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Maggy Thorsen Mystery #4
Brewed, Crude and Tattooed
A freak snowstorm in early May strands coffee house proprietress Maggy Thorsen in her store, Uncommon Grounds, with no power and no plows in sight. There's not much to do but commiserate with the other tenants of the strip mall and wait. That is, until she stumbles over the dead body of her landlord, Way Benson, facedown in the white fluff with an axe in his back.
The tall, rugged and tattooed victim was a ladies' man and all-around cheating jerk. His ex-wife, Aurora, a leggy local TV meteorologist, would second that. Snowbound during her morning coffee run, Aurora, sadly, becomes the next to die. Maggy's not about to stand still while some psycho picks them off one by one. But the killer, like the weather, is proving dangerously unpredictable.…
The tall, rugged and tattooed victim was a ladies' man and all-around cheating jerk. His ex-wife, Aurora, a leggy local TV meteorologist, would second that. Snowbound during her morning coffee run, Aurora, sadly, becomes the next to die. Maggy's not about to stand still while some psycho picks them off one by one. But the killer, like the weather, is proving dangerously unpredictable.…
Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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232 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Balzo
31 books238 followersSandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including fourteen books in two mystery series--one set outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other in the High Country of North Carolina. MURDER a la Mocha, the eleventh Maggy Thorsen Wisconsin coffeehouse mystery, will be released in January, and the series has been optioned for development as a TV series/film.
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
In addition to Twitter and her website, Sandy also hangs out at https://www.facebook.com/SandraBalzoM... and http://pinterest.com/sandrabalzo/
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
In addition to Twitter and her website, Sandy also hangs out at https://www.facebook.com/SandraBalzoM... and http://pinterest.com/sandrabalzo/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 7, 2022
Review originally published January 2014
Checking in at the circulation desk has its advantages when trying to find a good book to read. I got lucky and found such a book. The unusual title and cover intrigued me, because I am a coffee-lover and love to visit different coffeehouses. The book is Brewed, Crude and Tattooed by Sandra Balzo.
Sandra is an award-winning crime fiction writer and a native of southeastern Wisconsin, which makes it fun that this book takes place in a suburb of Milwaukee. She even gives a shout-out to Madison and La Crosse! I have talked with several patrons who expressed their delight in reading a story that took place in familiar cities or towns.
The story is a murder mystery, but has plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor from the main character Maggie Thorsen, co-owner of Uncommon Grounds, a coffeehouse that is situated in a strip mall. Maggie is headed off to work on foot, and doesn’t realize until she’s well on her way that it is snowing much more than she expected, no less on May 1st.
What happens shortly after is a dead body outside that Maggie has discovered, but not just any dead body. Someone had killed the developer and owner of the strip mall, but not necessarily for reasons you would think. Several characters in this story hunker down in the coffeehouse, but then have to move eventually when the wet, heavy snow takes its toll on the roof.
Two more dead bodies are found and Maggie is determined to play detective. And in the meantime, her detective boyfriend is out doing his job in extreme blizzard conditions, so Maggie is out to find the killer. I enjoyed this book, because it kept you guessing to the end. It also was a fun, cozy read, and I think the characters had a lot to do with this.
Sandra Balzo has a series of “coffee” crime fiction novels at our county library locations, one of which is Bean There, Done That at the Onalaska branch. Other catchy titles are Triple Shot, From the Grounds Up, and A Cup of Jo.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Checking in at the circulation desk has its advantages when trying to find a good book to read. I got lucky and found such a book. The unusual title and cover intrigued me, because I am a coffee-lover and love to visit different coffeehouses. The book is Brewed, Crude and Tattooed by Sandra Balzo.
Sandra is an award-winning crime fiction writer and a native of southeastern Wisconsin, which makes it fun that this book takes place in a suburb of Milwaukee. She even gives a shout-out to Madison and La Crosse! I have talked with several patrons who expressed their delight in reading a story that took place in familiar cities or towns.
The story is a murder mystery, but has plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor from the main character Maggie Thorsen, co-owner of Uncommon Grounds, a coffeehouse that is situated in a strip mall. Maggie is headed off to work on foot, and doesn’t realize until she’s well on her way that it is snowing much more than she expected, no less on May 1st.
What happens shortly after is a dead body outside that Maggie has discovered, but not just any dead body. Someone had killed the developer and owner of the strip mall, but not necessarily for reasons you would think. Several characters in this story hunker down in the coffeehouse, but then have to move eventually when the wet, heavy snow takes its toll on the roof.
Two more dead bodies are found and Maggie is determined to play detective. And in the meantime, her detective boyfriend is out doing his job in extreme blizzard conditions, so Maggie is out to find the killer. I enjoyed this book, because it kept you guessing to the end. It also was a fun, cozy read, and I think the characters had a lot to do with this.
Sandra Balzo has a series of “coffee” crime fiction novels at our county library locations, one of which is Bean There, Done That at the Onalaska branch. Other catchy titles are Triple Shot, From the Grounds Up, and A Cup of Jo.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
October 14, 2014
Hapless coffee-shop owner Maggy Thorsen shows herself at her worst in this fourth installment in the series in which she and a motley crew are stranded at her coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds. Author Sandra Balzo tries to create an And Then There Were None-style atmosphere in a tale in which one stranded soul after another winds up dead, but there’s never any real sense of terror or suspense.
Brookhills, Wisconsin, a small, fictional wealthy exurb located west of Milwaukee, gets an unseasonable blizzard in May. Maggy; her partner at Uncommon Grounds, Caron Egan; the town’s television weather “slut,” blonde, perky Aurora Benson; her teenaged son Oliver and an additional collection of characters find themselves stranded at Benson Plaza, the strip mall where Uncommon Grounds is located. Even Maggy’s sheepdog Frank ends up at the coffee shop, and yet others join the group as the novel — and the storm — rages on.
Maggy discovers the corpse of Way Benson, Benson Plaza’s womanizing owner, buried in the falling snow with a hatchet in him. Benson planned to evict all of the tenants and turn the property over to a big-box grocery chain called Gross National Produce; that gave all the tenants a reason to want Benson dead. Benson’s love-’em-and-leave-’em proclivities added quite a few spurned lovers to the suspect list. With communication cut off to the outside by the storm, Maggy realizes that she must take the lead in unmasking the killer, one of their own number.
The premise should produce a chilling page-turner, right? But somehow Balzo’s novel never achieves the proper suspense. Maggy comes off as alternately goofy (who after all takes a drooling, barely housebroken sheepdog to work?) and whiny. The normally crotchety Sarah Kingston, usually good for a laugh or a memorable quip, remains mostly in the background. Maggy’s usual sidekick and love interest, County Sheriff Jake Pavlik, is virtually non-existent. Instead, readers are treated to a new collection of characters, all of them crafted from cardboard: the obedient Vietnamese daughter, her dutiful and loving dad, the abrasive Frenchman, the conceited and conniving mistress, the grandmotherly pharmacy owner.
The novel’s still an OK read, but it’s certainly no Bean There, Done That. Save Brewed, Crude and Tattooed for a day when you seek something mindless and haven’t anything better.
Brookhills, Wisconsin, a small, fictional wealthy exurb located west of Milwaukee, gets an unseasonable blizzard in May. Maggy; her partner at Uncommon Grounds, Caron Egan; the town’s television weather “slut,” blonde, perky Aurora Benson; her teenaged son Oliver and an additional collection of characters find themselves stranded at Benson Plaza, the strip mall where Uncommon Grounds is located. Even Maggy’s sheepdog Frank ends up at the coffee shop, and yet others join the group as the novel — and the storm — rages on.
Maggy discovers the corpse of Way Benson, Benson Plaza’s womanizing owner, buried in the falling snow with a hatchet in him. Benson planned to evict all of the tenants and turn the property over to a big-box grocery chain called Gross National Produce; that gave all the tenants a reason to want Benson dead. Benson’s love-’em-and-leave-’em proclivities added quite a few spurned lovers to the suspect list. With communication cut off to the outside by the storm, Maggy realizes that she must take the lead in unmasking the killer, one of their own number.
The premise should produce a chilling page-turner, right? But somehow Balzo’s novel never achieves the proper suspense. Maggy comes off as alternately goofy (who after all takes a drooling, barely housebroken sheepdog to work?) and whiny. The normally crotchety Sarah Kingston, usually good for a laugh or a memorable quip, remains mostly in the background. Maggy’s usual sidekick and love interest, County Sheriff Jake Pavlik, is virtually non-existent. Instead, readers are treated to a new collection of characters, all of them crafted from cardboard: the obedient Vietnamese daughter, her dutiful and loving dad, the abrasive Frenchman, the conceited and conniving mistress, the grandmotherly pharmacy owner.
The novel’s still an OK read, but it’s certainly no Bean There, Done That. Save Brewed, Crude and Tattooed for a day when you seek something mindless and haven’t anything better.
December 26, 2017
Amusing and quirky whodunnit - thanks for the recommendation Ivonne - it certainly feels a bit Christmassy amidst the thunder snow! (it's a real thing apparently)
June 29, 2009
Another entry in the Maggy Thorsen series, quite a quick read, barely 200 pages. Basically it was a locked room mystery with all the tenants of Benson's Strip Mall trapped together due to a freak spring snow shower.
Maggie stumbles over a dead body, that of the Strip Mall owner, and proceeds to make out her suspects list and bumble around asking questions. She figures it out (of course) in the end.
There was a weird side plot with her son, and no Jake Pavlik this time, which was unfortunate because I like him. Also, it will be interesting to see what happens next as things kind of end up in the air.
Also, I don't really get the title.
Maggie stumbles over a dead body, that of the Strip Mall owner, and proceeds to make out her suspects list and bumble around asking questions. She figures it out (of course) in the end.
There was a weird side plot with her son, and no Jake Pavlik this time, which was unfortunate because I like him. Also, it will be interesting to see what happens next as things kind of end up in the air.
Also, I don't really get the title.
August 29, 2021
While it is acceptable – and often expected – for an amateur sleuth to be unpolished and comical while attempting to investigate a murderous crime, by this fourth book Maggy Thorsen should be less muddled in her thinking. With her professional background, she should be able to objectively analyze the situation before her while maintaining a rational calm. Maggy should be able to successfully apply her previously demonstrated organizational skills, but this time around she has been incapable to even stay sufficiently dressed. This is more annoying than amusing.
In addition to her disjointed thought processes, Maggy demonstrates concerning actions and behaviors from nonsensical decision making to deepening competitive female jealousies to almost manic behavior. Essentially, Maggy is looking for trouble head-on throughout the narrative.
In the second act, Maggy’s fly-by-the-pants approach to investigating events around the local strip mall is contrasted by her superficial examination of her son’s personal revelation. As much as Maggy likes to insert herself into everyone’s business to learn what is happening, she glaringly avoids examining her own family’s situation beyond what is politically correct.
The dedicated reader accepts Maggy as a smart woman, but discovers that she gets bored with some details and can get easily disorganized. The reader is hard pressed to see the hard working, intelligent entrepreneur that was Maggy of the earlier books, which makes this installment a general disappointment. If you intend to read the whole Maggy Thorsen series, consider skipping this one book to avoid reader’s regret.
As with the previous books of this series, I must be strict by marking down the overall rating of this novel for poor punctuation. It is a real problem and a grave distraction.
In addition to her disjointed thought processes, Maggy demonstrates concerning actions and behaviors from nonsensical decision making to deepening competitive female jealousies to almost manic behavior. Essentially, Maggy is looking for trouble head-on throughout the narrative.
In the second act, Maggy’s fly-by-the-pants approach to investigating events around the local strip mall is contrasted by her superficial examination of her son’s personal revelation. As much as Maggy likes to insert herself into everyone’s business to learn what is happening, she glaringly avoids examining her own family’s situation beyond what is politically correct.
The dedicated reader accepts Maggy as a smart woman, but discovers that she gets bored with some details and can get easily disorganized. The reader is hard pressed to see the hard working, intelligent entrepreneur that was Maggy of the earlier books, which makes this installment a general disappointment. If you intend to read the whole Maggy Thorsen series, consider skipping this one book to avoid reader’s regret.
As with the previous books of this series, I must be strict by marking down the overall rating of this novel for poor punctuation. It is a real problem and a grave distraction.
August 19, 2017
.
Each book contains a mystery, entertainment, and a sensible woman sleuth.
I find that I enjoy this series alot.
Each book contains a mystery, entertainment, and a sensible woman sleuth.
I find that I enjoy this series alot.
March 1, 2024
it was a fun mystery, some holes here and there but that might be because i haven’t read the other books in the series. cozy and pretty quick read.
January 16, 2013
Thank goodness, this is finally over. There were sentences, if not paragraphs, that were painful to read. For instance, “I turned over the sheet so I could write on the back, then began to ponder. Ponderously, at that.” Really, can a person ponderously ponder?
Another thing that bothered me about this book was the rough language and crass statements. I do not remember her previous books using this type of language. I wonder why Ms. Balzo decided to change up and use the words that she did. Maybe I am a bit prudish, but I do not think that that type of language belongs in cozy mysteries. Maybe I should have taken more notice of the title, but if that was a warning, I do not recall anyone being tattooed either.
As a storm quickly approaches Benson Plaza that houses Maggy Thorsen’s coffee house, the Uncommon Ground, Maggy is trapped there with her co-owner Caron and the owners of the other shops in the strip mall.
This is not a happy group of business owners since Way Benson, the owner of the mall, is terminating their occupancy so he can replace them all with a new market. When Way’s body is discovered, there is no easy suspect since they all have their own reasons to dislike the man. When a second body appears the motive becomes a bit murkier leaving the group to discover the killer before the whole roof literally falls in on them.
For being only 188 pages, the storyline is drawn out, the repetitiveness of words is annoying, attempts at humor fall flat and referring to a female character by her last name is not what a woman would do. Women will call men by their last name, but that is a quirk that is gender specific.
I do not like this series and for me, I will be stopping here. Maggy will just have to figure out her next mystery without me.
If you are looking for a coffeehouse setting for your next mystery, I would suggest that you check out the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle.
Another thing that bothered me about this book was the rough language and crass statements. I do not remember her previous books using this type of language. I wonder why Ms. Balzo decided to change up and use the words that she did. Maybe I am a bit prudish, but I do not think that that type of language belongs in cozy mysteries. Maybe I should have taken more notice of the title, but if that was a warning, I do not recall anyone being tattooed either.
As a storm quickly approaches Benson Plaza that houses Maggy Thorsen’s coffee house, the Uncommon Ground, Maggy is trapped there with her co-owner Caron and the owners of the other shops in the strip mall.
This is not a happy group of business owners since Way Benson, the owner of the mall, is terminating their occupancy so he can replace them all with a new market. When Way’s body is discovered, there is no easy suspect since they all have their own reasons to dislike the man. When a second body appears the motive becomes a bit murkier leaving the group to discover the killer before the whole roof literally falls in on them.
For being only 188 pages, the storyline is drawn out, the repetitiveness of words is annoying, attempts at humor fall flat and referring to a female character by her last name is not what a woman would do. Women will call men by their last name, but that is a quirk that is gender specific.
I do not like this series and for me, I will be stopping here. Maggy will just have to figure out her next mystery without me.
If you are looking for a coffeehouse setting for your next mystery, I would suggest that you check out the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle.
December 6, 2015
This was a very exciting episode in the life of Maggy and her coffee shop. She and assorted characters are trapped in a mini-mall during a blizzard. Physical discomfort and danger comes from nature and other humans as bodies start to accumulate. I was very disappointed by the crude language in this book. All of the author’s books contain “colorful” language and playfully-bawdy remarks, but this one especially lived up to its crude title. My plea to cozy writers everywhere---If God isn’t in the story, please leave his name out of it.
August 6, 2012
Even in Wisconsin, no one expects a major snowstorm in May--but that's what happens. Maggie Thorsen, her partner and her dog are stranded in their coffee house, part of the larger mall complex. The ill-assorted group of people stranded with them, with the power and phones off, have one thing in common--a dislike of the mall's owner, Way Benson. When Maggie finds his dead body, she can't help investigating until the police--who don't even know about the crime yet--arrive.
May 3, 2009
I love books about coffee shops. I really enjoy this series
February 24, 2010
I am having a difficult time finding this series at the library, book store, or in e-book format.
This was the first of the series that I read and I truly enjoyed it.
This was the first of the series that I read and I truly enjoyed it.
January 14, 2025
Here’s my review of Brewed, Crude and Tattooed (no spoilers): By chance, this was the first book in the series that I read. I found it at a thrift store and was immediately intrigued. I’m so grateful I decided to take it home and give it a try. This book is what hooked me on Sandra Balzo’s Maggy Thorsen series. While I did manage to figure out the killer(s) before the reveal, it only made the conclusion that much more satisfying, knowing my detective work had paid off.
I’ve read several books from this series so far and I’m determined to own and finish the entire collection to date. Sandra’s writing is a perfect blend of gripping suspense and witty humor, making each book an absolute delight. This cozy mystery series always leaves me craving a fresh cup of coffee as I get lost in the pages. The endings never fail to throw me for a loop, and that’s coming from someone who meticulously tracks every suspect's motives and probabilities as the story unfolds. I’ve never come across an author whose work I adore quite like this. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend giving this series a try—you won’t regret it!
I’ve read several books from this series so far and I’m determined to own and finish the entire collection to date. Sandra’s writing is a perfect blend of gripping suspense and witty humor, making each book an absolute delight. This cozy mystery series always leaves me craving a fresh cup of coffee as I get lost in the pages. The endings never fail to throw me for a loop, and that’s coming from someone who meticulously tracks every suspect's motives and probabilities as the story unfolds. I’ve never come across an author whose work I adore quite like this. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend giving this series a try—you won’t regret it!
May 22, 2018
My first book in this series, wont' bother with another, none of the characters were particularly likeable and the events, especially the snowstorm, seemed a little over dramatic. The main character doesn't even really like her "best friend" and the other characters were so similar I kept forgetting who was who.
September 8, 2019
this was an okay novel. the people were nice and Maggie is a likable character. I have not read the first three in the series. I was drawn to it as it is set in Milwaukee a favorite off mine as family is there. there are a lot of people to track in the plot after 2 murders occur on a May Day experiencing a freak snowstorm with thunder-called thundersnow storm.
August 30, 2025
In between theological books, literary fiction, and darker crime/detective novels I often want a break for something lighter. The Maggy Thorsen series by Sandra Balzo are a perfect fit. Cozy crime, quirky characters, and a bit of humor. A fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.
May 7, 2017
Good read!
I absolutely love this author! She is very creative and has my sense of humor. I can't wait till the next one!
I absolutely love this author! She is very creative and has my sense of humor. I can't wait till the next one!
April 19, 2018
Very fun and engaging read!
April 21, 2018
A well brewed mystery
January 9, 2020
I LOVED this one!
May 30, 2020
I didn't enjoy this one as much as her others. There were too many improbable situations.
March 17, 2021
A quick read but not much suspense for me... I did not get how the title fit with the story
December 21, 2022
Great mystery. Great series. I enjoyed reading it very much.
May 11, 2023
Library book club read. Constant stream of bad jokes with minimal plot. No real interest in the characters. The whole thing felt very superficial.
September 25, 2025
I really do not like most of the characters that populate this series.
I really dislike the fact that there wasn't much follow up about Ted, his murderous ex-wife Rachel, and their supposed baby.
I really dislike the fact that there wasn't much follow up about Ted, his murderous ex-wife Rachel, and their supposed baby.
September 28, 2010
In this great fourth Maggy Thorsen 'coffee house' mystery, an unexpected spring snowstorm leaves Maggy and several other tenants from the strip mall where her coffee shop Uncommon Grounds is located totally stranded and cut off from the outside world. So when the owner of the mall, Way Benson, is found stabbed in the back and his head mutilated by a snowblower, the suspect list is pretty small, since the opportunity for an outsider to have done it is minimal. Maggy, who's already seen her share of dead bodies, starts asking questions, trying to think like her boyfriend, Sheriff Jake Pavlik, who is nowhere around.
Just about everyone who knew Way had good reason to hate the man, but trying to find someone who had not only motive but means and opportunity as well isn't going to be easy. And things get even more complicated when Way's ex-wife is also killed.
I am really enjoying this series a lot. It's cozy, but an edgy, funky kind of cozy where 'adult themes' and the occasional four-letter word aren't swept under the rug. Maggy has a wicked sense of humor and I find myself liking her very much--she's sort of a fish out of water, since the suburb she lives in is a gossipy, high-class enclave and Maggy is struggling to make ends meet and isn't so worried about what the Joneses think of her.
I think I especially liked this entry in the series because the boyfriend wasn't around so the romancey bits which I often find annoying weren't there at all in this one. I have to admit that the little bit of 'love interest' in this series isn't ever intrusive though, and it doesn't take over the whole story line, so kudos to the author for that, too! A mystery that's actually a mystery instead of a romance in disguise! Imagine that! A.
Just about everyone who knew Way had good reason to hate the man, but trying to find someone who had not only motive but means and opportunity as well isn't going to be easy. And things get even more complicated when Way's ex-wife is also killed.
I am really enjoying this series a lot. It's cozy, but an edgy, funky kind of cozy where 'adult themes' and the occasional four-letter word aren't swept under the rug. Maggy has a wicked sense of humor and I find myself liking her very much--she's sort of a fish out of water, since the suburb she lives in is a gossipy, high-class enclave and Maggy is struggling to make ends meet and isn't so worried about what the Joneses think of her.
I think I especially liked this entry in the series because the boyfriend wasn't around so the romancey bits which I often find annoying weren't there at all in this one. I have to admit that the little bit of 'love interest' in this series isn't ever intrusive though, and it doesn't take over the whole story line, so kudos to the author for that, too! A mystery that's actually a mystery instead of a romance in disguise! Imagine that! A.
December 5, 2011
also posted here:http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...
Another round for Maggy, who always seems to find herself in the middle of everything. This story had a Clue feel to it, Colonel Mustard in the Barber Shop with the Meat Cleaver.
This was not my favorite, there was almost too much going on. With everyone trapped in one building during a freak snowstorm in May (being from MI I know how much this sucks) I found myself mixing up characters and forgetting who others were. I found the general store shopping for supplies throughout almost more interesting than the murder mystery. I've never really card for Caron, Maggy's business partner, and that became more evident here. I kept hoping she would be next on the murder list.
It took me awhile to figure out why this book was titled as it was (has to do with the murder vic), I was hoping this was going to be about Amy, the author created this great character and we haven't really heard from since she was introduced. It'll also be interesting to see if we ever see any of these other characters again or if they will be lost with the crumpled building.
Another round for Maggy, who always seems to find herself in the middle of everything. This story had a Clue feel to it, Colonel Mustard in the Barber Shop with the Meat Cleaver.
This was not my favorite, there was almost too much going on. With everyone trapped in one building during a freak snowstorm in May (being from MI I know how much this sucks) I found myself mixing up characters and forgetting who others were. I found the general store shopping for supplies throughout almost more interesting than the murder mystery. I've never really card for Caron, Maggy's business partner, and that became more evident here. I kept hoping she would be next on the murder list.
It took me awhile to figure out why this book was titled as it was (has to do with the murder vic), I was hoping this was going to be about Amy, the author created this great character and we haven't really heard from since she was introduced. It'll also be interesting to see if we ever see any of these other characters again or if they will be lost with the crumpled building.
December 3, 2011
# 4 in the Maggy Thorsen mystery series set in Wisconsin. Maggy is a divorced mother of a sophomore in college who is a part owner of a coffee shop. The mystery involving murder with Maggy and fellow shop owners trapped in a strip mall during a gigantic snow storm. The mystery is a good mystery; everything else is yucky!
I didn't care for this because it is too humorous and wise cracking Maggy is part of that humor. She talks to herself a lot, has a klutzy sheep dog who she also talks to and that also provides humor and as the story moves to its climax; Maggy stumbles over things gets herself from one dangerous position into another.
I didn't care for this because it is too humorous and wise cracking Maggy is part of that humor. She talks to herself a lot, has a klutzy sheep dog who she also talks to and that also provides humor and as the story moves to its climax; Maggy stumbles over things gets herself from one dangerous position into another.
July 1, 2012
This is the 4th installment of the Maggy Thorsen mysteries. Maggy walks to work work on a lovely spring morning that turns south rather quickly.
A massive snowstorm hits which strands her with several other people at the strip mall housing her coffee shop. Unfortunately they are also stranded with a dead body.
Downed phone wires, poor to non-existent cell signals and power outages contribute to a feeling of claustrophobia. Like "And Then There Were None" they know deep down inside that one of them in a killer.
The setting made this feel a bit darker than other Balzo mysteries. Not bad. Just a bit different. I think this series is still going strong.
A massive snowstorm hits which strands her with several other people at the strip mall housing her coffee shop. Unfortunately they are also stranded with a dead body.
Downed phone wires, poor to non-existent cell signals and power outages contribute to a feeling of claustrophobia. Like "And Then There Were None" they know deep down inside that one of them in a killer.
The setting made this feel a bit darker than other Balzo mysteries. Not bad. Just a bit different. I think this series is still going strong.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews