Review + GIVEAWAY: A Field Guide to Homicide by Lynn Cahoon

A Field Guide to Homicide
By Lynn Cahoon
A Cat Latimer Mystery #6
Kensington, 2020


Summary

Cat Latimer and her writer’s retreat group go on a hiking trip—but a murderer has been lurking off the beaten path…

Cat’s sweetheart, Seth, is going all out on an outing into the local mountains—for the benefit of the writing group Cat’s hosting at her Colorado B&B. But when they try to identify some plant and animal life, they find death instead. The body belongs to a man with a gold claim a few miles away. Instead of striking it rich, he’s been struck down.

To his surprise, Seth recognizes the victim from his military days—and up to now believed he’d already died during his last tour of duty. Now Cat has to solve this mystery before the killer takes a hike…

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My thoughts

Every now and then I come across a gem in the cozy mystery genre, and that’s how I would describe A Field Guide to Homicide by Lynn Cahoon. It’s rich in setting, character depth, and storyline. Although new to the series, I still found this sixth mystery easy to pick up and follow, but I recommend starting from the beginning and enjoying the character development – as I plan to do.

The author may not be able to tell you what day it was,

but they could tell you when a plot point happened

and what they decided to do about it.

Cat Latimer and her business partner, Shauna, run a Colorado B&B with support from Cat’s boyfriend, Seth. I found the world of writing fascinating – from all the helpful tips, to the retreat for writers that they are hosting as the story begins. This is something readers and writers alike will greatly enjoy. Of course, murder quickly rears its ugly head during the first hiking event of the retreat, and things get even more interesting from there.

What I liked most is the complexity of this story – not only from the mystery itself, but from secondary themes. Shauna finds her passion in cooking, but also has a difficult and disappointing relationship with her brother. Cat’s uncle is in law enforcement, as is his girlfriend from Alaska, and both are involved in different ways in the murder investigation. Cat and Seth, former high school sweethearts, seem to be finding happiness now, but Seth erects invisible walls when it comes to his Army years. What makes this murder so interesting is that the victim was a man that Seth served with, but who was supposedly killed in combat ten years earlier. Very little is known at first and I loved how everything gradually unfolds, beginning with the victim’s journal.

I loved everything about A Field Guide to Homicide and found it hard to put down. Storyline and writing are impressive, and the characters kept me wanting to come back for more. It’s also a clean read – no profanity or graphic scenes.

Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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      Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several New York Times and USA Today bestselling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in central coastal California with six-holiday novellas releasing in 2018–2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, debuted in 2018. 
      She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. Sign up for her newsletter at www.lynncahoon.com.

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