Review of New Cozy Mystery: Death By Ice Cream, by Rebecca M. Douglass

I just finished a great read!

Death By Ice Cream is a cozy mystery set on Pimsawallops Island, one of the many picturesque islands that make up the Puget Sound in Washington State. I've always imagined life on the islands as peaceful and bucolic, being a mainlander from parts southward, myself. And come on, how dangerous can it be to volunteer at the Orcaville High PTA?

Well, think again.

Within moments of opening Death By Ice Cream, I encountered a murder at the PTA. From there, Douglass took me on a classic whodunit mystery with a good dose of humor and hilarity thrown in. The story is told from JJ's point of view, a brassy red head with a temper to boot, and we go along for the ride as she and her best friend Kitty, another PTA volunteer, try to solve the mystery. Douglass weaves in a romance with Orcaville's one Sheriff, complicated by her impending divorce from a distant and troublesome husband.

I really enjoyed Douglass' depiction of the close relationship between JJ and her only child, Brian, as well as her great friendship with Kitty. In fact, as the Yearbook deadline looms and the killer's identity is revealed, her son and best friend help save the day. By the time I finished the book, it was clear that I'd completely underestimated how dark and dangerous those islands can be.

Rebecca Douglass was raised on an Island in Puget Sound only a little bigger than Pismawallops. She now lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area, and can be found on-line at www.ninjalibrarian.com and on Facebook as The Ninja Librarian. Her books include the tall tales for all ages, The Ninja Librarian and Return to Skunk Corners.

p.s. I have a confession to make: Rebecca is my friend and fellow writer since our lives in grad school. Just as hilarious in person as the narrators in her stories, she's shared with me the slings and arrows of the writing process over the years. I had the pleasure of editing her NL books and the early version of Death By Ice Cream. Her public, published gift to the world was a joy to read.

Rebecca's Blog: http://ninjalibrarian.com