Review: Zoned for Murder

Zoned for Murder by Evelyn David is the first book in the new “Sound Shore Times” mystery series. April 2012

Former Newsweek reporter Maggie Brooks has two kids, a dead husband, a mortgage to pay, and a lot of competition when she tries to get back into the shrinking newspaper business. Landing a job with a local paper, she’s bored to tears covering bake sales and Little League games. But when a developer tries to build an outlet mall in a neighboring town, what starts out as potentially a great clip for her resume, suddenly turns dangerous and ugly.  Someone will do anything to block the mall’s construction. Dirty money, nasty politics, and shady land deals abound as Maggie pursues the scoop that might jumpstart her career. When murder is added to the mix, she realizes that meeting her deadline might be the last thing she ever does. Read Maggie’s byline as she rebuilds her career, dips her toes into a shark-filled dating pool, and investigates a small New York town Zoned for Murder.

What a great read in this debut series by Evelyn David. Maggie stumbled upon a conspiracy involving the building of a mall and local politics. Not everyone is happy and when a murder is committed, this case opens wide up and Maggie will have to shut the door on a killer before the door is closed on her. Maggie’s determination to solve this murder keeps this book flowing as it nears the end in this suspenseful and enticing mystery. This is a well-written and fast-paced drama with likable characters in a small-town setting. I look forward to more investigative reporting from Maggie in the next book in this delightful new series.

--Dru