The Outsmarting of Criminals by Steven Rigolosi

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Ransom Note Press
Pages: 303
My rating: 3 stars
Ages:16+

After having been the victim of a mugging, Miss Felicity Prim decides to move to the country and start a new career in "criminal outsmarting." However, she doesn't expect her new career to start so fast. The first day in her new cottage, she discovers a body in the secret basement no one knew about. Intent to find out who the murdered man is--and why strangers have been asking about her--Miss Prim enlists her new neighbors for their help.

The first thing I think I should say about this book is that the cover is a bit misleading. I thought that this would be a cozy mystery taking place in the 1920s or 30s in a small country village in England. It is a cozy, but takes place in present day in a town in Connecticut. Also, Miss Prim is an older lady, not the young one I was expecting. However, the writing is so fun, and Miss Prim someone that I think everyone wants to know.

This book is kind of like an Oscar Wilde play--the characters take everything seriously, but it's not really supposed to be taken seriously. The narrative pokes fun at the genre, pointing out some of the predictability and usual tropes, while still using them and having the characters be completely unaware. It's a fun read, though there are other "cozies" that I like better.

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