Stan Charnofsky

Accident is the second book in the Charlotte Smart Mystery series by Stan Charnofsky. It finds retiree Charlotte Smart getting involved in the investigation into a horrible accident where a young girl has been killed crossing the road near a park. Certain that her older sister is in trouble at home Charlotte pulls out the stops to find out just what happened and who else might be a danger in the child’s life.

The book is written in first person, as told by Charlotte’s brother, Greg. It has the feel of Miss Marple meets Sherlock Holmes with Greg sounding very Watsonesque in his word choices and narration style. It is obvious that he thinks highly of his sister, her intelligence, and her investigative style. The reader will easily see that she is a force to be reckoned with as she gathers allies and mows through suspects. The mystery offers the reader plenty of twists and turns and doesn’t quite end up where the original investigation might seem to be headed. It is Christie-like with Charlotte’s big reveal and explanations at the end.

This is listed as a cozy mystery on amazon but it reads more like a traditional mystery and includes some four-letter language and situations that aren’t generally seen in a cozy format.

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily… (mer)