The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

The Redemption Detective Agency, #1

by Michele Pariza Wacek

A fun start to a new cozy mystery series featuring a very unorthodox detective agency.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive marks the debut of a new cozy mystery series by Michele Pariza Wacek. The Redemption Detective Agency is a spin-off from the author's Charlie Kingsley Mystery series and features several familiar faces. 

Emily Hildebrandt has just experienced a double-triple whammy: the loss of her job, car, fiancé, apartment, and money. However, her eccentric Aunt Tilde offers her a place to lick her wounds and recalibrate with her back in Redemption, Wisconsin, with a single phone call. Aunt Tilde has even lined her up with a new job: office manager/detective at Tilde's latest venture, The Redemption Detective Agency. As a reluctant but grateful Emily settles into her new job, the agency gets their first client: the mother of a young man she claims was wrongly convicted of murder. There's just one big catch: the young man confessed to the crime. 

Emily is an engaging, down-and-out underdog who you can't help but root for, and Aunt Tilde is a fun but quirky and kind-hearted woman. Rounding out the agency are two of Tilde's retirement-aged friends: Mildred, a retired schoolteacher, and Nora, the owner of a used bookstore located in the same strip center as the new detective agency. None of the ladies have any experience whatsoever as detectives. Emily is very much the straight-woman in this quirky, comedic, cozy mystery. Armed with a new lawyer for the son, the ladies work together to investigate, interview, and re-examine the facts of the case, which the police never had to bother with after Hal's confession. 

The book is fairly short, so the action starts immediately and never stops until the final conclusion. I was hooked by Emily's sad-sack story right from the start and enjoyed reading the entire book in one sitting. I was pleased with the resolution that not only brought justice but tied up other loose ends and promised more to come. 

I recommend THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE to cozy mystery fans, especially those who like more mature sleuths. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.