Marc Jedel

Return to the humor, charm, and murders of Redwoods Country!

Whine and Dine is the second book in veteran author Marc Jedel’s excellent Redwoods Country Mystery series, and proves to be a fabulous follow-up to last year’s debut, Rivers and Creaks. While all Andy Shirley wants is peace, quiet, and a lot of alone time, his ownership of the Quilt House Inn requires a much more hands-on effort. Thankfully, he has Nadia, the housekeeper and chef, to handle the day-to-day, and Charlie, the show more plumber/electrician and daughter of his new friend, Police Chief Joann Blaylock, on speed-dial for the more complicated jobs he can’t handle himself. But when Charlie’s friend is suspected of murder, Andy reluctantly agrees to join forces with her to clear her friend’s name, in exchange for a hefty discount on some upcoming plumbing repairs, of course.

The story hits the ground running with a dramatic arrest on the porch of the inn and the discovery of the murder victim in the small, nearby town of Monte Rio, happening almost before the dust settles from the detective’s car leaving the inn’s parking lot. Andy, a retired copy editor with a penchant for puns, is a cranky, grumpy wannabe recluse, and his inner monologue and dialogue with literally everyone absolutely sparkle with wit. The pairs’ unofficial investigation is fun as they attempt to stay on Charlie’s mother’s good side while getting the job done. The secondary characters not only provide solid support but are also a quirky, colorful bunch, especially Nadia Radu. I was fortunate to be able to kick back and read the whole book in one delightful evening; the pages and time flew by.

I recommend WHINE AND DINE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who enjoyed the series kickoff and the author’s other series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. show less

Fun characters and an intriguing murder make this debut cozy mystery a winner!

River and Creaks is the first book in veteran author Marc Jedel’s new cozy mystery series, the Redwood Country Mysteries, and with its fun characters and intriguing murder, it’s a definite winner. Great characterizations, snappy dialogue, the protagonist’s entertaining inner monologue, and a mysterious death in the first chapter immediately hooked me.

Andy Shirley is a recent widower, novice innkeeper, and, of show more necessity, an amateur sleuth. He’s still well within the grip of grief over his wife’s sudden death the previous year, and the idea of purchasing and running a B&B was really her dream, not his. I felt he was torn by trying to make a go of her vision for their future or turning around and selling the inn without taking too much of a loss and completely withdrawing from life. (He says his plan is to become a recluse.) The death of a young guest is discovered within minutes of his taking possession of the place, and as the day progresses, things get even more complicated. He’s completely unprepared to manage his new business, although he does possess some skills in minor maintenance. However, even his planned maintenance activities hit snags at every turn, and I was reminded of the 1986 Tom Hanks film, The Money Pit, by the plethora of mishaps. His cantankerous attitude also hits a sour note with the local tradespeople, and he finds himself on the outs with a few of the locals.

The plot features more than one mystery, and Andy’s amateur sleuthing, as he tries to save his inn from a reputation as a place of death, uncovers key pieces of information. The story has a couple of twists that kept things interesting and me reading well into the night. But, even with my dedication, I still didn’t catch on to whodunnit until the reveal.

I recommend RIVERS AND CREAKS to cozy mystery readers looking for a great new series, especially those who enjoy humor and a clever plot.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. show less

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Andy Shirley is still adjusting to life without his beloved Catherine. Operating a B&B was something they were supposed to do together, with her handling the people side of the business, and him behind-the-scenes handling maintenance, hobbies, and staying out of her way. Her death left him to figure out how to live without her, honor her memory, and fulfill her dream.

Andy was visiting the Monte Rio Community Center to see about offering archery lessons when an aqua show more aerobics class ended with a dead busybody floating in the center’s pool. His friend, police chief Joann Blaylock, is a “stickler” about leaving police work to trained professionals, but soon Andy and Joann’s daughter, Charlie, sometimes with a cute assist by Fifi, Andy’s teacup poodle, are diving into the deep end to investigate May Zaben’s untimely demise.

Will Andy be able to point his arrow at the killer? Or will all his theories die a watery death? Will Charlie be the one to hit the bullseye? Will Joann throw the book at both of them for disobeying her orders?

I was happy to see that Andy is starting to feel more comfortable in Monte Rio and is a little less cantankerous. He is blessed to have Nadia do all she does to keep the B&B running smoothly. Handywoman, Charlie knows how to push his buttons to get a rise out of him. She makes a wonderful sleuthing partner. Police Chief Joann, Andy’s closest friend of his “own age,” has the patience of a saint to put up with Andy’s craziness. Andy’s son, Scott, comes for a visit, and everyone is excited to welcome him. Still, he is worried about his dad being there alone and investigating the murder, especially when he witnesses the lengths his dad goes to catch a criminal. Mr. Jedel has a talent for creating characters who are unique with interesting lives that are easy to get invested in. He also creates a quirky cast of supporting characters and suspects.

Andy is a competent amateur sleuth. He has “solved” 2 other murders. He makes keen observations and asks relevant questions. It sometimes takes him time to bring all the clues together. He is fortunate to have Charlie to remind him of things he may have forgotten or didn’t want to hear. He does need to work a bit on his Summation Gatherings, but they sure are interesting. I enjoyed that a minor mystery he was working on was totally different than what he had thought, but he was able to put that one to bed too, right at the last minute.

Sore Like an Eagle is an excellent addition to the Redwoods Country Mystery Series. It’s a light-hearted, funny, delightfully entertaining adventure with a curious protagonist trying to live life on his own terms, failing miserably but learning to enjoy it anyway. Each book can be read on its own, but I suggest reading them all, in order, for maximum enjoyment. A Perfect Escape! show less

When Andy Shirley retired from his job as a copy editor, he and his wife decided to buy a bed and breakfast but before they could take over, his wife died and now he has to manage the place alone. Right from the start, things just seem to get out of hand. The original owner takes off as soon as he gets there and the inn is full of guests preparing for a wedding. The inn needs repairs but Andy’s curmudgeonly ways turn away the repairman. And if that’s not bad enough, one of the wedding show more guests is murdered. When the police seem unable to solve it, Andy worries this could hamper his hopes of selling so he decides to do his own investigation. After all, he was a copy editor so what could go wrong, right?

Rivers and Creaks is the first book in the new Redwoods Country Mystery series by Marc Jedel and what an entertaining tale it is. The story is told by Andy and, despite being the very definition of curmudgeon, he is very likeable. There is also a nice thread of humour running through the story and Andy’s final uncovering of the murderer had me in stitches. And if that is not enough reason to read this book, Andy has a tiny dog named Fifi as a sidekick. Oh, and the mystery’s not too bad either. Overall, a very entertaining cozy mystery and I look forward to reading future books in the series.

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers show less