A Geek Thing is the seventh book in Kathi Daley’s Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series. This book is an entertaining and clean read, with a strong emphasis on family, friends, community, and caring. The well-developed characters are three-dimensional, and the setting is charming. Ms. Daley’s descriptive writing draws the reader in, making them feel like they’re taking part in the action. The intriguing mysteries, twists, and red herrings will keep readers engaged and guessing. The complex mysteries in this installment encompass the disappearance of a reclusive retired professor, the murder of a man who arrived in the area on a large yacht, and the principal character’s quest to discover her past. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozies.
After Ainsley Holloway’s adoptive father passed away, she found a photograph of a woman with two young children, and, for reasons Ainsley couldn’t explain, she felt a connection to the people and started doubting her past. In her search for the truth about her past, Ansley and her two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Kai and Kallie, moved from Georgia to Washington State and rented a cozy cottage in Gooseberry Bay. Ainsley, who originally planned to stay for only a month or two, quickly made friends, settled into the community, and opened Ainsley Holloway Investigations.
In this installment, Skeet and Ape, two intellectually gifted yet socially challenged teens, are concerned that Ivan Beklund, their friend and retired professor, might be in trouble approach Ainsley. Ansley isn’t sure if the reclusive and paranoid professor is in danger or if he had simply forgotten to tell anyone about his plans and agrees to look into Professor Beklund’s disappearance. The teens are without funds, and Ainsley needs zombie volunteers for the haunted house, so they barter a deal. Meanwhile, Parker Peterson, Ainsley’s friend and local newspaper reporter, isn’t sure why, but she gets a bad feeling as she watches a nicely dressed man ferry from the yacht in a dinghy and walk through town as if he had a specific goal in mind.