A Basket Case (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series)
by Lesley A Diehl
About A Basket Case
A Basket Case (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Upstate New York
Publisher : Camel Press (November 12, 2024)
Paperback : 250 pages
ISBN-10 : 1684922208
ISBN-13 : 978-1684922208
Digital ASIN : B0D4MWFWSP
Maddie Sparks believes she has found the perfect balance in her life-Zack, the man she loves, a book she loves writing and volunteer work at a local museum with a granddaughter she adores. An old flame from Zack’s past arrives and drives a wedge into Maddie and Zack’s romance, her writing stalls and someone murders the museum’s director just as the museum is about to return a collection of Native American artifacts to the Onondaga and Oneida nations. Standing over the dead body of the museum director is an Indigenous man from neither group who insists one of the baskets in the collection belongs to his family. The authorities believe he is the killer, but Maddie does not. With her love life on hold, Maddie and her granddaughter set out to identify the killer, but their search reveals thefts at the museum and a two-hundred-year-old family secret that is the key to the motivation behind the killing. When Maddie uncovers the history behind the feud over the basket, she knows the identity of the killer, making Maddie his next target.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Maddie Sparks is a mature woman, over 70 with a healthy sense of humor. She has written several cozy mysteries since retiring from the library but is now switching things up by writing a steamy romance. When she is not writing she volunteers at the local museum where her granddaughter works as an intern or spends time with retired county sheriff, Zach Montgomery. Well, at least she was spending time with Zach but a blast from his past has come to town and will do anything to rekindle their old relationship.
Maddie is soon filling most of her time embroiled in another murder investigation. The museum director had been preparing to return a collection of Native American artifacts to the Onondaga and Oneida nations but an Indigenous man with no affiliation with either group believes one of the artifacts, a basket, belongs to his family. Sara finds that man, Mr. Powels, standing over the director’s dead body. He claims he didn’t kill her but the new county sheriff thinks it an open-and-shut case and takes Mr. Powels away in handcuffs. Maddie doesn’t think the man did the deed so with nothing else happening in her life she teams up with her granddaughter to pin down the real killer and address some other issues at the museum. Can they contain the killer or will the killer hamper their efforts?
I fell for Maddie Sparks and her grandaughter Sara in Spiked Punch, the first book in this series. Their close relationship shines and they make a great team of amateur sleuths. Maddie is up for anything and my stars, her antics could have done her in. She must be in amazing shape for a woman in her 70s. Sara steps in as the museum director at a stressful time with several irons in the fire in addition to the murder. She has a good head on her shoulders and thinks on her feet. Her parents were worried about her and a little over the top but I would be the same if my child were in Sara’s place. Ms. Diehl’s core characters are engaging and genuine. She surrounds them with a variety of interesting characters, some likable, some not so much.
The story was very well-plotted with several twists and turns. The subplot with Zach, his daughter, and a woman from his past was entwined intricately with the murder mystery. Maddie was going through a lot of feelings but was able to focus on the murder and follow each clue wherever it led. A mature woman like Maddie knows how to compartmentalize and speak her mind when the time is right. I enjoyed following her step by step through this book even when she took crazy risks. It just made me love her more. I can’t forget Spike, Maddie’s orange rescue cat. He is just great to have around but he does play an important role in helping to identify the killer.
The Native American subject matter was very intriguing as was the quest to give back their historic treasures. I was more familiar with the Oneida tribe having studied them in school here in Wisconsin but I love learning new things while reading fiction. It tweaks my interest to learn more.
A Basket Case has a complex mystery, complicated relationship issues, Native American repatriation, appealing characters, and plenty of humor in all the right places. I am excited for this series to continue. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Diehl has planned for Maddie next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Lesley A. Diehl
Cows, Lesley learned growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she herded them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t a good career choice, instead, she uses her country roots and her training as a psychologist to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. Unusual protagonists appear in many of Lesley’s works including Desdemona the crime-fighting potbellied pig, a hobo turned county sheriff and Lesley’s zany back-home-on-the-farm relatives (The Killer Wore Cranberry, all six anthologies). She is the author of several cozy mystery series (The Eve Appel Mysteries, Laura Murphy Mysteries, The Big Lake Murder Mysteries, and her newest, Maddie Sparks Mysteries, featuring a senior sleuth and her rescue cat). Her cozy mysteries have won several Readers’ Favorite Awards and a short story Sleuthfest Award. Find out more at www.lesleyadiehl.com.
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Also written by Lesley A Diehl
Find all of Lesley’s books HERE.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
Please Share Your Reading Itinerary
we meet Maddie Sparks and she has plenty of sparks in her life. Maddie is a mature woman, over 70 with a healthy sense of humor. She has written several cozy mysteries since retiring from the library but is now switching things up by writing a steamy romance. She has also gotten a makeover to reflect the new direction. Her eldest son, Geoffrey has a meltdown and is totally against his mother writing or publishing such scandalous thoughts that include “bedroom activities”. He would rather hire her “to work for free” at his property management company.
was a Perfect Escape that I read all in one sitting. I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Diehl has planned for these characters next.
