A Story to Strangle For by E.V. Hunter - Book Review

Series: A Hopgood Hall Murder Mystery #4

Publication Date: 06th Jan 2024

Genre: Contemporary Small Town Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: A compact and engaging mystery 

Alexi is determined to save Hopgood Hall’s reputation and prevent it from being termed a murder center. She uses her journalistic experience and contacts to conduct a five-day course for wannabe journalists. The course begins well, though there’s a minor annoyance. 

However, when a murder happens, Alexi is distraught. Her attempts to divert the attention from the Hall backfired. Worse, she is the last person to see the dead person alive. While Alexi is not a prime suspect, she and Jack know things can change at any instant. The duo has no choice but to solve the case and free her name. Cosmos is more than happy to tag along if he can terrorize a few suspects on the way. 

The story comes in the third-person POVs of Alexi and Jack. 

My Thoughts: 

Alexi and Jack are back in the next installment of the series. The book should work as a standalone since there’s enough background information to update you about their pasts. However, there will be many spoilers about their relationship. 

Here, we seem to have two issues running in parallel. The mystery is one, and the insecurities in Alexi and Jack’s relationship are the other. Given that the suspect list may include people from their lives, this blend works well to most extent. 

The mystery is really good. There are multiple threads and possibilities. We know everything will come together, but the path to this is not straightforward. I enjoyed reading how they uncovered information at every stage and regrouped to adjust the hypothesis. Quite a few red herrings, too. 

Cosmo is being himself, alert to Alexi’s changing moods (it’s not easy being a suspect), and flaunting his royal attitude. Of course, this fluffy black cat has an accurate character-assessment meter, which helps Alexi and Jack vet their suspects. 

Drew and Cheryl have relatively minor roles in this book compared to the previous ones. They are worried, though they continue to support Alexi. After all, despite their fears, murders attract more crowds and bring extra income. 

The title and the cover suit the book. While you can guess how the murder was committed, you can also guess a crucial element of the mystery if you pay attention. 

To summarize, A Story to Strangle For is a steady-paced cozy mystery with twists and turns that come together to make sense. The next murder might happen elsewhere, which could bring some relief to the Hopgood Hall’s owners. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #AStoryToStrangeFor