4-STAR REVIEW: RIVERS AND CREAKS by Marc Jedel

A Redwoods Country Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: November 30, 2023

A grumpy innkeeper. A dead guest. Can he solve the locked-room mystery before his business crumbles into chaos?

In the heart of Redwoods Country, where even the towering trees whisper secrets, there’s an innkeeper who’s anything but welcoming. Meet Andy Shirley—a man who’s made grumpiness an art form, detesting both guests and life’s little inconveniences. Now a dead guest and a killer on the loose threaten not only Andy’s solitude but his livelihood.

His cherished wife’s memory keeps him tethered to the small-town bed and breakfast they dreamt of running together. When a guest is found dead in a locked room, can this retired copy editor use his meticulous attention to detail to uncover the truth and save his business?

Fearing this shocking event will deter future guests and buyers, Andy’s frustration intensifies as the sheriff shifts his focus to a higher profile case. Yet, amidst this turmoil, Andy’s even more shocked when the most unexpected event happens as he hunts for clues . . . he strikes up an unlikely friendship.

Rivers and Creaks launches the humorous Redwoods Country cozy mystery series. If you like cranky but lovable characters, classic closed-door conundrums, and light-hearted fun, then you’ll love Marc Jedel’s laugh-out-loud tale. Imagine “Grumpy Old Men” merged with “Schitt’s Creek.”

Author Marc Jedel delivers the first book in A Redwoods Country Mystery, Rivers and Creaks, a cozy mystery with both lightness and humor, even when a dead body is found after Andy takes over the ownership of the B&B that he and his wife had closed on the year before. Unfortunately, his wife died, and now he’s the sole owner and doesn’t like dealing with people. How’s that going to work out?

We not only get to know Andy, but there’s a core group of locals we are introduced to, including the police chief, Joann, and her daughter Charlie, who’s training to be a plumber and an electrician and is hired by Andy to do some repairs at the B&B on the grounds and in the cottage he’ll be living in. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, especially with Andy being an amateur sleuth. He solves the crime with the help of the bridal party and their family members staying at the B&B, and he also ends the kidnapping and saves the day.

The story has many storylines, twists, and turns despite Andy and his curmudgeonly ways now that he’s retired and his plans have gone astray. There is some choppiness to the story that takes place over a four-day period, and so much is packed into each day. There are clues galore, and Andy keeps gathering them, wondering if they will be important or not.

Rivers and Creaks is a humorous, cozy mystery set in a small northern California town that had me turning the pages to see whodunnit as I got to know the city and its inhabitants. Pull up a chair and dive in. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Marc Jedel writes humorous murder mysteries. He credits his years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley for honing his writing skills and sense of humor. While his high-tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, these were just called emails, ads, and marketing collateral.

For most of Marc’s life, he’s been inventing stories. It’s a skill that’s served him well as both an author and marketer. The publication of Marc’s first novel, Uncle and Ants, gave him permission to claim “author” as his job. This leads to much more interesting conversations with people than answering, “marketing.”

Like his character, Andy, from the Redwoods Country Mystery series, Marc continues to grow older and would prefer not to run a bed-and-breakfast inn when he retires. Like his character, Marty from the Silicon Valley Mystery series, Marc now lives in Silicon Valley, works in high-tech, and enjoys bad puns. Like his characters Jonas and Elizabeth from the Ozarks Lake Mystery series, he grew up in the South and spent plenty of time in and around Arkansas. Like all his protagonists, Marc too has a dog, although his is neurotic, sweet, and small, with little appreciation for Marc’s humor.

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