When attending her fiftieth high school reunion, Mikki Lincoln saw that her childhood home was for sale, and now widowed, nothing was keeping her in Maine anymore. However, her new acquisition is rather decrepit, and Mikki has to supplement her retirement income with editing manuscripts. Business is slowly picking up, when a young woman, Tiffany Scott, arrives on her doorstep, which is highly unusual, as Mikki conducts business online. Tiffany has penned a crime novel based on facts, but when an aspiring author is found dead, Mikki cannot help but wonder if Tiffany's death was accidental or if someone doesn't want a long-concealed truth to surface.

CRIME & PUNCTUATION by Kaitlyn Dunnett starts off nice and easy with introductions to Mikki Lincoln and the village of Lenape Hollow, as Mikki reacquaints herself with her once-familiar surroundings and old friends, but as the investigation progresses, the pace picks up to a very comfortable one and I was hooked. I was a tad skeptical about having a sexagenarian heroine at first, but Mikki is neither a botoxed glamor puss nor a Miss Marple clone. She comes off as a normal, modern older person: she is tech savvy within reason, and not a gun-toting, martial arts expert either, but a woman to whom everyone can relate. I loved her friend Darlene, plagued with arthritis and not afraid to speak her mind, and who, I suspect, will be Mikki's regular crime-fighting sidekick. Mikki, freelancing as a "book doctor," had me watching the language like a hawk, looking for the tiniest editing mistake, an errant comma, and I am deliriously happy to say that the writing and editing were flawless!

The descriptions of Lenape Hollow are crisp and vivid, the village never sounds cutesy and cheesy. The story flows well, the pace is steady, and I was, of course, looking for the smallest plot hole, and again, everything was impeccable. The characters are all very well defined, and I very much appreciated that absolutely no one is perfect, not even Mikki. It appears that some not-so-likeable characters will show up in subsequent books as the revitalisation of the town continues, and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. CRIME & PUNCTUATION is told in the first person from Mikki's point of view, and I really liked her voice and way of thinking. Her detective technique is subtle and believable, and one of those rare instances that everything Mikki did is how I would have proceeded as well, except maybe for minuscule detail that has no bearing on the dénouement. I think I must have whooped loudly at how the criminal was caught; it was one of the most ingenious, original, inspired moves I have ever read. I was ecstatic at such cleverness! Also, do not ignore "A Random Selection from 'The Write Right Wrights' Language and Grammar Tips" from Mikki Lincoln; these are tips every one of us needs to know. I wish there had been more, but CRIME & PUNCTUATION is not an English textbook, is it? But it is an utter delight for language purists as well as fans of cozy mysteries.

Book Summary

After splurging to buy her childhood home in the Catskills, recently widowed Mikki Lincoln emerges from retirement as a freelance editor. With her ability to spot details that others fail to see, it’s not long before Mikki earns clients—and realizes that the village of Lenape Hollow isn’t the thriving tourist destination it was decades ago. Not with a murderer on the loose . . .

When perky novice writer Tiffany Scott knocks at her door holding a towering manuscript, Mikki expects another debut novel plagued by typos and sloppy prose. Instead, she finds a murder mystery ripped from the headlines of Lenape Hollow’s not-too-distant past. The opening scene is a graphic page-turner, but it sends a real chill down Mikki’s spine after the young author turns up dead just like the victim in her story . . .

Mikki refuses to believe that Tiffany’s death was accidental, and suspicions of foul play solidify as she uncovers a strange inconsistency in the manuscript and a possible motive in the notes. Then there’s Tiffany’s grandmother and husband, who aren’t exactly on friendly terms over the local area’s planned rejuvenation efforts . . .

Unable to convince police that they are focused on the wrong suspect, Mikki must rely on her keen eyes to catch the truth hidden in Lenape Hollow. As she gets closer to cracking the case, only one person takes Mikki’s investigation seriously—the cunning killer who will do anything to make this chapter of her life come to a very abrupt ending . . .