Cuckoo Clock Caper: A Josephine Stuart Mystery

by Joyce Oroz

Description

An explosion in the middle of the night plummets local muralist Josephine Stuart out of bed and down the street to determine which of her neighbors’ homes in sleepy Aromas, California, has been destroyed. When she discovers fire trucks and police vehicles surrounding the Hooley home, she fears that the elderly brother/sister residents have both been killed in the blast. That is, until the next morning when she discovers ninety-year-old Emmett Hooley asleep on her couch. Turns out, Emmett show more wasn’t at home when his house was blown to bits, he was in a secluded shack behind it where he built cuckoo clocks. The old man is disoriented, weak, and worried his sister Hilda is dead, so Josephine takes him under her wing. Slowly and patiently, Jo tries to find out what happened––to the Hooley house and to Emmett’s sister. When the police confirm Hilda’s demise and report evidence of arson, Jo and Emmett compile a list of possible suspects among Emmett’s friends and relatives, many of whom apparently have a strong motive for murder as Emmett is extremely wealthy. When Jo follows Emmett to a cuckoo clock convention, their adventures take a dangerous turn, and Jo’s attempts to find Hilda’s killer put both her and Emmett in grave danger. show less

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MaryAnn12 930 reviews

I was blown away by this novel. It is hard to believe that this is the second book this author has written. It has obviously been well polished and well edited. The empathetic portrayal of both the town and the characters won me over. The various descriptions of the characters are unique and well rounded not the same old tall/short, brown/blond type of narrative you see in lots of books.

Once I started this book I had a hard time putting it down. It had many twists and turns and every time one thought they knew who the murderer could be, it wasn't. It was interesting and fun to read and I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoys mysteries. Everything about this story is well plotted: from the great characters to the murder. show more I'm sure Joyce Oroz left enough clues for the reader to solve the mystery, but this seasoned mystery reader never managed to piece it together. I like when I'm kept guessing, and I was definitely kept guessing right till the end. show less

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