Puss Reboots: Blog: February 2023: Soul of a Killer

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Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand
Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala and Danice Cabanela (Narrator)
Blanche Among the Talented Tenth by Barbara Neely and Lisa Reneé Pitts (Narrator)
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Kowloon Generic Romance, Volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki and Amanda Haley (Translation)
Lore Olympus, Volume Two by Rachel Smythe
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Monkey Prince by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang (Illustrator)
The Neapolitan Sisters by Margo Candela
Nightmare of the Iguana by Ursula Vernon
No Judgments by Meg Cabot
Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders
6 Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe
Soul of a Killer by Abby Collette and L. Malaika Cooper (Narrator)
Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue and Kristin Price (Narrator)
A Tale of Two Princes by Eric Geron
Vampiric Vacation by Kiersten White
Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron and Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

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January 2023 Summary

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Soul of a Killer: 02/26/23

Soul of a Killer by Abby Collette and L. Malaika Cooper (Narrator) (2022) is the second Books & Biscuits mystery. A man is electrocuted during a church potluck. Mama Zola and the twins know the accused man couldn't have done it and set out to prove so.

This mystery is built around church politics and the rivalries that can spring up among similar congregations. Add in financial shenanigans and there's sure to be enough hurt feelings that someone might be driven to murder.

Keaton sets herself apart from most cozy sleuths in that she will readily admit when she doesn't know something. She does this to the people around her and to the reader. She's also more than willing to ask for help. That said, she's still hindered by preconceptions that sometimes get her into danger.

I did manage to figure out who had committed the murder before Keaton, Koby or Mama Zola. The process involved first, an understanding of the "family" dynamic of the church and later in recognizing who besides the obvious characters had the same skillset.

Five stars