"Murder at First Light" By Christine Knapp: Review/Giveaway

Review by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

This is such an interesting cozy with an unusual sleuth. Maeve (rhymes with brave), is a 6-foot-tall midwife. Right there I am instantly intrigued because I had not come across a taller than average sleuth or a midwife sleuth. This is a modern day cozy that educates as well as entertains, much like Maeve herself. Maeve will be wearing multiple hats, and each one plays an integral part in the mystery solving. While this is my first time reading a Modern Midwife Mystery, it is the fourth book of the series and I had no trouble becoming completely immersed in the story.


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Image Source Gemma Halliday
A unique aspect of this book is that each chapter starts off with an informational tidbit based on gynecological terms, so you learn something new, or at least the meaning of some fancy medical words. These little entries fit in perfectly because Maeve is taking on a teaching position at Rosemont College for the nursing program in addition to continuing with her midwifery job at Creighton Memorial Hospital. How could Theo Archer, a very healthy man training for an Ironman race, have dropped dead of a heart attack? Jeremy Archer, an emergency room nurse and the deceased’s brother, confides in Maeve that he thinks foul play was involved. Maeve’s curiosity is peaked, and it looks like she and her older sister, Megan, lovingly nicknamed the M&Ms, are ready to be on the case.

The sisters are busy hunting down clues and suspects because it seems that not everyone thought that Theo was such a great guy. Not that they needed much prodding to start poking, but this time their brother and police officer, Patrick, asks them to keep ears and eyes open. Theo Archer was VERY successful and lived in the Mariner Heights neighborhood, home to the “Roses,” ladies who attended Rosemont, or aka the “Yummy Mummies” as Meg and Maeve have so dubbed them. The Yummy Mummies remind me of the Ladies Who Lunch only younger and a little bit snobbier. Even their British nannies, from THE Bloomsby School have a certain air about them. Suspects include a teacher who claims plagiarism, an app creator who was left out of the big business deal, the investor who bought the over-hyped business that may be underperforming, and the soon to be ex-wife who signed an ironclad prenup.

This mystery is like a full-term pregnancy with all its changes and mood swings. You will laugh, you will sigh, you will be shocked, and you’ll be well-entertained. You will also be fed if you make the recipes for a complete meal at the back of the book. I, for one, am on the hunt for fresh tarragon and have already prepped the salad dressing. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story which means that I will need to go back and read the ones that I was unaware of while I wait for the next book to drop.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Murder at First Light, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "modern,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 26, 2020. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

  1. I've never read a midwife mystery either. Count me in!

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