Title: Murder on Memory Lake
Author: J.D. Griffo
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: July 31, 2018
Page Count: 304
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
For Alberta Scaglione, her golden years are turning out much more differently than she expected—and much more deadly . . .
Alberta Scaglione’ s spinster aunt had some secrets—like the fortune she squirreled away and a secret lake house in Tranquility, New Jersey. More surprising: she’s left it all to Alberta. Alberta, a widow, is no spring chicken and she’s gotten used to disappointment. So having a beautiful view, surrounded by hydrangeas, honeysuckle, and her cat, Lola, sounds blissful after years of yelling and bickering and cooking countless lasagnas.
But Tranquility isn’t as peaceful as it sounds. There’s a body in the water—and it belongs to Alberta’s childhood nemesis. Alberta suspects foul play and when Alberta’s estranged granddaughter, an aspiring crime reporter, shows up, it only makes sense for them to team up and investigate . . .
Includes Italian recipes from Alberta’s kitchen!
Murder on Memory Lake by J.D. Griffo is the first book of the new cozy Ferrara Family Mystery series. And what a creative beginning to a cozy mystery this was with the sleuthing actually becoming a family affair.
Alberta Scaglione is a sixty something widow who couldn’t believe the news she received that her aunt had left everything in her will to Alberta including her house on Memory Lake in Tranquility, New Jersey. Her aunt had been a spinster and sort of the black sheep of the family but being in a big Italian family Alberta didn’t expect to be singled out.
Moving to the house on Memory Lake Alberta expected to have a nice peaceful place to retire but what she didn’t expect was to walk out and see a body floating in the lake. Just as the local law arrives so does Alberta’s granddaughter, Jinx. Jinx is a reporter and when Alberta insists there was a murder and the police are reluctant to believe her Jinx suggests they make crime solving a family affair.
Murder on Memory Lake is a cozy mystery but it’s almost as if it’s combined with a contemporary about a crazy Italian family. Not only did we have Alberta and her granddaughter but Alberta’s sister Helen and sister in law Joyce so believe me this group could have some crazy moments together. There probably could have been some more sleuthing going on to really tighten up the mystery side but what the heck, I liked the characters so I’m still going four stars on this one.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Find this book online:
Goodreads / Amazon
About the author:
J. D. Griffo is an award-winning writer and a graduate of New York University. He has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has written several screenplays.
Categories: Uncategorized
Nice review Carrie. I love crazy Italian families!😁
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Thanks! 🙂
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Wonderful review, Carrie! This sounds like fun! Glad you enjoyed the characters!
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Thanks Jennifer! Certainly different to have everyone involved the way it was. 🙂
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Nice review Carrie. I’m so glad you’ve come across the beginning to what sounds like another promising cozy series.☺️
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Definitely different so far with involving more than one person really “investigating” in the book. Will be interesting to see how it does from here on out. 🙂
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Cool cover – a genre crosser! lol
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It was definitely a fun one. 🙂
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Love the crazy Italian family comparison. Wonderful review about a new series. I was not sure if I wanted to start another series, so held off on this one, but, here goes. Click.
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Haha sorry Carla! I came real close to passing this one by myself but I just couldn’t resist trying the first one. Always have this fear it will be the next I’ll fall absolutely in love with.
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I shall see. With my daughter-in-law being from a big Italian family, I am sure I will love it.
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