Dead & Buried by Leighann Dobbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3 stars to Leighann Dobbs‘s Dead & Buried, the second in the Blackmoore Sisters Mystery series. Another short and quick read with bits of humor, romance, “magic” and fun!
This was the third short mystery I’ve read by the author and am noticing the trend… as she publishes multiple stories each year, her books tend to be shorter than a full length novel. They also tend to have less complex plots with very few suspects. It’s almost as if you’re setup from the beginning to know who the killer is but your goal is to figure out why.
Story
A dead man shows up on the Blackmoore sisters property. The sheriff who has it out for the sisters picks one of them to arrest based off a potential clue. The sisters band together to determine if it’s truly a case of pirates seeking ancient treasure buried on their property. With the help of some new and old friends, they solve the puzzle and find some of the treasure once again obtaining a way to pay the taxes on the land they inherited from their deceased parents.
Strengths
The sisters are a quirky bunch that will make you smile. The cast of supporting characters provides humor and a fun backdrop to the story. The mystery behind the Blackmoore family gets more puzzling with each book in the series.
Weaknesses
The plot is very simple. The murderer isn’t really ever called out behind the “team” they worked for. It’s not like a traditional cozy where you have varied suspects who live in or around the town and interact with the village folk. If you’re looking to cut your teeth on a bone of a mystery, this isn’t ideal for you.
Final Thoughts
Given the length and frequency of the novels, they deliver a charming environment you’d love to be part of, but with the mystery lacking any real depth or complexity, you won’t find yourself embroiled in a challenging plot.