Death and a Pot of Chowder

April 23, 2018
At the start of this entertaining series launch from the pseudonymous Kidd (who also writes as Lea Wait), Quarry Island, Maine, native Anna Winslow learns that she has a half-sister, Izzie Jordan, a recent culinary school graduate. Anna and Izzie meet in Portland, where they hit it off almost at once. Anna’s joy at finding an unknown relative is soon tempered by the news of the drowning of her brother-in-law, Carl. When Carl’s death is deemed a homicide and her lobsterman husband, Burt, becomes the prime suspect, Anna enlists Izzie’s help in clearing Burt’s name. Izzie—who also scopes out real estate for a new restaurant on the island—proves her worth, both as a sister and as a fellow sleuth, as the pair uncover hidden secrets in the small, close-knit working-class community. Kidd clearly knows coastal Maine and the details that make the inhabitants and the landscape unique. Though the reader might wish that Anna participated in more of the action, she and Izzie prove to be a formidable force, one that will easily sustain a series. Agent: John Talbott, Talbot Fortune Agency.