Strike the Death Note

Octavia Fields Mystery, #2

by

Rebecca McKinnon

A summer violin shop owner looking to revitalize her slowing business finds a dead body instead.

Pursuing a possible answer to the continuing future of her summer music camp violin shop, Octavia Fields is strolling near the grounds of the university’s administration building, killing time before she meets with the director when she comes across a man kneeling over the body of a dead woman with a conductor’s baton sticking out of her chest. Immediately calling in the police, she is reunited with the same team who investigated an earlier death at the music camp, including Detective Jack Price. Although determined to avoid getting involved in the investigation, Octavia is nevertheless drawn in as people seek her out for information and to share their thoughts. Strike the Death Note is the second book in author Rebecca McKinnon’s fresh and fun Octavia Fields Mystery series. With its quirky main character, fun music-themed setting, and slow-burn romance, I was all in for this well-paced, cozy mystery. 

The heart of this series is the main character, Octavia Fields, a woman who definitely marches to the sound of a different drummer. Sans shoes and cellphone, she’s a woman more in tune with simpler living and the natural world. Since their last meeting, she and Jack have drifted apart, but there is still a spark between the two, and it is a joy to watch it slowly gain in intensity as they are, once again, thrown together. 

The plot gets underway immediately with Octavia’s accountant’s concerns about her violin shop’s financial future. With more going out than coming in this summer. He suggests that Octavia will need to make some cuts and hard choices to remain viable next summer. Soon after, she discovers the body of the dead cellist, and the case is immediately opened. Throughout the book, I enjoyed Octavia’s relationships with her friends involved in the orchestra or camp, as well as her staff members who took complete charge of the store despite her well-meaning ideas for displays. The musical theme is delightful, and I enjoyed the many musical references and activities. With a number of people to cross off the list of suspects and red herrings to eliminate, there is a lot of interesting detecting to follow on the way to a plausible resolution to the case. 

I recommend STRIKE THE DEATH NOTE to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories with a musical theme, a Rocky Mountains setting, or a free-spirited protagonist. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.