5 stars for Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish by @quirkymysteries #cozymystery
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  • N. N. Light
    • May 14, 2020
    • 3 min read

5 stars for Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish by @quirkymysteries #cozymystery



Title: Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish

Author: Charlotte Stuart

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Book Blurb:


In ancient Greece, the chimera was a bad omen. In WHY ME?, it's a motive for murder. Seattle consultant, Bryn Baczek, is vacationing in Scotland, hiking alone in a downpour, surrounded by midges, when she sees a body at the bottom of a ravine. Before she can return to the scene with the mountain rescue team, the body of the scientist disappears, along with the laptop containing his cutting-edge research. Rumors that Bryn has the scientist's laptop make her a target of both legal and illegal businesses that want to make fistfuls of money by growing customized human organs in animal chimeras.

My Review:


Bryn Baczek is on vacation in Scotland, alone because her friend canceled at the last minute to spend quality time with her ‘new’ boyfriend. Even though everything she’s read warns her to not go hiking in the Highlands alone, Bryn does it anyway. While hiking in the pouring rain, she discovers a dead body. She tries to call the authorities, but she can’t find any cell service. So she leaves the dead man and walks quite a ways before calling. She shows the rescue team where she left the dead man, only he’s disappeared. Weird. She does a little digging and discovers the dead man is a scientist residing in Seattle, her hometown. When rumors start flying that Bryn has the dead man’s laptop with his research on it, her life is in peril. They’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on the research, no matter who they have to kill to get it. Can Bryn stay one step ahead of the criminals and unearth who they are, or will she be crying why me?

Why Me?: Chimeras, Conundrums, and Dead Goldfish is a delightful cozy mystery from start to finish. Bryn is an excellent amateur detective who doesn’t scare easily. The mystery behind the missing body and laptop kept me ripping through the pages. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading. Descriptive narration with quirky characters makes this cozy mystery a must-read. Charlotte Stuart has a gift for mystery writing with plenty of humor and flawed characters. This was my first book by her and let me tell you, I will be reading more. Such a lovely cozy to curl up to with a cup of tea. Highly recommend!

Favorite Quote or Character:


Bryn. She’s such a fun character to read. Her inner dialogue had me in stitches. Her fish outta water circumstances and how she dealt with it all sealed my affection for her. A great character, full of humor and wit.

My Rating: 5 stars

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Author Biography:


Charlotte Stuart, PhD, began her career in academia. She taught communications and public address and coached an award-winning intercollegiate debate team. She and her husband took a year off to cruise the Canadian Pacific Coast in their sailboat. Determined to extend their life on the water, they built a fishing boat and went commercial fishing in Alaska. This decision, labeled “crazy” by colleagues, gave her the opportunity to experience lifestyles and locations very different from her urban roots. Stories of time spent on the water, exploring unpopulated areas, and meeting people who live in remote villages often find their way into her writing. After fishing for nine years, she returned to a career in management consulting. Charlotte lives and writes on Vashon Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound and spends time each day entertained by herons, seals, eagles and other wildlife.

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Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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