Cleo Cooper Mysteries: Book 2
Publication Date: June 4, 2025
Cleo Cooper left ocean-dipping weekends as a psychology professor in Hawaii to sample life in the high desert of Santa Fe for her sabbatical. With her romantic relationship on the rocks in Hawaii, Cleo falls for Luc, a charming international expert in her field and is tempted to make the change permanent. She enjoys the people, the work, and the sparkling conversations, even if they come with a bite. But, when a wealthy backer of her project is killed, the snarky scientists, artists, and a Saudi ex-pat, who Cleo thought were her new friends, are now at the top of the suspect list. And with a killer on the loose, Cleo finds her life, and her love, in danger.
Elegance and Evil by DK Coutant is part of the Cleo Cooper Mystery series. Although I had not read the first book in this series, there was enough background information to keep me interested.
Cleo is front and center while on a sabbatical from her university job in Hawaii. Currently stationed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she gets caught up in helping solve a murder along with the possibility of other crimes. The story is marked by numerous twists and turns, with multiple storylines that each contain several key details, all of which are important. She creates a new circle of friends through Luc, with whom she is working while on sabbatical.
As clues and red herrings are thrust upon us, we have to sift through them to figure out whodunnit and whether it is the same person involved in the multiple crimes. The special agent in charge appears laid-back, but he has his work cut out for him. Cleo helped solve a case in Hawaii and is relied upon by some of the others for her observations and calm demeanor. There is closure with the solving of whodunnit and why, but the story needed to go on a little longer for the romance aspect of it. There were also a few other loose ends.
Elegance and Evil is a cozy mystery with vivid descriptions, and so much to sift through. My interest was held from the first page to the last, and I would like to see Cleo in action again.
DK Coutant graduated from Davidson College with a Psychology degree and initially applied her behavioral training to animals at Sea World, working with dolphins and whales. After a couple of years, she realized that scrubbing fish buckets might get old, and went back to Graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology, specializing in Cross-Cultural Issues. She began her academic career in Maine. A few years later, she made the jump to Hawaii and worked at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, rising to Department Chair of the Psychology Department. After many happy years in Hawaii, her love for travel led her to make the move out of academics. She accepted positions as a professional geopolitical forecaster with GJ Inc. and Rand Forecasting Initiative. She splits her time between Olympia, WA, Santa Fe, NM, and France, with her husband and an Old English Sheepdog, Beasley. Evil Alice and Borzoi was released by the Wild Rose Press in 2023. Elegance and Evil is the second in the Cleo Cooper Mysteries.
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Great review. Thanks so much for sharing! <3
Thank you for the kind words. And you have a lovely website. And I’m working on Cleo’s next adventure. I hope she (we) will be invited back.