Book Review - The Body in the Wetlands

The Body in the Wetlands (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #2)
Author:  Judi Lynn
Publisher: Kensington Books – Lyrical Underground
Publication Date:  April 23, 2019
4 Stars

Jazzi, her boyfriend Ansel, and her cousin Jerrod are back, but before moving on to flip another house, they are helping to remodel Jazzi’s sister, Olivia’s, house.  While working at Olivia’s house, Jazzi gets to know Leo, an elderly neighbor who loves to chat and walk his dog.  One day, Leo’s dog shows up without him, so Jazzi decides to take him home, and once there, finds out that Leo is missing.  She calls her friend, Detective Gaff, to help in the search for Leo.  While there, the dog continues to nudge Jazzi until he gets her to take him for a walk.  He leads Jazzi to a nearby wetland.  There he helps to unearth not one, but two bodies, neither of which turns out to be Leo.  Jazzi wonders how she has managed to find herself entangled in yet more murders, but thanks her lucky stars that her family is not involved this time.  Even so, Jazzi feels pulled to the case, and can’t help but wonder what happened to Leo and who the other two poor souls are.  Detective Gaff enlists Jazzi’s help because he believes that people find it easier to talk to her than a detective.  The two of them set out to find some answers and capture a killer.

The Body in the Wetlands is the second book in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series, and it is every bit as good as the first one.  One of the winning qualities of this series is Jazzi herself.  She is a strong character who flips houses, whips up large family meals, makes quality time with her boyfriend, and still finds time to help Detective Gaff.  She’s the total package!  Her character is unique in the fact that she works with the law, rather than constantly putting herself in precarious situations.

I also like Ansel’s side story.  We get to know his family, and in doing so, get to know him better as well.  The author does a great job contrasting Ansel and Jazzi’s families.  Ansel’s time away from Jazzi also provides the opportunity to put their relationship to the test.  Are Jazzi and Ansel meant for each other?

I also loved the mystery in this story.  It is a well-woven tale and keeps you wanting to read on.  Each of the suspects seem like viable possibilities.  Some you even hope don’t turn out to be the killer.  I also enjoyed the manner in which the author wraps up the mystery.

I think cozy mystery fans will love this book.  I know I’m looking forward to the third book in this series, The Body in the Gravel.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Underground for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #TheBodyInTheWetlands