Book Review: Killer Twist

C. A. Larmer has woven an intricate plot for Killer Twist that unfolded a bit too slowly for my taste, but was, nevertheless, well done overall. Once it got going, she threw in more twists than a Chubby Checker revival dance. I must confess I did catch on to the primary and secondary bad guys early in their introductions, but the reason why they did the nasty wasn't clear until the big reveal to Roxy Parker, the amateur sleuth who took risks I'd never be caught taking, especially at the end. That woman's nuts.

Well composed and without mechanical hiccups this was a solid read. Even the slang and unusual accents were carried off much better than most writers. The author made Roxy well rounded enough, but missed a good opportunity to put in more of the Australian scenery and atmosphere for a story being sold elsewhere in the world. It did not affect the rating, but I hated the cover.

Some harsh language early on would probably put-off some of the cozy mystery readers, but woman amateur sleuth readers should flock to Rozy Parker, a heroine in heels, with a seemingly never-ending and over-sized closet--but this is from a guy's perspective. The overall impact is not quite enough for a "5," but I have no problem with a solid "4" rating for this down-under mystery.