Dead Dancing Women

An Emily Kincaid Mystery #1

by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Escaping the city, and her coed-chasing ex-husband, part-time journalist and full-time failed mystery writer Emily Kincaid has moved into a cozy cabin nestled in the woods of northern Michigan. Emily spends her days writing for the local newspaper and crafting her latest forgettable novel. Then one morning her quiet life turns grisly when a severed head tumbles out of her garbage can.

The victim belonged to the Women of the Moon, a group of old ladies who sing and dance around a bonfire in the woods late at night. The members claim it's just a harmless act in praise of mother earth, but certain townspeople don't see it that way. Now, one by one, the women are turning up dead.

Between hosting her ex and his female "assistant," reluctantly raising a rambunctious new puppy, and forming an uneasy alliance with the fractious Deputy Dolly, can Emily put an end to the killings — and somehow preserve her sanity?

 

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Contemporary, Suspense, Humor

370 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (aka Elizabeth Lee) is a Michigan based novelist whose 12th book is due out in 2016. She teaches fiction writing at Northern Michigan College and has written for the NORTHERN EXPRESS, the ROMEO OBSERVER, the DETROIT NEWS, and the RECORD-EAGLE. She is a member of the Author’s Guild, International Association of crime Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers’ of America, Michigan Writers, and Detroit Working Writers and has three mystery series out, or about to be published.

In the Emily Kincaid series her novel DEAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN was chosen one of the best mysteries of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews. A new series (written as Elizabeth Lee) is now out with the third: NUTS AND BURIED (based in Texas) to be published this November from Berkley Publishers. Another series, beginning with A MOST CURIOUS MURDER, (Crooked Lane Publishers) will be out in July, 2016, with the second: DEATH OF A SAD POET, scheduled later in the year.

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Kincaid moved to Northern Michigan several years ago. She needs to put an ugly divorce and her father's death behind her. Working as a part-time journalist and a not so well known mystery writer keeps her fairly busy.

When a woman's severed head appears in her trash can, and later an arm and hand appear on her front porch she wonders who has it out for her. Is this a warning of some kind? And who would want to do anything like this to her?

When the deceased woman is identified as one of the Women of the Moon, Emily and Deputy Dolly decide to help each other solve the mystery. But when more of the Women of the Moon turn of dead, one has to wonder ... what do the remaining members know that no one else does?

Being a cozy mystery, I wasn't expecting it to be as suspenseful as it was. The characters of this small town are at times, funny, quirky, secretive, and just odd. But they all kind of grow on you. This was a fast, entertaining read. I have no problem recommending this one to anyone who likes cozies.

Many thanks to the author / Beyond The Page Publishing / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot, enjoyable characters. and well written. I will read more in this series. Like that it takes place near Traverse City!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't figured out what to say about this book. I guess I'm intimidated a bit by the author, a teacher of writing at a Michigan college. I guess I thought who am I to criticize someone that teaches writing.

I just have to say it though - I found this to be a very choppy writing style, though I ultimately liked it in the end. It just didn't seem to flow easily and smoothly. Great quirky characters, but I guess part of my problem, is the lead character, Emily Kincaid. I guess I have some reservation about her. She seem's all over the place with her life and loves - a confused and adrift and a bit impulsive. I don't dislike her - I'm just not sure what I think a this point.

I won't give up on a series right away, if I don't find myself thrilled with the first book. I will try another, at least before I decide to chuck it or not. I have another to read. I'll see how that goes.

[Dalene W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery that is set in Northern Michigan. It was well written, with attention to detail regarding Northern Michigan. I can't wait to read Buzzelli's other Emily Kincaid Mysteries. This was a fun read.

[Samantha Engel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The greatest pull this book had for me was the setting. Being from Michigan I enjoyed the references to various towns and the feel of a northern Michigan fall. The story could get a bit slow and as I read, I kept wanting more of the investigation and the town history and much less whining from the lead character about her failed novels, jerky ex-husband who she allowed to enter her home, and her other issues. I wanted Emily to find a backbone and stand up for herself! The plot was rather predictable, but it was still entertaining. I'll be reading other books in the Emily Kincaid series and I hope that Emily gets stronger, but if not it's a fun, easy read.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening few chapters suffered from overwritten prose but the author’s style settled and softened into good captivating storytelling. The mystery was solid and filled with twists, turns and a town full of suspects. We followed the mystery but we also followed the lives of these characters in their little town far removed from suburb and city. The characters are an eccentric and interesting lot with secrets and histories I hope Buzzelli uncovers as the series grows. I am looking forward to revisiting them all as soon as the second book is released.

[Chopetty43 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always so excited to go back home and find a good author. She really knows how to write to keep you interested to the end and I love the fact that its based in Northern Michigan and that is where she lives also. Very ,very interesting to read about the places you know so well and she even mentions "my town" good ole Charelvoix. Lokk forward to reading more from this creative writing teacher from Northwestern Michigan College.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series. I love the characterizations, and the local color of northern Michigan. This is a thinking woman's protagonist, who can't help
but get pulled into each adventure. Her sidekick in this is a deputy who is a homegrown down to earth partner. Add in a few local yokels, an affected
and pretentious ex husband, and you've got an amusing set of people to follow. I enjoy her books and plan to read more.

[Kathy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The main characters are ordinary and likeable; Emily Kincaide the somewhat reluctantly brave heroine and her unlikely side-kick Deputy Dolly. I'm from a middle-of-nowhere community, so perhaps the small town and rural setting in the backwoods of Northern Michigan strikes a chord that big-city based novels fail to stir.

[Anna Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid mystery, though it's full of cliche. The ending felt a bit rushed considering that the rest of the novel moves at a rather sedate pace. I wouldn't really recommend this to an ardent mystery fan.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a series--have already read two. Like the others, this one perks along with good dialogue, quirky characters, and a so -so plot. I' m a sucker for books set in Northern Michigan, but only if they're good.

[Sreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all like Louise Penny, which the publicity had said. Main character too much like other your tough women cops or investigators.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

I’d decided early in life that there was something tragic about me, too. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on what that tragic thing was since I always seemed so disgustingly ordinary.

I’ve read many YA books in my life. It is, after all, my favorite comforting getaway. But I finally decided to start stepping out of my comfort zone and dabble into adult books, and I finally picked up my third adult book of the year which was this Emily Kincaid Mystery novel written by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli.

Dead Dancing Women takes place in the northern woods of Michigan. There is a quaint small town known as Leetsville that is filled with good, neighborly people. Well, sometimes good. Our protagonist, Emily Kincaid is a journalist who moves far away from her city and settles into a small cabin where she is surrounded by beautiful nature that she hopes will inspire her to get back into writing those mystery novels of hers. She leaves behind an ex-husband and befriends peculiar neighbors such as Harry Mockerman along with Deputy Dolly, who becomes a big part of her life when strange things begin to take a deadly turn. Emily never thought she would spend her time solving mysteries outside of writing them. And she is to help solve the deadliest mystery of all.

Needless to say, I have many mixed emotions about this book. A part of me liked it and then another part of me just didn’t. Let’s be honest: the idea of a severed head rolling out of a garbage can is a thrilling start to a mystery. That was what drew me in into the world of Emily Kincaid. I was excited to see where the story would lead and the characters we have to journey with. Meeting new characters is like making new friends. I always enjoy a good story with likable characters. However, I believe the reason for why I didn’t enjoy the story as much was due to the silliness of the main character, Emily Kincaid herself.

Emily’s character was someone I could not connect with. I’m the type of reader that enjoys connecting with characters whether it’s through emotions, challenges, or just sharing the common interest of having the same favorite color. I like to have something in common with the characters I read and journey with. There is a whimsical feeling to it. Sadly, I just didn’t feel any connection with Emily whatsoever. I found her character to be very odd. Sometimes she was funny with her little arguments with Dolly and battling with animal friends, but other times I just wanted to scream at her, “What are you doing?! Why are you like this?!”

Emily makes many foolish decisions throughout the story. It is one of the many main reasons why I dislike her character; that, and how contradicting she could be. The biggest decision she made that really irked me was her having her ex husband to come and stay with her for a while so he could work on his book. You see, not only is Emily a writer, but her ex-husband is as well. And he’s also a teacher. It is due to his lust that has him commit adultery and bring an end to their marriage. Their marriage ends in a messy divorce. Let’s be honest here: if your husband cheated on you, would you seriously want to have him back in your life? After everything he did and put you through? Would you even dare to think of him having to stay with you while he worked on his own book? And what sickened me was how pathetic he was for bringing along his “girlfriend”. Can you imagine it? You, your ex-husband and his pretty little girlfriend all staying together under one roof? Sickening, right? I couldn’t stomach it. It was hard to push through these chapters, but thankfully the mystery kept me pushing onward.

If there is one character I truly did enjoy, it was definitely Deputy Dolly. With Dolly, you’re bound to get a good laugh no matter where she goes and what she says. She is a sassy queen. Dolly is just a little woman full of adventure and fun. She’s tough, brave, smart, intelligent and everything I wish that Emily could’ve been. But now as I write this, maybe that was the point. Opposites attract and these two women were indeed opposites. Their partnership was strong and unbreakable. That was one of the highest points of the story for me that I enjoyed was their partnership as they stood together to work and solve the mystery behind the deaths of the dancing women. And while I didn’t like Emily’s character in this story, I hope to enjoy her in the next one. I’m excited to read the next mystery in the Emily Kincaid series in the future.

Until then, I will return back to reading my comforting YA reads now that spooky season is just around the corner. Holly Jackson, here I come.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery novel set in Michigan's northwestern woods more than I expected to. Emily is an unpublished mystery writer who moved into a house built next to a small lake after her marriage to a UM English professor fell apart. When a severed head is placed in her garbage, she becomes part of an investigation concerning the systematic murder of a small set of friends. These older women meet in the woods to dance in moonlight, eat goods they baked for each other, and sing songs of their own creation. Who would find that threatening? Well, the local pastor of a nondenominational church, for one. He has publicly preached against them in response to a complaint received.

I was first attracted to the novel because of its setting, an area near and dear to me. I quickly became hooked. The characters mostly come from the nearby town, which limits the number of suspects and adds to the urgency of solving the crime. Emily is literary, occasionally quoting Dickinson or correcting her ex when he mangles Emerson. She has just enough haplessness to fully engage the reader's sympathies. Additionally, most of the characters are likable, even the local survivalist. I'm now curious about how Emily might become drawn into new adventures as she becomes aware of the serious issues in the townspeople's lives. Yes, this is the first novel in a series. Yes, I'll look for the others at the library and among Kindle deals.

[jimtown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Dancing Women was a fairly interesting book to read. Some of the characters were well done, others lesser so, but the setting was great. Northern Michigan is most usually considered to be Northern lower Michigan, as opposed to Upper Michigan. Still somewhat similar in nature.

Emily, hoping to have quiet to settle in and write her mystery novels becomes the center of the biggest mystery the town of Leedsville has had in a very long time. Cantankerous Officer Dolly takes Emily under her wing to help and see how an investigation goes. Maybe they're making targets of themselves, but they just can't quit on the sweet old ladies that are being killed.

Some part predictable and another part that made sense finally, to everyone as they hone in on the motive and killer.

Here's a little sample of the writing:

"He was old, and skinny as a razor's edge. Never looked at me when he spoke, only down at the ground, always hunting earnestly for something. He's stand dead still a minute while I'd talked on, then he'd walk away to examine a thing he'd spotted. When he wandered back, a leaf in his hand, or a stone, or a piece of some unidentifiable thing I didn't want to put a name to, he'd look up at me with his sad, faded blue eyes folded back in among fossilized wrinkles, and give me a look that was pure question. As in: Who are you? How'd you get here Where are we?"

[ME · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the biggest failure of this book is with the protagonist herself who is under-developed from the beginning. She has momentary glimmers of real depth, but that is contrasted with a shallow flatness to her character and personal interactions. similar to the zombie-like outward expressions of someone clinically depressed. It's hard to explain. She's just not entirely "there".

The story itself was good and, like all small-town dramas, full of quirky characters that are almost enough to lure you back. But I'm not sure that pull will be enough for me to pick up the next one. I actually got to thinking during a reading break that if the end of the world came right then, I would sorely regret being caught spending my last day reading a mediocre book. Life is just too short.

The short of it: it's not a bad book, but it's not great either.

[BRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little cozy mystery about a newly divorced writer from Ann Arbor who moves to an isolated cabin in "northern" Michigan and becomes reluctantly embroiled in a small town murder mystery when body parts begin appearing, literally, on her doorstep. Lots of quirky backwoods & small town characters plus a charming/sleazy ex who attempts to freeload with his latest squeeze. As a resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for almost 30 years, I agree with the Yooper's who always find descriptions of "northern" Michigan rather cute. Seriously, you want bitter cold, voluminous snow, and quirky characters? Head as far NORTH of the bridge as you can.

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

New series

Rates 3.5 stars. Emily Kincaid is a journalist/writer who moves to a secluded cabin in the Michigan woods where her peaceful existence is shattered by the discovery of a human head in her trashcan. She teams up with the local deputy, Dolly, to solve the mystery while uncovering secrets in their small town. Backwoods characters abound in addition to her newly adopted dog, Sorrow. Look forward to reading more in the series.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The odd couple: Emily Kincaid, a writer and Dolly Wakowski, a deputy sherif. Two very different women with different personalities, backgrounds, life experiences, and interests join together to solve a murder in the woods in northern Michigan.

Interesting and colorful characters including the gossipy cafe owner, Emily's ex and her loner neighbor, and the preacher. Pleasant read and a few unexpected twists.

No sex
No graphic violence

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy entertaining read: likeable flawed characters, compelling plot, well-written. The storyline and characters reminded me a bit of the Murder She Wrote television series, taking place in a community very much like Cabot Cove. The only negative comment I would make is that the author was notably repetitive, repeating information already revealed a few times that did nothing to move the plot along, so I skipped over some paragraphs. I'll read her next book.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only got about a quarter of the way through the book and had to give up. It just did not hold my interest. In a hundred pages or so, other than finding the head, and later an arm, nothing much happened.

Emily seemed somewhat poorly defined and was heading into the spineless, doormat status that seems to plague some “cozy” protagonists. Letting your cheating ex drop in and then letting him stay for a few days? Doormat.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps in a different frame of mind, or if I had not just finished a very well written mystery, I might have finished this, and given it a better rating. However, with the line..."they were as close as two jelly donuts"...I abandoned what I considered a less that fascinating story...even with a severed head rolling around in a garbage can.

[Jillian Higham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good

This is one of those books where you read the plot and think it's going to be corny and cliched, I only bought it because the blurb said it would appeal to fans of Louise Penny. The writing is excellent and it's full of richly drawn and interesting characters. Well worth it reading.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. The characters weren't ones that I feel like became friends, but that's okay. What really was missing for me in this one was the sense of place. Despite the descriptions of the north woods in Michigan, somehow it just wasn't as vibrant as it is in reality. This was good enough I might read more by this author.

[Janet Ankiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I vacation in Northern Michigan, this "new to me author" was a fine surprise. References to Emily Dickinson warmed my heart. Good character growth on several levels and an entire town of interesting folk. Looking forward to reading more.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mystery set in rural Michigan. Some interesting characters although a few are borderline stereotypes. The mystery plot was pretty predictable. I liked the main character and maybe the stories will become stronger.

[Tom Kauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters that are three dimensional!

Fantastic beginning to a new series. The characters jump off the pages in this mystery. The sense of place is authentic. I can't wait to read the next book. Thank you.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chosen for the location — this is a thing with me — and a pleasant surprise. Although it is another work about an amateur detective and violence against women, there are some unusual elements and fine characterizations.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid mystery, if predictable resolution (there weren't that many "bad guys" to consider). Characters are interesting enough and the additional plot lines worthy of a go at the next book to see where fate takes them. Feels like this is a series that will get better as it goes along.

[Angela Barritt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much description, not enough plot. In my view the endless descriptions added nothing. For example, when the protagonist visited the nearby town, by the time all of the stores were described, I’d forgotten why she was there. In the end, I gave up, not really caring who did it or why.