This Old Murder

The Josie Pigeon series is a refreshing addition to the amateur-detective mystery genre. Josie, owner of an all-women remodelling crew, is an independent woman in an industry where that is rare. She is also intelligent, a good mother, and an interesting woman with many layers. Why is it that Josie has no contact with her family? What is her connection with the famous and perfect TV personality Courtney Castle? The reader will be wondering about these questions as much as she will wonder who killed the person Josie's crew finds in a house they are working on. "This Old Murder" has many intriguing mysteries, keeping the reader wondering right until the end!

I read this book on vaction and loved it. We learn more about Josie's past (fascinating) and see her in a more fleshed out role as mother. As usual, the other characters in the book were lively, colorful and fun to be with. The victim is someone we all love to hate, which makes the book all that much more enjoyable. The story involves media coverage of a remodel a la "this old house." The woman who is the star of the program (the victim) is someone who has known Josie in the past. When she turns up dead, there are no shortage of suspects, but the biggest mystery is her relationship with Josie. A great "curl up and forget the world for awhile" book.

I read this book at the shore, and it was the perfect complement to sand, sea, and sun. Josie Pigeon and her eclectic crew have to cope with a PBS crew filming Island Contracting's most recent remodel. As usual, Josie's group of women workers have their secrets, some of which might make them suspects when the high-powered murder victim is found. Josie's son is home for summer break, getting into the kinds of trouble even the best teenagers manage to find. Our favorite island characters are there--Sam, Josie's Italian landlady, and even the small-brained police chief and his son. This book is like a visit to a favorite vacation spot--intriguing, amusing, and hard to relinquish once it's done.

Josie Pigeon is the owner of Island Contracting. The small independent company employs people, usually women, who deserve to have a chance at making a better life for themselves. Josie is reasonably successful and gets along with all the members of her crew. Like all small contractors, she knows the value of good publicity. When the producer of Courtney's Castle, a PBS home improvement show, calls Josie and asks to feature her and her crew on the show working on a project, she reluctantly agrees. When the crew of Courtney's Castle shows up, Josie is shocked to learn that the show's hostess is a woman she grew up with, and their relationship was one of mutual dislike.Both women act as if they don't know each other but that state of affairs does not last long because Courtney disappears. Shortly afterward, Josie and her crew find her body in the house they are remodeling. None of the women want to report the murder because they all have something to hide. When they finally reach a consensus, the body disappears. Josie hopes to figure out the identity of the killer, especially since she has had practice on other cases, before she or one of her crew is charged with murder.Valerie Wolzien has mastered the art of creating an action-packed, droll amateur sleuth cozy. The characters are charmers especially Susan Henshaw,s son, who makes a brief but important appearance. THIS OLD MURDER is a mystery that is fun to read, and fans of this know that by the storys end, they will be feeling good.Harriet Klausner