Murder on the Rocks (Mack's Bar Mysteries, #1)

by Allyson K Abbott

[MurderByDeath]

4.5 stars. Excellent start to a series that could be a lot of fun. That half star? Only because I'm not a huge fan of the bar setting - it brings to mind that nasty, dingy atmosphere that smells like beer, smoke, and the sickly sweet smell of drunks. Blech.

BUT, one can see the potential in such a setting and Ms. Abbott does an excellent job building her little world-within-the-bar with likeable, engaging characters. And I genuinely love the twist of Mack's neurological condition: synesthesia, the condition where the afflicted's senses are cross-wired so they can taste sounds, or see smells, for instance. It's rare to stumble across a new idea in cozy mysteries, and this is definitely a new idea - I can't wait to see what the author is going to do with this in future books.

The plot combined the un-solved case of her father's murder with the more recent dead body Mack finds behind the bar. I love how it ended and that's all I can say without giving anything away. (show spoiler)[The tie-in with Capone legends was great fun!] (hide spoiler) I must admit I had it down to two suspects and the one I favoured was the killer at the end, but honestly, guessing right did not diminish this book for me one little bit. I did not want to put this book down until it was done, and then I wanted to read more.

An engaging, fast-paced, well-written book that wasn't ever bogged down by internal dialogue rambles, "let's make a list of the suspects" or any of those other filler-devices so many author's use lately. I found it a genuine joy to read and I'll be eagerly awaiting the second book.