Peggy Darty's When Zeffie Got a Clue ~ Reviewed

WHEN ZEFFIE GOT A CLUE

By Peggy Darty

Published by: Waterbrook Press

ISBN#978-1-4000-7333-7

Back Cover:

It’s an ordinary afternoon in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide-eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Clutching a jewelry box, Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs money to pay her grandmother’s medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth – or so she thinks.

But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box’s lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite caution from her family and handsome boyfriend Dan Brockman. Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother’s farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Stirckland plantation and ask around about it?

Soon Christy finds there is more to the small box than someone wants her to know. A jewelry theft. A mansion murder. Dangerous family secrets buried in history. Can Christy convince other to let go of the past before it’s too late?

Review:

This is my first cozy mystery to read by Peggy Darty and I’m sure it won’t be my last. The author says “The cozy mystery is, by far, my favorite, because this genre allows the reader to participate in solving the mystery.” I did like that about reading this book. I really liked the town in Florida called Summer Breeze. It’s a place you definitely want to stay for a while. Zeffie is the most adorable little girl that everyone falls in love with and wants to take home. She meets the main character Christy at her store called “I Saw It First Shop”. Don’t you just love that name? I also like what there store does. Christy explains to Zeffie “What we like to do here is rework something that’s lost its purpose and make it pretty again.” I think every town needs one of these shops. I know God allows us to be re-worked once we’ve lost our purpose. All things are made new once we give our lives to him. I liked her analogy.

Zeffie hands Christy a clue that reopens a case from years ago. This case was personal for Christy. The man that was murdered saved her life. With this new clue she is determined to track down the killer if it’s the last thing she does. You will love this town and the Characters as well. This is the third book in Peggy Darty’s cozy mystery series. Reading this book makes me want to go back and read the rest.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

Bonus Review:

Once again Peggy Darty teases her reader to those delightful offshore breezes on the Florida coast. The town of Summer Breeze is almost another character in this third of the Murder and Mayhem on the Florida Coast series. It's filled with mystery, romance and more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

When Zeffie Got a Clue is heartwarming and fun, a page turner to be sure. Darty has done it again, and I can't wait to see where she takes us next. If you're a lover of cozy mysteries, you need to get When Zeffie Got a Clue. I give it a high recommendation.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan