Loose Screw:
Dusty Deals Mystery Series: Book 1
Cozy Mystery
Self Published
E-Book File Size: 882 KB
Print Length: 284 pages
ASIN: B004T3AXEW
Lucy Mathews, crime reporter turned antiques dealer, avoids confrontation like a home perm. She even lets a cat shove her around.
When Lucy trips over the body of a buckskin-clad relics trader, her ex-boss asks her to cover the story. She tries to tell him no, but old habits die hard and soon she finds herself directly in the path of a killer and the exasperating, if attractive, detective in charge.
Can Lucy catch a killer or is this the last confrontation for her—period?
Lucy Mathews is a very flawed protagonist. She not only can’t say no to anyone but she is really hard on herself and the people she surrounds herself with do not help her one bit. I am hoping she gets stronger as the series continues especially if she is going to be hunting down killers. As a side note, she adds milk to her soda, yuck!! It must be on Montana thing. I know the author lives in Wisconsin and having lived here my whole life I know it is not a Wisconsin thing.
My favorite character without a doubt was Lucy’s malamute, Kiska. He was there for Lucy throughout all the drama she found herself in the the middle of. He happy woo, woo, woo sounded just my own canine companions.
The mystery itself was very good with plenty of suspects. It could have been a little tighter but it suffers the first book in a series syndrome. The author has a lot of work in the first book. They not only have to have a mystery for the reader to follow but they also have to introduce the setting and all the characters. This author is trying to do this in about 100 less pages than a typical cozy mystery as well. I feel we get a good grasp on Helena, Montana and the basics of the characters were introduced. I am hoping in Cut Loose, book two in the series, we have characters that continue to evolve and a mystery that is a bit deeper. Davies has laid the groundwork, now she has to follow-up and build on what she has created. Lucy needs to stand up for herself and get some decent men in her life.

This story is available for free right now on Amazon.
About This Author
Rae Davies is the pen name of author Lori Devoti.
Lori Devoti worked for three different newspapers in two different states before deciding to stay home with her children and begin writing fiction. Lori has been a finalist for many awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award and is a member of Novelists Inc., a prestigious group for professional writers. She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and children as well as two dogs.
Like Lucy, Rae/Lori loves antiques, Montana and malamutes.
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*From my personal collection.