Short-Circuited in Charlotte is the second book in a small-town cozy mystery series by Amy Patricia Meade. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release out 2nd Nov 2021 is 181 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a fun cozy featuring a married couple who have moved to the country in Vermont to get away from big city life. Husband Nick is a Forestry Service officer who is invited to speak at an environment & technology event where murder soon makes an appearance. Stella (Nick's wife) is along for the seminars and the two are soon trying to unravel who, what, where, and why.
The pool of suspects is small, and although the denouement and resolution are fairly easy to guess beforehand, they're well written and satisfying. It works perfectly well as a standalone. The language is clean, and there's no graphic violence or sexual content. This would be a good choice for lovers of light cozies, the kind with whimsically eccentric characters, a town diner, and rural countryside.
I found the plotting and development slow and the secondary characters somewhat two dimensional. That being said, however, the author is adept at writing and much of the descriptive prose is well done and engaging.
Three and a half stars. This will appeal to cozy readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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