Author: Pamela M. Kelley
Narrator: Leslie Howard
Publisher: Piping Plover Press
Publication Date: May 2021
Genre: Mystery
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: A mother and daughter inherit a PI Agency with a reputation that takes them by surprise.
Meet Emma McCarthy, a thirty-year-old failed actress that just moved home to Plymouth, MA.
And her mother, Cindy, a yoga instructor in the Pinehills, an exclusive golf community in Plymouth.
They’ve just inherited Court Street Investigations, a private detective agency.
And its one part-time employee, eighty-year-old Mickey, a retired police detective.
They expect typical cases like cheating spouses or workman’s comp, but quickly learn that the agency also has a reputation for solving murders when they are hired to find a local missing woman.
My Thoughts: There isn’t anything exciting or intense that stands out with this story, but I did enjoy meeting the characters and going on surveillance and doughnut runs with Emma and Mickey.
Emma McCarthy moves back home to Plymouth, Massachusetts after her acting career fails to take off. She rents a cute little cottage on the beach and begins working at the private investigation agency left to her and her mother by her father. Initially I really thought this wasn’t going to be successful for Emma because a: she isn’t a licensed PI, b: she has no experience or training as a private investigator and c: there doesn’t seem to be enough work in this community to keep them occupied.
I will happily admit that I was pleasantly surprised at how likable the characters were. Emma was easy to relate to and what she lacks in experience and training, she makes up for in tenacity and willingness to learn. Emma’s mom, Cindy, was equally likable. She helps out in the office, scheduling appointments with prospective clients while also managing her own yoga studio. There is a side story for Cindy and a prospective boyfriend that I enjoyed as well.
My favorite character is Mickey, an octogenarian retired police detective, who is the agency’s part-time employee. I loved this character and his love of doughnuts. He takes Emma under his wing and begins showing her the ropes right from the start and their relationship comes naturally.
While this agency usually deals with the typical cheating spouse or workman’s comp fraud cases, they end up taking on a missing person’s case that turns into a murder investigation. Out of all of the people at this agency, Mickey is the only one who would have any experience working a homicide investigation, but before I could process what is going on, Emma is taking on an undercover temporary assignment at the law firm where the dead woman worked.
The case is resolved very quickly without bogging the reader down with tons of details and potential suspects. In fact, I hadn’t begun to formulate any of my own theories about the perpetrator and the story was concluding.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was enjoyable. The character development was smooth and seamless, evoking empathy from me. I found the characters to be likable and easy to relate to and am interested in what happens to them next. The story didn’t move at a fast pace, but was wrapped up without any warning, which left me initially wondering if I missed something.
The narration of this story was performed by Leslie Howard and, though, I can’t recall any other titles she has read, her performance was well done on this story. I recommend this book to readers of mysteries and general fiction. The possibility of romance looms on the horizon for Cindy and, possibly, Emma, which may be explored in future installments.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Plymouth Undercover from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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