Dollycas’s Thoughts
Brad Hanson and his wife, Rhonda, reside in the Estates at Chestnut Lake outside of Atlanta. Besides working as an insurance fraud investigator, he is active on the board of the homeowners’ association and acts as secretary and the de facto parliamentarian. Arguments can get out of hand with heated debates over people not cleaning up after their dogs or pickleball courts vs. tennis courts, but he never thought murder would ever be on the agenda.
Inga Oskarsdotter was a cantankerous old soul and always ready with a list of complaints at each HOA meeting. Most members of the community may have had murderous thoughts about her a time or two, but it is Brad who finds himself in the hot seat when the woman is killed. Knowing agents Stewart and Maloney are working hard to pin him with the crime, Brad decides to use his investigative skills to try to prove his innocence. But then another neighbor is killed, and Brad is running out of time to save himself.
Will Brad be able to give the police and GFI more options? Will he reveal the real killer before he lands in a jail cell? Or will he be the 3rd person killed on the block?
Mr. Storla has created an interesting neighborhood at The Estates and filled it with a broad variety of characters. Brad Hanson is bored with his life and latches onto the murder investigations as a new hobby. His wife, Rhonda, is all about appearances and is anxiously awaiting the go-ahead to remodel her kitchen. Their neighbor, Tony, is Brad’s best friend with two passions: sports and action movies. Brad hoped he would be a great sounding board, but Tony has a short attention span. Attorney Jill Richards enters the fray when Brad knows he is over his head. She is a smart woman who knows the ropes. She also knows she needs her savvy investigator, Cassandra (Dix) Dixon, on this case. All these characters develop well, while leaving room for growth.
The mystery was a twisty one filled with many comedic and suspenseful moments. Brad is a typical man without much self-awareness and a dry sense of humor, but he tries hard to follow or make up clues to move the case forward, which was quite funny. The addition of Dix added so much as she investigated while trying to keep Brad out of trouble. She is one smart cookie, and after Brad’s theory didn’t pan out, she had other ideas and a plan. It was a plan I loved because it cemented theories I had earlier in the story.
The HOA theme really worked. Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with the HOA, but small towns can be just as ruthless when neighbors get a bug in their bonnet. The theme is great, too, if this expands to a series. Homeowners’ Associations always have complaints, drama, and tension that could definitely lead to more murders.
High on hilarity and a curious mystery, Murder Two Doors Down was an entertaining read, filled with some truly quirky characters, especially our well-meaning protagonist. I truly hope there is a sequel, because I would love to see what Brad gets mixed up in next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.