She Doesn't Have a Clue: 02/21/25

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (2025) is a mystery romance set on a remote island in Puget Sound right on the border with Canada. Kate Valentine, mystery author, has been a last minute invite to the wedding held at Hempstead House.

A wedding in a remote place is a surefire bet for a disaster or two. Like The Unwedding by Ally Condie (2024), this one is hampered by a massive storm and an attempted murder, and an actual murder. The crimes are eerily similar to things Kate has written in her mystery series. With that in mind, Kate decides to draw on the powers of her fictional sleuth to solve these crimes.

First and foremost, this is a rom-com with nods to mystery comedies like Clue (1985) and Murder by Death (1976). But it's also a romance with some sexy times in unusual places thanks to hidden passageways and other old house shenanigans.

Despite all the silliness, an observant reader can solve the mystery. It's a fun puzzle that relies on knowledge of older tropes, ones that fit the location. Despite the mystery being set in the present, bad weather and and old house keeps Kate (or anyone else) from using the internet to research things or call the authorities. It was a fun old style mansion murder mystery without it being historical fiction.

Five stars

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