Book Review – A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black – @KJBlack71 @bloodhoundbook @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview

Katherine Black’s “The Most Unusual Mysteries” cozy mystery series proves the adage “don’t judge a book by its cover better than any book I’ve yet to encounter. The adorable dachshunds on the front made me think it would be the coziest of cozies I’d ever read.

About the Book

Menacing texts lead to murder in an English village, in this unmissable, witty mystery by the Dagger Award–nominated author of A Most Unusual Demise.

May Morrigan is in her bookshop one morning when she—and everyone else in the shop—receives an anonymous text. It contains a reference to a Shakespeare quotation—and seems to be aimed at the vicar and his partner, Juan. The next morning, one of them is dead.

Meanwhile, May’s elderly mother, Minty, is staying with her, her old friend Fletcher, and her two dogs. To her dismay, Minty is quite preoccupied with death herself lately. She also keeps reminiscing about her past in ways that make May wonder what secrets she’s hiding.

As disturbing texts continue to arrive, the Blackheath residents are threatened with further revelations and titillations. Then Fletcher becomes the focus of the tormenting texter . . . and barely escapes an attempt on his life. It’s time for May to send a strong message—and block this killer permanently . . .

My Thoughts

What a wild ride! This is such an interesting take on the cozy crime genre. It harkens back to an earlier day of cozy crime when it was edgier and took bigger chances. These days it tends to be very sanitized and clean, like murder is very much beside the point. This book is a murder book – no doubt about it.

As a lover of cozy mysteries, the cozier the better, you’d think that means I didn’t enjoy the book – but you would be wrong. I frequently enjoy it when a writer takes something I love and subverts it, turning it on its head. As long as they do it well. As Pablo Picasso said, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist,” and Ms. Katherine Black has broken the “rules” of modern-day cozies like a true artist.

Though, maybe she has stuck with the rules, after all. May, our unlikely sleuth, is a retired, former librarian, even if she has a few secrets of her own. Her dependable sidekick and a cast of zany, small-town characters are possibly even more loveable, if not a lot edgier than most cozy mystery tableaus. And, Minty, who I thought I would not enjoy at first, turned out to be quite a delight.

The various romantic encounters were another spot of fresh air. While everything remained closed-door, which is how I prefer it, for once there was no pretense that intimate relations didn’t exist. This is one of my complaints about typical cozy mysteries (and romances). They’re adorable, but even the sweetest men I’ve ever met are not as patient as most of these guys. This is a cozy mystery for the grown-up crowd, and I have to say I’m here for it.

This series is filled with dark humor and can get graphic at times. Be sure to check content warnings and know that there are some morally grey characters at the center of the book. This is not your typical cozy mystery, but if you are willing to give it a chance, I think you will love it! I can’t wait to see more from Katherine Black. I will be waiting (probably not so) patiently for the next book to come out. I am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me in this tour.

Question of the Day

Am I just missing out? Is edgy cozy mystery a thing and I’ve just been missing a whole subgenre? Tell me your recommendations! I love some dark humor!

Who’s It For?

If you love a good cozy, but also have found some love for some of the old-school edgier ones like the “Goldy Bear” mysteries and the “Odelia Grey” ones that started in the 90s/early 2000x and probably should have had some trigger warnings, these are fantastic for you! And, if dark humor, cute pups, and zany friendships and relationships are your jam, pick this book up! You can read it as a standalone, but since I’m a completionist, I’d recommend starting with the first in the series “A Most Unusual Demise.”

Content Warnings: Murder, Violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, Religious Ideas, Sexual Shaming, Adult Language, Adult Situations, Implied Harm to Animals (Off Page), Unintentional Cannibalism, Crude Humor, Dark Humor, Discussion of Suicide, Suicidal Ideations, Assisted Suicide

About the Author

Katherine Black was born and raised in Texas, but has spent most of her life in England. These days, her drawl is long gone unless she’s had a few drinks or a late night.

Armed with an art history degree from the University of Texas (Hook ’em, Horns!) she worked in the arts in the UK and Europe before chucking it all in for the glamourous life of a stay-at-home mom. When she decided to pursue her dream of writing crime fiction, she completed an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, written as part of the MA, placed third in the Yeovil Literary Prize. Re-titled as A Most Unusual Demise, that story is published by Bloodhound Books and is the first in The Most Unusual Mysteries series. You can read more of May & Fletcher’s adventures in January 2024!

Katherine’s novel, Lufkin, Texas, was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association’s Debut Dagger.