A review by robinwritesallthethings
Burnt Ends by Laura Wetsel

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I received an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: A private investigator and former(ish) opioid addict turns her detective skills to taking down her own family after they stole her father’s barbecue legacy from her years ago.

Plot: I can’t resist a good cozy mystery, and this is one of the better ones I’ve read. The mystery being intertwined with Tori’s family and her unrealized inheritance makes the stakes very high. Honestly, I found her pettiness refreshing. She wasn’t initially out to do the right thing, she just wanted revenge, and I can appreciate that. There are a lot of possible suspects here, and the end result isn’t super obvious until you’re almost there, when it’s supposed to be, so the red herrings worked, and that’s always fun.

Style: I found this book easy to read, and the mystery easy to follow, even though there were a lot of suspects and clues to sort through. I also enjoyed all the barbecue metaphors. That corniness is what makes a cozy mystery cozy!

Trigger Warnings: There are quite a few triggers in here that people should be aware of. Opioid use and overdosing associated with it, an allergic reaction, murder, attempted murder, assault, and mental health issues, particularly multiple personality disorder. I always get a little cagey with that last one because I grew up in the era of movies and shows massively misrepresenting MPD, but the research here is good and holds up. Although, girl, I’m worried you’re going to get sued because of the character’s very prominent other personality. I don’t know what the rules are about that, but I do know that Disney is pretty quick to drag people into court. Good luck!

Final Thoughts: This is a debut novel, and I have to say it’s a good one. I’d definitely give something else by this author a read if I got the chance.
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