Mark de Castrique has created a wonderful protagonist in the guise of the 70+ year old owner of a boarding house for government employees on temporary assignments. As a former FBI agent, Ethel usually rents to agents from the FBI, CIA or the Secret Service who are on temporary assignment. Although she appears to be a short, frail old woman, when one of her boarders is shot in front of the house, Ethel springs into action. She photographs the crime scene, conceals evidence, and speed dials the director of the Secret Service. Her distant cousin Jesse, who is boarding while attending university, concludes there is more to cousin Ethel than he originally thought. When Jesse is attacked, Ethel is able to draw upon a widespread network of former colleagues to run her own investigation as she determines that these events are part of an inside job. I found characters engaging, especially Ethel, and this was a fun, fast-reading whodunit.
Library Journal offers this conclusion to their review: "Add another wise, experienced senior sleuth to a group that includes Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" series and even Miss Marple. De Castrique's ... quirky characters and offbeat twists will appeal to Osman's readers." And Kirkus praises, "A taut and crisply told thriller whose charmingly shady protagonist triumphs over a labyrinthine plot." Publishers Weekly calls this a "light and lively series launch" and goes on to say, "plucky Ethel is an elderly Nancy Drew: sure of herself and her convictions, and ready to bend a few rules to achieve her goal of seeing justice done."
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