Which is bad for poor Kate’s still-healing leg but great for readers!

Bottom Line: I am delighted to report that I enjoyed Something Deadly on Desert Drive just as much as I did its predecessor. I really like Kate and the Coffee Shop Irregulars as individual characters and their group dynamic, and I enjoyed having her sister help with the investigating this time around, too. The mystery was unique and well-written – and it kept me guessing between a couple of different suspects, even though I also equally doubted it was either of them. This book and series are the whole package when it comes to a cozy mystery – interesting plots, eclectic characters and good clean fun!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

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Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris is also writing a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers