Book 110, 2023

[chez_jae]

Digging Up Murder by Penny Brooke

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I used my day afternoon off wisely and finished a Halloween-themed ebook, Digging Up Murder by Penny Brooke. It's the first in the "Garden Cove Library" series of cozy mysteries. Narrative is first-person pov of the main character, Eliza "Elly" Hockette.

After her dastardly fiance cleans out her bank account and skives off, Elly returns home to Garden Cove, just in time to help her grandmother get the town's historic library ready for the annual Halloween festival. In between assisting at the library, Elly is hunting for a place to rent, reconnecting with friends (and some foes), and diving into the work that needs to be done in her grandmother's garden. When Elly unearths a human hand, the police arrest her grandmother on suspicion of murder. Elly refuses to sit idly by while her beloved grams sits in the local jail. With the help of old friends and some curious pets, she launches her own investigation. Elly knows she's closing in on the truth when her own safety is jeopardized. However, Hockette women are tough, and Elly isn't about to back down.

This was a pleasant read, but there wasn't much to set it apart from other cozy mysteries. I liked Elly, and other characters were portrayed well. I would have liked more back story, and the villain was rather easy to guess. What really got my hackles up was the fact that the police arrested Elly's grandmother mere hours after the discovery of the hand. First of all, they had no idea who the victim was. Second, what evidence they found was circumstantial. We all watch enough TV/read enough books to know that motive, method, and opportunity are paramount when building a case against a murderer. The police in this one had none of those to pin on Marie. I could see them bringing her in for questioning, but an arrest? No.

Favorite line: Maybe coming back home wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe it was just what she needed.

An enjoyable story; however, its cookie cutter similarity to standard cozies means it doesn't earn more than an average score.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? Yes, she works in a library.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) No, huzzah!
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she finds/adopts a kitten.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No, Claire is levelheaded
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? No, huzzah!
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, she's absent
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Yes, her grandmother
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes