Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis by Sally Bayless

 

I'm pretty new to cozy mysteries. I tend to lean more towards dark romance and edgy thrillers, but I've been really stressed out lately and have been trying to buffer my harder reads with relaxed and low-key ones. ANTIQUES, ARTIFACTS & ALIBIS recently showed up as an offering for Stuff Your Kindle Day, and as someone who loves antiquing and animals, the idea of a cozy revolving around a museum director in a small town (with a pet golden retriever) was too good to miss.

Libby is newly divorced and gave up her sweet job at a larger museum because her ex-husband still worked there. Dogwood Springs is the home of her childhood, and her family there was practically royalty since they were one of the founding families. She is excited to work there, see her old family home, and regain her bearings. Which are obviously shaken when on her first day on the job, she finds a dead woman in what is supposed to be her office.

If you go into this expecting Agatha Christie, you're going to be disappointed. The murder isn't super complicated and it's not gritty at all. But I loved the descriptions of the town, and her interactions with the people there. It's also nice to read a mystery with an older heroine, and her love interest, a retired tech mogul who became a professor, is the perfect beta hero for anyone who's tired of alpha shenanigans. Also, we can't forget Bella the Dog.

I'll probably read more from this series when I'm in the mood for it. This is basically the chicken soup of mysteries. Good for when you're feeling sick or tired or defeated, and are wanting something gently invigorating and comfortingly bland.

3.5 out of 5 stars