Georgia Kelly has
moved to Wenwood, New York to nurse her broken heart and failed
career at the home of her grandfather. The tiny village is
the sort where everyone knows everything about everyone else,
making Georgia feel more than a tad uncomfortable after the
relative anonymity of big city life.
When the local hardware store owner is murdered,
Georgia’s grandfather, Pete, whom she calls Grandy,
is considered the main suspect since he had an ongoing feud
with the deceased. Yet Georgia knows her Grandy wouldn’t
hurt or kill anyone, and she finds it hard to believe anyone
who knows him could think that of him, either.
Meanwhile, Georgia has found an abandoned
kitten and named her Friday. The white ball of fluff goes
a long way towards soothing the upsets in Georgia’s
life, and she hopes against hope the owner or person who dumped
the kitten in an alley won’t come forward. Once Grandy
is arrested for the murder of Andy Edgers, Georgia sets out
to prove his innocence.
I really enjoyed this first book in a new
series. I found myself laughing, smiling, and nodding my head
in agreement with how true to life the characters are. The
author, Jennifer McAndrews, did an excellent job of setting
the scenery of Wenwood, establishing the history of the town’s
famous bricks, and sharing the interwoven relationships of
the small town characters. I love how the protagonist, Georgia,
is confident and strong, and has a big heart that embraces
her grandfather and a small kitten, while working to clear
her grandfather’s name without putting herself into
unnecessary danger. Making new friends and finding a way to
earn some money using her stained glass craft skills sets
things up nicely for future books. I wonder if eventually
Georgia will be able to open her own shop in the now empty
hardware store. For now, though, I’m happy to see her
make a little money with the help of her new friend Carrie.
I whole- heartedly recommend “Ill-Gotten
Panes” to cozy mystery lovers who want to get in on
a new series from the very beginning.
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