Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower ~ Review

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Cozy Mystery:

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower is the first in a brand new Cozy Mystery series that promises a lot of fun and excitement.
Darby Piper is an amazing character that I want to be crime-solving buddies and best friends with.
The mystery had me wondering until the very last second, and I really enjoyed my “ah-ha” moment right along with Darby.

About Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower

Title: Dead-End Detective
Author: Amanda Flower
Series: Piper and Porter Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery

They were the Two Girls Detective Agency.
Now, one of them is dead,
and the other is suspected of murder.

Darby Piper is in shock. Samantha Porter—her mentor and business partner at Two Girls Detective Agency—has died in a car crash, and it doesn’t look like an accident. In fact, evidence is pointing toward Darby.

Darby had expected to inherit Samantha’s half of the agency, but Samantha had recently changed the will to leave it to Tate Porter, her nephew, who returns to town.

Tate is no P.I. He’s a veteran, a world traveler, and something of a mystery himself. But as he helps Darby delve into secret histories and real estate development plans, he does seem to have a knack for the job. Will the agency have a future…even if Darby can prove her innocence in time?

My Review of Dead-End Detective:

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower was a fun story, but it felt like it had some holes. It starts off with a bang. Darby’s business partner and mentor dies – appears to have been run off a cliff in her car. But she was well-liked and no one knows who would want to hurt her – let along kill her. As a certified P.I. Darby is determined to figure it out, especially since it looks like she may be the number one suspect.

The author did a great job with this primary mystery. The clues were laid out beautifully, and each step was important, even if it wasn’t apparent why at first. I really enjoyed following the breadcrumbs and sharing the “ah-ha” moment with Darby. We figured it out at the same time, and it takes some writing skills to make that happen.

The biggest issue I had was some of the side mysteries. I can see why they were mentioned so we could have some background and people to question about Samantha’s death, but the one that they ended up solving just made no sense. It was a little too tidy and all forgiven. I’m hoping parts of it come into play in future books in the series though.

Overall, a good start to the series. I feel like I really go to know Darby. There are a couple of cats that keep things light-hearted. But I feel like Tate needs to round out a bit more. I didn’t even mention him before now, because he felt like a bit of an afterthought addition at times.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**