Death by Didgeridoo by Barbara Venkataraman

For the most part, I think this is a good approach, as the reader has a lot to go on with his/her own imagination. There is very little focus on the description other than knowing about the blood and the weapon. The murder, in traditional cozy format, happens off screen. The author does a good job at not using too much legal-speak to make the read cumbersome which helps keep the story flowing along. Having a lawyer as the protagonist (especially when the story is written by a lawyer) also helps with storyline potential - think of all the murders, court room dramas and legal proceedings you as a reader will get to experience. I enjoy cozies that can go that extra step but still keep everything moving along. It's just the right balance of humor/fun without causing any intrusion into the overall story. There are a number of funny lines that quickly give you a sense of Jamie's personality making you wish you had a friend just like her - especially when many are at her own expense.

Jamie can easily tell you what she's seeing and thinking while also giving her opinion and stepping out of the story to make you laugh. The story is narrated in first person which gives the author valuable liberties with Jamie's personality. In the end, Jamie saves the day with help from her bestie Grace (a criminal lawyer) and PI Duke, who is also a former client of hers when he had his own womanizing ways! She uses her sharp wit, intelligence and connections to determine the potential real suspects and finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a music band where a number of members and their fan groupies may have been responsible. Jamie's own mother passed away which is why Jamie feels more closely connected to her aunt and cousin as some of her only remaining family however, Jamie is a family law practitioner, not a criminal lawyer. When Jamie's cousin Adam, a 22 year old with Asperger's Syndrome, is accused of killing his music teacher with a didgeridoo (a musical instrument), his mother Peg calls Jamie for help. I enjoyed reading this book, but it is a very short read to introduce you to the main characters, setting and background - definitely worth the read to give you a taste for what's to come in the series. 4 stars to Barbara Venkataraman's Death by Didgeridoo, her debut novel in the 'Jamie Quinn Mystery' series about a lawyer who investigates murders while protecting her clients from all the trouble they encounter.

Death by Didgeridoo by Barbara Venkataraman