New Lease on Death

Kirkus Reviews said New Lease on Death is: “a welcome addition to the Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries series, developing the narrative arcs for established characters while seamlessly introducing new ones…An engaging mystery.”

Jolie always has her hands full appraising houses, running the food pantry, and enjoying her family. Enter Buck Brock — an annoying landlord who likes to skimp on amenities and wants Jolie to lowball appraisals on properties he’s buying. He makes Lester look like a mild-mannered uncle.

She and Scoobie also decide to let a troubled Iraq War vet back into their lives, and Jolie finds him work cleaning units for Buck. Or will Josh’s presence end up helping her family — especially Scoobie?

Jolie’s in the Java Jolt Coffee Shop when Buck’s weekend tenant (a friend of Jolie’s sister) collapses. No one expects her to die so quickly. It’s hard to identify suspects, but Josh pops up on the police radar. Or could some evil person have put poison in a Java Jolt product just to cause trouble?

Jolie, Scoobie, and friends are pondering this when an annoyed Buck asks Jolie to meet him at a house she just appraised. She’s peeved, but he’s a steady client. What she finds in the foyer does not encourage tourist traffic in Ocean Alley.

As a mom of four-year-old twins, Jolie doesn’t jump into crime solving casually. But figuring out two murders may be a leap she has to take.

It is always enjoyable to go back to Ocean Alley and catch up with Jolie, Scoobie, their family and friends. A really fun read with a great mystery to solve.

Amazon Review

Watching Jolie and George as well as Det. Morehouse pull pieces of the puzzle together is fun, but the best part of the book is spending time with characters that I came to love in the very first book.

Goodreads Review