annieb123
Written on Feb 27, 2021
A Deadly Discovery is the fourth Allie Cobb mystery by J.C. Kenney. Released 19th Jan 2021, it's 218 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
Although it's the fourth book in the series, this small-town cozy works perfectly well as a standalone. The author is adept at providing necessary backstory without spoon feeding or info dumping all over readers. The characterizations in general are three dimensional and believable with a protagonist who's a literary agent and a delight. The action moves along at a fast pace and never drags or meanders (a definite danger with cozies). There are some slightly rough spots with the dialogue in a couple of places, but it never detracted or yanked me out of the story. I liked the information the author provided about the publishing industry and marketing; I found it interesting.
The plot resolution was a little more linear than I'm used to, but all in all the denouement was satisfying and well written. The language is squeaky clean and there's no on-page blood or gore. I recommend it to fans of small-town cozies with amateur sleuths (plus cat). It's a quick and satisfying read. I enjoyed it enough that I intend to go find the previous books in the series.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
