Overview
The debut title in a new series by the author of the Maggy Thorsen Mysteries…Though a magnet to tourists looking for some Southern comfort, the small lake town of Sutherton - tucked so picturesquely into the mountains of North Carolina – has had its fair share inexplicable hazards. But when Daisy Griggs siphoned three pints of blood from poor Mrs. Bradenham at the resort’s annual blood drive – well, that seemed to take the cake.
And so, police reporter AnnaLise Griggs comes home to Sutherton to look after her volunteer phlebotomist mother, Daisy (of the accidental bloodletting). But the "accidents" only seem to escalate upon the reporter's arrival in the High Country, leading AnnaLise to question whether Daisy is truly the cause of the trouble, as everyone else seems to believe, or its target…
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Balzo (A Cup of Joe) introduces a beguiling heroine in this wryly amusing first in a new series. AnnaLise Griggs temporarily leaves her reporter's job in Wisconsin to check up on her ailing mother in the resort town of Sutherton, N.C. While AnnaLise gently tries to find out why her mother accidentally withdrew way too much blood from a prominent donor at the blood bank, an ominous series of events—the shooting death of a former police chief, the fatal bludgeoning of an outside investor wanting to open a sushi restaurant, an attempt on the life of an aggressive land developer—further disturb her and indeed shake up the entire town. When AnnaLise herself is attacked, she teams with her mother and an intriguing group of former classmates with long memories to do some creative prying. Despite an uneven narrative and a disjointed finale, readers will cheer the resolute and feisty AnnaLise every step of the way. (May)Library Journal
When her mother begins losing her memory, AnnaLise Griggs returns to her North Carolina hometown of Sutterton, which is plagued by a series of killings. The first to die is a town ne'er-do-well, and the second a Japanese man who was set to open a sushi bar. As the attacks increase, AnnaLise is drawn into the community and realizes she must deal with her mother's worsening infirmity as well as find out who is behind these murders. VERDICT The author of the Maggie Thorsen mysteries (From the Grounds Up) introduces an appealing new amateur sleuth who is calm, good-natured, and nosey for someone else's own good. For readers of G.A. McKevett and Joan Hess.Kirkus Reviews
A Wisconsin reporter comes home to murder and mayhem in a High Country resort town.
AnnaLise Griggs always called forceful, maternal Phyllis Balisteri "Mama," while calling her own mother, pretty, delicate Lorraine Griggs, "Daisy." When Mama calls to tell her that during the last blood drive, Daisy drained three pints from Ema Bradenham, AnnaLise knows it's her filial duty to see what on earth is up. So she comes back to Sutherton just before Labor Day, by tradition the end of the tourist infestation of the North Carolina town's lakefront attractions—which include Mama's restaurant and Daisy's store, now converted into a nightclub by young Tucker Stanton. Daisy does appear to be having odd spells, forgetting that her husband Tim died years ago and talking about secrets that need to come out. AnnaLise's ex-boyfriend Chuck Greystone is already out, making him Sutherton's first gay police chief. When Rance Smoaks, his predecessor, is found dead in the lake, Chuck doesn't hesitate to question AnnaLise, Sutherton's mayor Bobby Bradenham, and anyone else he thinks might have smoked the ill-tempered Rance. But Rance's death is just the beginning. Someone takes a pot shot at Dickens Hart, who's bent on turning his lakeside inn into condos. And Ichiro Katou, who thinks that what Sutherton needs is a sushi restaurant, also turns up dead. Realizing that all this madness coincides with her return, AnnaLise wonders how Daisy's dementia fits into the crazy quilt her home has become.
Balzo's Maggy Thorsen series (A Cup of Jo, 2010, etc.) was a mild jolt, but her new franchise is a full-throttle joyride.