Review: Ruffed-Up Murder by Susie Gayle and a frustrating trend in cozies

Will an Sarah live in a small Maine community which they want to stay as it is.  As a result of a loophole in zoning regulations, a man is killed who was selling his land to a Sprawl Mart chain.  

This book was more like an outline of a story to me than a fleshed out book.  The characters have very short interactions and no development.  The basic story is okay and could have been pretty good if it was less superficial.  what was 80 pages should have probably been twice that - with more enriched characters and dialogue.  So that I could like or even dislike then  -- instead of not caring at all.  

I didn't hate the book or anything, I just feel like it will be totally forgotten in a few days.

I am afraid this a trend I am seeing more often these days.  Basic story -- bare bones.  No real surprises or twists or interactions other than a few moments of questions to a few people.  I want authors to write and give us stories where we care what happens.  Not just spin them out every couple months without much development or growth.  There is a huge different between fleshing out a story and throwing in fluff to add words.  I think some authors are afraid of the IDEA of fluff and leave too much out to really give us a well rounded book.

A lot of reviewers will just not review a book they don't care much for, but I think it is important to review what works for US and what doesn't.  I don't want to be cruel -- I support authors and want them to succeed.  I just think this trend is sad.

Terri