Treble with the Law by Jessa Archer

Mystery Fell Flat

I have read quite a few books by this author. She has put out quite a few series, and as I love cozy mysteries, I snap them up as soon as I see them at my favorite book review site. What I have found, unfortunately, is that Ms. Archer’s style is uneven. Some of her books, and some of her series, are spectacular. For instance, I love the series about hand lettering; if you haven’t read any of that series, you should check it out. However, this series isn’t quite doing it for me, and this particular installment of the series fell flat. I felt there was too much emphasis on the cozy and not enough on the mystery. That is definitely a problem with so many cozy mysteries. There does need to be a balance. The mystery in this one seemed underdeveloped and the resolution too obvious.

In general, I do like Ms. Archer’s books. I just don’t like this particular one. Obviously, I am not a reviewer who likes every book an author puts out just because I’ve liked a couple previously. Each book has to stand on its own merit. But I have enjoyed so many of this author’s books, that I am willing to give new ones a try.