Book Review: Dead as a Dodo by Jeannie Wycherley

 

Title: Dead as a Dodo
Series: Wonderland Detective Agency #1
Author: Jeannie Wycherley
Genre: Cozy Mystery; Urban Fantasy; Paranormal
Publication Date: April 29, 2019

Dodo was dead. And there the matter should have rested.

At least for DS Elise Liddell.

Emotionally burnt out, she considers herself retired from police work.

By rights it has nothing to do with her, but someone killed the poor man and, as Elise can resist everything except a good puzzle (and a shot of Blue Goblin vodka), here she is tangled up in a murder case.

When a petty thief hands himself into the Ministry of Witches Police Department, Elise’s ex-colleagues consider it an open and shut case.

She’s less convinced.

Revitalized by the investigation, she takes the suspect on as the first client of her new paranormal detective agency. What would this insignificant wretch have to gain by murdering the cantankerous old wizard? Elise knows full well, by uncovering the motive she can reveal the true killer.

But she forgets, in Tumble Town even the shadows are alive … and now someone or something is hunting her.

Rating

Hello Fellow Readers,

I would have read this book in one sitting had I the time, which is very refreshing since it's been a while since I have felt that way about a book. One of the main reasons I liked this book so much was the world, the Fantasy elements mixed in with a little urban realism made for an interesting setting. I was a little disappointed at the lack of magic usage as I am always curious about that aspect in books like this. I also really liked Elise, logical and realistic BAMF. I like how she handled everything, even if she is grieving the death of her partner and recovering from being an alcoholic. 

The story was at times a bit predictable and cliche but Wycherley still did a great job at keeping me interested and entertained. I did guess who the killer was pretty much immediately, but that never bothers me in these kinds of books. I really liked the secondary characters, who I assume we will see more of in the next installment, but they all stood out and were enjoyable with links to the main story. The ending did feel rushed but I do understand as the first book in a series there's a lot of setup and introduction involved as well as setting the groundwork for the over arching main story. 

Overall, I will definitely be reading the next book