Review: Mystery, Ink. Mystery Heir by Staci Troilo

 
Published: July 2013, 190 pages
My Rating: ****--4 Stars
Blurb: Some towns aren’t meant to have their curses broken. Naomi and Penelope, the Dotson twins, don’t believe in curses, particularly when they involve entire towns rather than individuals, but apparently most of the residents of Centerville feel otherwise. The latest in a string of what the twins call horrific coincidences is the murder of Joe Harbaugh, town councilman and business paragon. On the heels of his death, a series of break-ins at local establishments occur. The police narrow down their suspect list to one of Harbaugh’s terminated employees, but the sisters aren’t convinced. Together, Naomi and Penelope start their own investigation and get tangled up in a web of lies, kidnapping, and attempted murder. Can the Dotson twins solve the mystery before someone else gets hurt?
 
My Review: I always enjoy a mystery where the one solving it isn't a professional. In this case, there were two solvers--twins. Penelope and Naomi were so much fun! They were always jumping in where they weren't wanted and sneaking around to follow a hunch--even when they were threatened with (or actually) put under arrest. The way they came about to their conclusions was great. They rationalized, pondered on things, jumped to conclusions at times, and found themselves in the wrong places at the wrong times.

I'm not the type of person who likes to get into trouble. I try to avoid situations that could cause misunderstandings and...trouble, yet these two were like magnets to hard times. Over and over again, there they were right in the midst of problems. It made me laugh and was very entertaining. I always felt so sad that they never got to enjoy that food they kept on ordering before having to rush off to chase a clue.

I also enjoy a mystery that isn't obvious. I thought the author did a terrific job with it. I was guessing and thinking about who it could be right up until the end. There were a lot of suspects and even when they were eliminated as suspects, I kept right on suspecting. I wish the cover would have been done a little differently--to represent the story better--but that aside, I really enjoyed it.

Content: some language. Clean--not graphic.

About the Author:


Staci Troilo grew up in Western Pennsylvania writing stories in her free time, so it was no surprise that she studied writing in college. After earning creative and professional writing degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, she went on to get her Master's Degree in Professional Writing and worked in corporate communications until she had her children. She later became a writing professor, and now she is a freelance writer and associate editor living in Arkansas with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.

Her fiction combines dark, dangerous heroes and strong, capable heroines woven together into a contemporary tapestry of tantalizing romance. Compelling villains and gripping mysteries engage the reader from page one of her novels and her short stories feature ordinary characters conquering the odds in extraordinary situations.