I love a good murder mystery, especially when they are written in the cozy mystery style, such as the famous Agatha Christie mysteries. Hounded by E.J. Cochrane seemed to be exactly the type of mystery I was looking for. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the book.
The premise of the story is actually really good. Matilda (Maddie) Smithwick is whisked off to a remote island off the coast of Maine by her best friend Dottie for a weekend birthday party that Dottie is giving herself. It sounds like a relaxing weekend until one of the guests is found murdered. Then the island’s remoteness becomes a problem since there is no cell phone coverage, no internet, and with a coming storm, no way off the island for Maddie, Dottie and her other guests. As the body count rises, Maddie is “volunteered” to find the killer, hopefully before they are all murdered.
The remote island was a great setting for the tale and well-described. I can easily visualize this setting from the author’s words.
My problem with the novel mostly involved the interactions between the characters and the overly flippant dialogue. I think that was the biggest problem I had with the story. It kept me from seeing much of a connection between the characters, even Maddie’s best friend Dottie.
Hounded is the third book in the ‘Matilda Smithwick Mystery Series’, but it can easily be read as a standalone novel. While I had a few problems with the tale, those of you who love this type of mystery might enjoy the story. I’m giving the book three and a half stars. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 