Book Description:
Saundra Bailey has a rough few first days after moving to Camden Township to be
the new children's librarian. First a strange man who smells of cheap cigars
tries to get into her apartment, then she’s caught between two Welcome Wagon
teams, which results in her feeling rather unwelcome. When Cigar Man later
tries to steal her purse, she meets Kai, owner of Book & Mug, a coffee shop
and bookstore. Cigar Man tried to break into the building Kai owns with his cousins,
Eden and Troy, after trying to hire Eden, an investigator, to find lost family
documents.
As Saundra settles into her new job and home, she learns
about the political and social feuds and alliances in town. Then Cigar Man
breaks into the Book & Mug building in the middle of the night, falls from
a fire escape, and dies. The hunt is on to figure out what he was looking for,
who was the other man with him when he fell, and whose side the mysterious
accomplice is on.
Head Trustee Roger Camden, descendant of a founding father,
has a growing list of grudges against the cousins and gets in the way of their
investigation. Their building used to belong to his family. He accuses them of
being in league with Cigar Man, who apparently was seeking Camden family documents.
The foursome scramble to put together clues and identify Cigar Man’s accomplice
before he hurts more people and makes more evidence and clues vanish.
My Thoughts:
The Unwelcome Wagon is filled with quirky characters, including new to
Camden Township, Saundra. She moved to town as the children's librarian and
ends up in the middle of a mystery. I liked the cousins, Kai, Eden, and Troy
and hope to learn more of their story throughout the series. The township is
laced with turmoil when a man breaking into places dies. Saundra, with the help
of her new friends, and an old friend, sleuth about town until they find the
truth. I enjoyed Michele Levigne's storytelling as she wove together clues, red
herrings, and humor. If you're a cozy mystery reader, you'll want to check out
this new series. I'm looking forward to the next one. I received a
complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are
completely my own.
Available April 1, 2022, and now up for preorder from major book sellers.