A KILLER PLOT by Ellery Adams

As a young child Olivia Limoges left the coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina after the mysterious disappearance of her fisherman father. Years later, still haunted by his disappearance, Olivia returns to her hometown. No longer the unhappy child found abandoned in a floating boat, Olivia is now a mysterious, sophisticate and wealthy woman working on her first novel. Olivia is convinced the only companion she needs is her faithful poodle, Captain Haviland. However, after joining the local writer’s group, Olivia begins to make friends only to have one brutally murdered. Devastated, Olivia and her fellow writers take it upon themselves to assist the police chief, Sawyer Rawlings (a potential love interest for Olivia) in solving the murder.

I’m a huge mystery fan of all kinds, but I’m particularly fond of cozy mysteries, especially those with a theme. I picked up A Killer Plot because Olivia is a writer. (Something I dream of myself.) It sounded just like the kind of book I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. Adams has created well-developed characters that the reader will enjoy getting to know. Each one is diverse and interesting, from feisty waitress Dixie, who insists on being referred to as “dwarf” rather than “little person” to Millay who changes her color highlights often and feels very protective of the rough and tumble fishermen who hang at Fish Nets, the bar where she works.

Often when a series debuts, the main character is not as well developed as Olivia. But Adams has created a character of great depth. There is more to Olivia than just her money, sophistication and aloofness. The fact that she is a woman of mystery is introduced early on and we get to see her grow. She is my favorite character and I’m looking forward to learning more about her.

One final reason I found this book so entertaining goes back to the theme: writers. I’ve read other stories where one or more of the characters are writers. Some have even belonged to writer’s groups just like the Oyster Bay Writers. What singles out Adams’ book from the others is that reader gets a glimpse of what it’s like to be a writer. We get to see some of the process and we get to see how a real writing group operates (though granted, most real life groups don’t get involved in solving crimes). I enjoyed reading their works in progress almost as much as the main story. This is a series that has a lot to offer and I can’t wait for the next one.