Ten years ago, the murder of a teenage girl interrupted life in quiet, God-fearing Hanover. The unsolved case has always gnawed at Jake, and it seems no coincidence that as soon as he starts digging up old ghosts, he's once again writing like a dervish. Nor is it surprising that some townfolk would rather see the truth stay buried—and maybe even Jake and Laura with it. But the glamorous crime-solving pair refuse to leave before sorting through a bevy of suspects—and at long last nailing the one who almost got away with the not-so-perfect crime.
I know I say this every time (maybe it's just in my head or to my cat), but this was my favorite one. Everything has been going easy for Jake and Laura, and that was so hard to take, especially since these are written during the Great Depression. But neither of these two have had easy lives, so I didn't begrudge them having a good life now. Honestly, they've been living in a whirlwind of love and celebrities, so their happy existence was kind of background noise.
Until this one.
Jake gets the memo that his books are dying because he's out of touch with Blackie Doyle. Laura is on the brink of becoming the next Hollywood starlet. Through this, Jake is asked to come back to a town he never thought he'd see again, a place where a young girl was murdered, a place that holds an unsolved murder case.
I think what I really loved about this story is that it felt like an old-fashioned mystery: who did it? Of course, the rest of the Jake and Laura mysteries have been like that, but this one had so many characters and I don't know how many times I said, oh, this person must have done it! It was so much fun unraveling the mystery alongside Jake and Laura, and even though I was WAY wrong, it just made the surprise that much sweeter.
What I super enjoy about the writing is Laura. She could be the stereotypical Hollywood girl, but she's not. She demands respect from everyone she encounters, because they usually think that she's just some "dish" and not worthy of their time. She surprises a lot of people (mostly men...okay, all men), and reading about their reactions toward her are some of the funniest scenes in these novels. The respect she demands is well earned, too, because she is just as smart as Jake and uses everything she has in order to help. Even though she's probably concerned with her career (who wouldn't be?), she puts it aside to help Jake because she knows what he's going through since she went through it herself, albeit not in the writing realm. She also stands up for herself when she thinks she's been wronged, and even though sometimes it's not what she thinks, her stubbornness is truly something to be admired. I might be saying that because I would react the same way, but still. She's worked hard for what she has and she makes sure that everyone knows it. She doesn't want people to think that she only made it on a pretty face.
Jake, obviously, is awesome, as always. Cool, calm, and collected...well, for the most part.
Seriously, if you haven't jumped on these books, do it now. I'm not begging; I'm demanding. They're so much fun and a quick read, but there's so much to them. Jake and Laura have this relationship that is simultaneously adorable and enviable, and they work together so well. These mysteries are true in every sense of the word, complete with red herrings, suspects, and plenty of action.
Snap this one up next Tuesday! Here's all the links you might need (okay, you'll definitely need):
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Brush-off-Jake-Laura-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00XG9BTC0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454438995&sr=8-1&keywords=the+big+brush+off
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-big-brush-off-michael-murphy/1122536559?ean=9780553393385
Michael Murphy's website: http://mjmurphy.com/
It's an honor to have The Big Brush-off reviewed on your terrific blog. Looking forward to next week's release!
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