Is the Past Repeating Itself?
When author Annette Dashofy wrote the tenth Zoe Chambers Mystery, she thought it was going to be the end of the series. And, if you’ve read it, you know that it would make a great finale to a great series. Fortunately for everyone, she was offered a chance to write another three books, starting with Fatal Reunion. And book eleven in the series is another wonderful mystery.
If you are new to the series, Zoe is the new coroner for Monongahela County in Pennsylvania. She is also a newlywed, married to Pete Adams, the Police Chief for one of the small towns in this rural county. Together, the two of them find themselves solving some pretty dramatic cases.
When a missing high school teen’s body is found in a remote area of the county, Zoe has flashbacks to her senior year of high school. There are too many similarities to three teen girls who were killed all those years ago. Back then, the police had a suspect, but he committed suicide before he was charged. The killings stopped, so everyone moved on. While Pete is busy looking at modern suspects and motives for the death, Zoe can’t help but wonder if a killer has been roaming free all these years. And, with her twentieth high school reunion happening, she’s wondering if the killer is in town for the event. Is what is happening today tied into what happened two decades ago?
While this is officially the Zoe Chambers series, Pete is as much a main character as Zoe is. In fact, they both take turns as the third person point of view character. The author is wonderful about using that to not only help us get to know the characters better but also advance the story.
And the characters are fabulous. We have quite a few returning characters, and it was great to see them again and get to see how their lives are changing and growing. Obviously, Zoe and Pete are the strongest, and they feel like old friends at this point. The suspects are just as well drawn.
All of this makes the story that much stronger. Which is saying something since these books pull you in and keep you enthralled from beginning to end. I always struggle to put them down when I have to return to the real world. The suspense just builds, especially when we get to the third act of the book. The ending was logical and wrapped up everything with satisfaction.
Make no mistake, these books are not cozies. Given the jobs Zoe and Pete do, they are realistic. Know what you are getting into before you pick up the book, and you should be fine. Obviously, I don’t let that stop me from reading them since I am on book eleven in the series, and I find them completely worth it.
I’m so glad that we got Fatal Reunion, and I’m hoping to get to the rest of the series at some point soon. If you are looking for excellent mysteries, you really need to get to know Zoe and Pete.
Enjoy the rest of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries.
Thank you so much, Mark. You've made me weepy with joy!
ReplyDeleteAs always, you touch on exactly what makes this series great.
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