CLOCK AND DAGGER by Julianne Holmes

Publisher:     Berkley

Published:     August 2, 2016

ISBN:        978-0425275535

Genre:      Cozy Mystery

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  myreviewbooks@aol.com

FOUR-1/2 HEARTS

 

Ruth Clagan is well on her way to fulfilling her grandfather, GT’s dream of rebuilding the town of Orchard’s clock tower.  She’s also getting ready to re-open Cog and Sprocket, her family’s clock shop.  The reopening is joined with several other town events including her step-grandmother’s birthday and new year’s eve.  Most of the town is behind her.  In fact, there are only two people who seem to think bringing big box stores won’t harm the quaint little town’s image—Kim Gray and Beckett Green.  Even with three new employees, she’s grateful the extra help her fellow business owners are offering.  With four parties in the works over the next few days Ruth’s schedule is jam packed and she’s not saying no to anyone’s offer of help.  Everything comes to a screeching halt when one of her new employees is found dead.  Adding to the mystery is a curious watch found not far from his body.  When some of the clues to Mark’s murder start pointing to her family, despite her desire to let the law do their job, Ruth is drawn into the investigation.  When a second of her employees is attacked and left for dead Ruth knows time is running out for her to find the killer.

I was drawn to Julianne Holmes Clock Shop series because of a childhood memory.  Shortly before I hit my teens our family went to see some long-time friends her Herkimer, New York.  The family we visited had both a cuckoo and a grandfather clock.  Both of them fascinated me.  I rushed to see the cuckoo come out each hour and just loved the look of the grandfather clock.  Given my memories, how could I not pick up this series to read?  Holmes did not disappoint.  Her latest, CLOCK AND DAGGER, is a fun mystery with solid characters and a super story line. 

I liked Ruth from the start of book 1, JUST KILLING TIME.  There is some nice development in her character from that one to CLOCK AND DAGGER, as there is with the secondary characters.  And the main theme of the story – getting Cog and Sprocket re-opened and the clock tower restored progresses.  I found myself vested in the restoration project and wanting it to move forward.  Beckett Green and Kim Gray are characters you just want to shake…and cheer when they do.  The shops and their names are clever and are described as places you’d like to visit yourself. 

With progress on the clock tower happening along with the other businesses in Orchard it looks like we will be treated to more fun reads in this series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

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