All Things Murder by Jeanne Quigley - Review

I received this book free from the author. All opinions are my own

Book details

Series: Veronica Walsh Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Paperback: 411 pages

Publisher: Wheeler Publishing 

ISBN-13: 978-1410471208

Book description

Emmy-winning actress Veronica Walsh is accustomed to role-playing. Over her thirty-two year career on the soap opera Days and Nights, her character has been a businesswoman, wife (multiple times), mother, prison inmate and fugitive. None of that prepared Veronica for the role of real-life sleuth.

When Veronica cannot land a new part after the soap's cancellation, she returns to her Adirondack hometown for what she hopes is a temporary visit. No sooner does she arrive than Veronica finds herself in a swirl of turmoil, with her neighbor at the center. In the span of a few hours, powerful businesswoman Anna Langdon extends an invitation to Veronica to discuss a business proposal, ends a short romance with Veronica’s high school beau, threatens to evict one of her retail tenants and thwarts a deal to build a mall on local farmland. Veronica receives an unexpected welcome-home present when she finds Anna's body the next morning, the cast-iron skillet used to kill her lying at her feet. Soon Veronica is chasing leads with the help of friend Mark Burke and her former co-star Alex Shelby.

Twists straight from a soap script, including two leading men vying for her attention, entangle Veronica as she gathers clues. Will Veronica solve the case, or will the killer be as elusive as an acting job? And will she play the heroine or the damsel in distress?

Meet the author - Jeanne Quigley

Jeanne Quigley grew up reading mysteries, watching soap operas, and vacationing in the Adirondacks, never imagining these pleasures would be the foundation of her debut novel. Her love of characters-real and fictional-led her to study Sociology and English at the University of Notre Dame. Jeanne has never been a soap star, but she has worked in the music industry and for an education publisher. She lives in Rockland County, New York.

My thoughts

This was a fun start to a new to me series. I really liked Veronica from the beginning. She was a believable character who fun to get to know. Not to mention her age as a breath of fresh air since most lead characters are not middle aged. The setting for the book was also nice and a place I would like to visit. I liked that the author gave me a few twists so that I did not figure out the killer until the end of the book. There was also a touch of romance in the book for more added enjoyment. All the makings of a good book - great character, nice setting, keeps you guessing, mystery and romance. Glad I was able to read this book.