Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this delightful cozy, Nichols--a pseudonym for husband-and-wife team Joel Ross (The Fog Diver) and Lee Nichols (Tales of a Drama Queen)--introduces a cast of colorful characters who live in a cluster of cottages near the ocean in Santa Barbara. Octogenarian landlady Golda Bakofsky treats her kind if eccentric tenants like family. They include the agoraphobic Hamilton, secretive Nicholas, artist Ocean, nearly divorced Lily-Ann, suspicious new arrival Anthony, and budding playwright Sophie. When a dead man turns up in the cottages' courtyard and Anthony is arrested for his murder, Mrs. Bakofsky thinks there's been a miscarriage of justice, so she goes to the police and confesses to the crime. To clear her name, the neighbors band together to solve the case. Chapters alternate between Mrs. Bakofsky, her tenants, and Det. Sgt. Vernon Enible, whose eagerness to close the case leads him to some sloppy investigative work. Crisp dialogue, well-clued twists, and robustly drawn characters conspire to make this a memorable new entry in the cozy field. Readers will hope a sequel is on the way. (Aug.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Golda Bakofsky (Mrs. B. to her tenants) has tried to build a sense of community among the residents of the Marigold Cottages: Sophie, a playwright with a troubled past; single parent and sculptor Ocean; perfectionist Lily-Ann; Hamilton, who has agoraphobia; and Nicholas, a finance bro with secrets. Soon after taciturn ex-con Anthony moves in, a corpse is found in the bushes outside. Though the police suspect Anthony of murder, Mrs. B. is positive he's innocent. She enlists all her tenants in her search for the real killer, which she also hopes might be the catalyst to finally bring everyone together. From its charmingly realized Santa Barbara setting to its eccentric, engaging cast of characters, everything about this whimsically wonderful mystery is done to perfection. It is the first foray into crime fiction by Nichols, a husband-and-wife team made up of Lee Nichols (Reconstructing Brigid) and Joel Naftali (The Rendering). VERDICT Told from the viewpoints of each of the main characters and written with a great deal of heart and a generous measure of wry wit, this thoughtful, nuanced mystery delivers the same feel-good vibe as Robert Thorogood's "Marlow Murder Club" and Nita Prose's "Molly the Maid" series.--John Charles
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A group of neighbors band together to solve two murders. Golda Bakofsky owns the Marigold Cottages, six charming Craftsman-style buildings set on a flower-filled lot in Santa Barbara. Her tenants are an eclectic bunch: secretive Nicholas Perez; Lawrence Hamilton, who's afraid to leave his house; Ocean Mistral, a lesbian with two children; frightened Sophie Gilman; compulsive Lily-Ann Novak; and most recently Anthony Lambert, whose criminal past will lead to a murder hunt. Mrs. B herself is an eccentric, warm-hearted person whose needy tenants love her in different ways and worry when she takes in Anthony, a silent, thuggish-looking type. During one of the cottagers' group chats, Sophie, who's had PTSD ever since she was stalked, warns the tenants about Anthony. When Sophie finds a dead body under a bush, DS Vernon and almost everyone else fasten on Anthony as the guilty party. Mrs. B, who's absolutely certain of Anthony's innocence, organizes the other tenants, even Ocean's children, to help prove his innocence, forcing them all into deeper relationships. The dead man is James Dedrick, who, along with Gregory Ybarra, wanted to buy Marigold Cottages, which is now worth millions, but Mrs. B refused their offers, just like all the others. The tenants are all hiding deep, dark secrets that could put them in jeopardy and provide rich material for a play Sophie's writing. Superb characterizations and a denouement that leaves you still unsure who's guilty make for a brilliantly quirky mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
