My Review
Mac Almeda runs a bicycle shop in a small Cape Cod town. She stops in the local toy store to buy a gift for her daughter's fourth birthday and discovers that the young woman working there, Zia, is dead. Mac works with her friends, the Cozy Capers Book Group, to solve the mystery ... as she finds herself in danger from the mysterious culprit.
I wanted to read Murder at the Toy Soldier because I love cozy mysteries. The toy store caught my interest as well.
I have not read the previous books in this series, but had no problem jumping in and enjoying this book as a standalone read. That said, I would like to continue with future books in the series.
Mac is an interesting amateur detective. She's relatively newly married and a new adoptive mother (of a 4 year old girl and a 6 month old boy). She is from the small town and has family and lifelong friends there. The detecting work by her book group is intriguing; I love the way they have a text chain and impromptu meetings with action points of what they each should do next to solve the mystery.
I had this case figured out early on, but I enjoyed Mac's detective work. This is a fast paced read with short chapters and lots of movement with the mystery and the characters.
Murder at the Toy Soldier is a fun read that I recommend for other cozy mystery fans.
Thanks to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.
