Eighth book (re-release) in this fun cozy mystery series

Dorothy Cannell

By:The Trouble with Harriet: An Ellie Haskell Mystery

Rating: 4 of 5

In this re-release of the eighth book of this thirteen book series, Ellie Haskell is once again searching for the solution to a mystery. It really isn’t a murder mystery per se but rather puzzles that need some solution. While there are deaths, the point isn’t to solve those. The who was fairly easy to solve but the why took a bit more puzzling and clues.

Ellie’s father has turned up out of the blue after he left her to her own devices at age 17 (just after her mother passed away.) He drops on their doorstep just as she and her husband are about to leave on a much needed get-away to France sans children. Needless to say, the trip is off.

Daddy is a fairly over dramatic figure who is given to carrying on in excess about his grief though he does find time to eat pretty much anything in front of him. I found the character to be funny in an over the top sort of way. I could see others thinking him irritating but I looked at him as the farce in the book.

As usual with Ms. Cannell’s books, there are a cast of characters with unusual issues which generally come to roost in Ellie’s neck of the woods.

I’ve read a number of books in this series, starting with “The Thin Woman” many years ago. I always enjoy spending some time with Ellie and look forward to finishing the series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.