Dead and Gondola

I wanted a wintry mystery and this was exactly that! The snow in Last Word Colorado and the closed road makes for a good closed circle mystery. So Ellie and Meg have lots of investigating to do to solve the murder, find the missing book, and find their missing colleague. There are plenty of suspects and I guessed wrong more than once. When the murder is solved, I was so glad with how it turned out. It confirmed some of the weirdness I had been feeling, so even though I guessed wrong, I still felt vindicated.
There are so many great characters in Last Word that I can't wait to visit again.

This was a true cozy mystery with its setting, characters, the sleuthing... And a great mystery to solve to boot! I quite enjoyed reading this book. It's a perfect read to cozy up under a blanket thanks to its snowy setting.

More like 3 and 1/2 stars.
Favorite bit: “I pictured those signs in factories: no accidents in X number of days. We could get one. NO BOOKSHOP BREAK-INS: 0 DAYS. NO WITNESSING OF MURDERS: 1 day.”

What I LOVED: the setting, the bookshop, Agatha, the gondolas, the idea of the family dynamic.

Honestly, I would read another book in this series. The things that annoyed me about this one might iron themselves out as the writer grows as a storyteller. I think a strong editor would have made a world of difference here. We have some very choppy, fragmented writing. The first paragraph on pg 71 is a perfect example. Ellie is also a problem. At 33 she seems to have no sense of personhood. She defers to her sister constantly, she's going into the family business (which is fine) with zero ideas of how to make the shop her own as anything except a hideaway, and she's like the shell of a person. That said, Meg and Rosie are also missing personalities and unique qualities. Mrs. Ridge is better formed.
Also, there are a TON of characters. I'm so glad I didn't attempt this in audio format. There are a lot of people to meet and to keep straight. This is neither a complaint or a compliment, just an observation. There is also a highly annoying celebrity book influencer in town. It's very clear which real life “influencer” the author is indicating (if you are unsure, the clue on pg 227 is a nod to someone's behavior when she was pulled over for drunk driving).
That said, I'd return to this series.