Miranda Abbot, our favourite actress, is back in Mystery in the Title, the second book in Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson’s Miranda Abbot Mystery series.
I liked book one, I Only Read Murder, but I’ll be honest, Miranda kind of got on my nerves in that book. I’m so glad that didn’t stop me from checking out Mystery in the Title because this was such an enjoyable read. Miranda seemed slightly less selfish (although she’s still pretty self-centered), and hilariously erratic in this book, and it made for such a fun read to see what she would do next, and how her poor assistant, Andrew, would handle it.
Miranda is still living at Bea’s B&B and is attempting to plan her comeback, when she’s unexpectedly approached to star in a MOW (that’s a Movie Of the Week) opposite a very famous male lead. And best of all, it’s being filmed in Happy Rock! Andrew tries to warn her that the offer is too good to be true but in true Miranda fashion, she ignores him and does her own thing. When a death occurs at the press conference announcing the upcoming film, Miranda once again puts her talents, learned over her years playing the beloved character Pastor Fran, to work to determine the identity of the murderer.
As I’ve already mentioned, Miranda is delightfully flaky, and erratic which had me laughing out loud throughout the book. The characters of Happy Rock are even more quirky than I remember, and I thoroughly loved getting to know them better.
One of my favourite things about the book is how the authors occasionally break the fourth wall, making comments directly to the reader about what is going on. It fit in so smoothly with the rest of the story that it felt a natural thing, and added to my enjoyment of the story.
If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining mystery, you will want to check out Mystery In the Title. I’ll be watching for the next book in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mystery in the Title publishes on October 22 2024.
Life, Tea, and Everything 