Family Skeletons (Torie O'Shea Mysteries, No. 1)
If there was ever an American cozy, MacPherson's first book is it. Victory "Torie" O'Shea is a thirtysomething wife, mother, amateur genealogist, and museum docent living in Missouri. When local shopkeeper Norah Zumwalt asks Torie to research her family tree and a short time later ends up brutally murdered, Torie feels compelled to investigate the crime, despite warnings from the local sheriff to mind her own business. What she finds is a decades-old murder, a mysterious case of mistaken identity, and a bizarre love triangle. MacPherson's story has an appealing down-home style and offbeat charm, and Torie, a midwestern version of Kinsey Milhone, is smart, sassy, and full of Missouri spunk. There are a few rough places where MacPherson tries too hard to be funny or where the plot doesn't quite hang together, but overall, this is an entertaining effort from a promising new writer.Emily Melton--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.