Thursday, February 27, 2020

Book Review - The Body in the Apartment

The Body in the Apartment (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #4)
Author:  Judi Lynn
Publisher:  Kensington Books
Publication Date:  March 17, 2020
4 Stars

Jazzi and Ansel are happily married now, and still in the house flipping business with Jerod, Jazzi’s cousin.  Ansel’s brother, Radley, has been living with them since they got married, but now he is moving into his own apartment.  He is excited to be moving into the same apartment complex as his boss, Donovan.  When Ansel and Radley’s oldest brother, Bain, finds out that Radley is staying in River Bluffs, he is furious and drives over to Radley’s apartment with the goal of dragging him back home to the farm.  Donovan tried to step in to help defend Radley and his decision to stay, but he backs off when Bain becomes defensive.  Donovan leaves, but not long after that, the foursome hear a gunshot.  When they look out, they see Donovan covered in blood and stumbling to the ground outside his apartment.  Although they all rush to help Donovan and call 911, Donovan doesn’t make it.  Because of her close relationship with him, Jazzi calls Gaff in the hopes that he will help with the case.

In the confusion of everything, Bain disappears.  When Jazzi and Ansel go in search of him, they find him looking in his truck’s glove compartment in bewilderment.  It seems Bain had brought a gun with him, but now it is gone.  Gaff would come to learn that it was Bain’s gun that had been used to shoot Donovan.  Although not a likely suspect, he is the only suspect for the moment, and Gaff tells him not to leave town.  Once again, Gaff enlists Jazzi’s help to talk with the people involved in the case.  Jazzi has her hands full with the fixer-upper, the case, and the fact that Bain is living with her and Ansel until he is cleared as a suspect.  Jazzi is anxious to see this case solved to find justice for Donovan, provide closure for her friends, and to see Bain head back home.

This is the fourth Jazzi Zanders mystery and I’ve loved every single one.  Each book is filled to the brim with mystery, suspense, construction, good food, and great family.  All of which come together to create a winning combination.  This installment focuses on Ansel’s family and Jazzi and Ansel’s growing extended “family.”  Ansel is joined by both his brothers in this book.  Radley has been living with them until he can get on his own two feet, and Jazzi loves him.  When Bain is forced to stay with them, Jazzi is miserable.  She hates Bain’s bad attitude, and how he treats Ansel, Radley, and their mother.  We learn in this story though that an unlikable character can have redeeming qualities.  During his involuntary stay in River Bluffs, Bain decides to help with work on the fixer-upper, and in the process he learns a lot more than just about construction.

The murder in this story is more elaborate and has a lot more players than in the other books.  The reader must carefully follow the clues and twists and turns to successfully find their way to the solution.  The mystery is clever, suspenseful, and never loses a step.  The characters are great, and you can’t help but wish you were one of the crew.  You won’t want to put this book down until you reach the end.

I’m excited there will be a fifth book in the series, The Body from the Past.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley   #TheBodyInTheApartment

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