When Zeffie Got a Clue: A Cozy Mystery

Mystery writer and amateur sleuth Christy Castleman has managed to come across another unsolved case in her small Florida town. This time, the clue comes in the form of a letter from the jewelry box of a young girl named Zeffie. This letter reopens an unsolved murder that took place over eight years ago. The killer was never found. With the new info that Christy has, she sets out to find the murderer before they realize she's looking for them. Peggy Darty has become one of my favorite cozy authors to read. She also has a tight storyline with engaging characters and a mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. This latest addition featuring the gang from Summer Breeze did not disappoint. The mystery was really good because once again, the reader is kept guessing as to who the killer really was. This story was like a cold case being reopened years later. Therefore there are many suspects, including several who I myself guessed wrong. Zeffie was a cute character and I liked her. She wasn't annoying like a lot of bright little kids are normally portrayed in books. My absolute favorite part of reading this story was when Christy would visit the barbecue place. I envied her so much for the huge platters of ribs and sweet tea that she would get. I would get hungry every time it was mentioned. If I could get sucked into the story, I would definitely be tagging along with her when she ate there. I was geeked to read about Christy and Dan getting back together. I missed him in the 2nd book and it was good to see that he was able to keep up with her sleuthing habits in this one. These stories are perfect for those who love mystery but hate gritty suspense. It's perfect for a read on a lazy summer day. I do hope there will be more books featuring Christy and the residents of Summer Breeze. I will be anxious to make another trip down there.

Faith fiction fans of the cozy mystery genre who have enjoyed Peggy Darty's "A Cozy Mystery" series will find the third installment, WHEN ZEFFIE GOT A CLUE, chugs along in the same gentle vein as its predecessors. In the first book, WHEN THE SANDPIPER CALLS, Darty introduced amateur sleuth and author Christy Castleman, a young single woman living a stone's throw from her parents in her Florida panhandle hometown of Summer Breeze, Florida. If you haven't read SANDPIPER and WHEN BOBBIE SANG THE BLUES, stop reading here. You'll enjoy the storyline of ZEFFIE more by reading the series in order. This latest episode has a sweeter-than-sugar beginning. In WHEN BOBBIE SANG THE BLUES, Christy's Aunt Bobby Bodine was opening a new shop, I Saw It First, a "trash-to-treasures" sort of establishment where Bobby bought old items and made them interesting and saleable. As the new story opens, it's almost Christmas. Christy is staffing the shop when Zeffie Adams, a young elementary-aged waif shows up with cheap jewelry box to sell. As Christy gently probes the girl for an explanation, she discovers the box once belonged to Zeffie's deceased mother. Zeffie, who now lives with her grandmother, is selling it to help pay for her grandmother's medical bills. Christy generously pays Zeffie more than the box is worth and makes it her mission to ensure Zeffie is taken under the wing of numerous people in the small town of Summer Breeze. Heartstrings, prepare to be tugged! In a bit of a credibility stretch, Christy discovers a piece of paper under the lining of the jewelry box that holds a clue to a long-ago unsolved murder --- coincidently, the murder of one of Christy's long-ago friends, Kirby Strickland, who had once saved her from drowning. The plotline follows Christy as she tried to solve the murder. Christy also continues her romance with Dan Brockman, her on-again, off-again boyfriend --- and this time, it looks like a proposal might be in the offing. Darty does a good job leaving the identity of the killer in question right up until the closing pages. Is it R.J. Wentworth, the owner of a Florida marina, who married Kirby's girlfriend, Julie Clark, after Kirby died? What about Vince Brown and his wife, Ellen, Kirby's sister, who inherited the business and palatial house after Kirby's death? Another suspect, Wayne Crocker, is a ladies man with conquests up and down the coast and a successful boat broker with past ties to Kirby. Della, a housekeeper who quit soon after the murder and Rueben Foster, an alcoholic painter employed by the victim's family, also leave question marks in Christy's mind. The faith themes are strong. As Christy, a pastor's daughter, gazes on a crystal angel figurine in her bedroom, she prays, "God, please help us bring this murderer to justice." Overdescription can slow things down ("Sunlight bounced off the girl's long blond hair, forming a gauzy halo that lit her face and exaggerated the wisdom and sorrow in her green eyes.") The di

This is my first cozy mystery to read by Peggy Darty and I'm sure it won't be my last. The author says "The cozy mystery is, by far, my favorite, because this genre allows the reader to participate in solving the mystery." I did like that about reading this book. I really liked the town in Florida called Summer Breeze. It's a place you definitely want to stay for a while. Zeffie is the most adorable little girl that everyone falls in love with and wants to take home. She meets the main character Christy at her store called "I Saw It First Shop" don't you just love that name? I also like what there store does. Christy explains to Zeffie "What we like to do here is rework something that's lost its purpose and make it pretty again." I think every town needs one of these shops; I think God allows us to be re-worked once we have been lost our purpose as well. This cozy mystery reminded me of a good Nancy Drew mystery. Zeffie hands Christy a clue that reopens a case from years ago. This case was personal for Christy. The man that was murdered saved her life. With the clue she is determined to track down this killer if that is the last thing she does. You will love this town and the Characters as well. It really makes me want to read the other books in this series. Nora St.Laurent www.psalm516.blogspot.com

When Zeffie Got a Clue by Peggy Darty is the third book in the Cozy Mystery series starring Christy Castleman. When little Zeffie comes into Christy's second hand store with a jewelry box, Christy buys the box in sympathy for the girl's sick grandmother. But hidden in the lining of the box is evidence from a murder eight years old. Christy dives right in to solve the cold case with help from her Aunt Bobbie and boyfriend Dan. I read a lot of these mysteries, but Christy stands out as a fun, strong character. While she does tend to run off putting herself in danger, she is far more careful than most heroines, and her relationship with Dan and her family is solid. Christy's faith really defines who she is. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next entry.

When Zeffie Got A Clue, don't you just love the title? I did and that's what made me pick up book three of Peggy Darty's Cozy Mystery series, where we find mystery writer Christy Castleman at work along side her somewhat eccentric aunt, Bobbi Bodine in the I Saw It First Junk Shop. As the story opens, eight-year-old Zeffie Adams brings into the shop an old jewelry box she received from her mother. Zeffie is hoping to receive enough money from the sale of the box to help pay for her grandmother's many medical bills. Taken by the young child's vulnerability, Christy generously pays Zeffie for the box and begins work on refurbishing it for resale. When Christy removes the worn lining, she finds an appraisal for jewels belonging to Annabel Strickland, the mother of Kirby Strickland who was shot to death years ago in an unsolved case that was labeled a burglary gone wrong. Believing Kirby's killer stole this box, Christy sets out to locate the person who gave the box to Zeffie's mother with the hope that this trail will eventually lead to the killer. When things get interesting and dangerous, and even when Christy's boyfriend, encourages her to back off for her own safety, Christy, because of her fondness for Kirby who saved her from drowning once, moves forward in search of the killer. The mystery moves along at an even pace, with enough interest to keep you reading until the book leads to a very satisfying conclusion. This entertaining mystery has many elements of a good cozy--a smallish town, people who know one another, some quirky characters, and an amateur sleuth tracking down a killer. Also in cozy style, the mystery unfolds slowly so you have time to savor the characters in the book while appreciating the strong leading character, Christy. Darty displays Christy's fine personal qualities through the relationships with the other characters, most notably with Zeffie when her grandmother passes on and the elderly retired housekeeper now alone and lonely at the nursing home.