Going CoastalBy: Jane DiLucchio
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A client dying on her massage table is traumatic enough for Kate Matthews, but when the police declare that death a murder, life becomes more painful for her as she is cast as the major suspect.
None of this is what Kate expected from her move to the peaceful town of Santa Barbara. After a near-fatal heart attack, an early retirement from her Los Angeles law firm, and a change in careers, Kate envisioned a quiet life with her wife, Alicia, and their grown children.
Since the client held a position on the California Coastal Commission, her death becomes a media event. Kate finds herself and her family sucked into the maelstrom. The former lawyer has all she can do to find the truth behind Celia's death without adding her own name to the body count.
Review by Amanda
My Rating: 3 Tea Cups!
Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical going into Going Coastal. I felt that this cozy mystery, could of easily gone down the path of being a bit too cozy. I am happy that I was wrong. Jane DiLucchio delivered a solid mystery that had lots of twists and turns and always kept me guessing.
Kate Matthews moved to the town of Santa Barbara after a law career in Los Angeles. She lives with her wife, Alicia and they have 2 grown children. I am so jealous of the life in Santa Barbara. The town was portrayed was a beautiful coastal town with amazing views of the ocean. The community is welcoming and there is always something going on.
Kate, after a heart attack, switched careers from a lawyer to a masseuse. She has a few clients throughout town and it helps keep her busy during retirement. Unfortunately, during a routine massage, a client suffers from an allergic reaction and later dies in the hospital. Kate is considered the prime suspect and like most cozy mysteries, tries to uncover who is the killer, so she can clear her name.
I really liked Kate. I found her to be a no nonsense type of person. She sees things how they are and tries her best to make everyone happy. She is super logical and it was an easy transition for her to track down the killer with her prior law experience. It also make the novel seem more realistic. I also loved the relationship between her and her wife, Alicia. It felt real and they had their ups and downs like any other couple.
There was a lot of characters in this novel and I loved it how they weren't how they appeared. There was an added layer of mystery in trying to determine who was "good" and who was "bad".
My only disappointment with this novel is that there was too much going on. Celia, the deceased client, was a part of the California Coastal Commission. The novel goes into multiple firms that Celia was dealing with. I got really confused trying to figure out which firms did what and which people belong to what firm. It took away from the murder storyline.
I would recommend this novel to those readers who enjoy cozy mysteries that have some depth to them. I hope that the author continues the series and I will definitely check out her next novel!
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