MURDER WITH A TWIST, the second book in Allyson K. Abbott's
Mack's Bar series combines a cozy neighborhood bar
vibe with a main character who possesses an almost
paranormal (yet logically-, scientifically-based) set of
skills having nothing whatever to do with her job as owner
of Mack's Bar.
It is not completely unknown that the sleuth of a cozy
mystery have some mental quirk or neurological condition
that adds to their ability to solve crime (Mr. Monk comes to
mind, not to mention Sherlock Holmes) but Mack Dalton's
severe form of synesthesia takes what is a solidly
entertaining cozy mystery series and ramps it up, adding a
fascinating layer to the method of crime solving that has me
solidly hooked.
Setting aside that aspect, what is left is still good, very
good in fact. Allyson K. Abbott has created very solid
underpinnings to her mysteries. The main well-plotted
conundrum is solved in part by a group of regulars at Mack's
Bar who each bring their own set of skills to the table. Add
to that the habit of the members of the group bringing in a
short riddle or mystery to be solved that evening (and that
the reader gets to have a go at solving before the solution
is revealed in a few pages) and MURDER WITH A TWIST has a
lot of sleuthing pleasure packed into it's pages.
Although a chunk of the book is spent in explaining to the
reader exactly what synesthesia is, and how it impacts
Mack's daily life (and how it can help in solving the
mysteries) it is almost seamlessly woven into the rest of
the plot, along with sufficient back-story to explain what
we need to know to glean the best experience from reading
MURDER WITH A TWIST (although I still recommend reading
Murder on the Rocks if possible, just because it is so
good).
Bottom line, MURDER WITH A TWIST is a terrific book, leaving
me with the overwhelming longing to find a Mack's Bar
equivalent in our own neighborhood. Allyson K. Abbott is
the pseudonym of Beth Amos, who also writes under the name
of Annelise Ryan.
The regulars at Mack's Bar love putting their heads together to solve a good mystery. But Mack is learning there's a big difference between barroom brain teasers and real-life murder...Milwaukee bar owner Mackenzie "Mack" Dalton has a unique neurological condition that gives her extra perceptive senses, and police detective Duncan Albright is convinced Mack's abilities can be used to help catch crooks. Mack may be at pro at mixing drinks, but she's still an amateur when it comes to solving crimes - and she's not sure she should mix business with pleasure by working with a man who stirs up such strong feelings in her. At her first crime scene - a suspicious suicide - she experiences a heady cocktail of mixed sensations and emotions that make her question whether police work is right for her. But when Duncan asks her to help find a kidnapped child, she knows she has to give it a shot...
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