Dug to Death

Vivien Brandt Mystery, #2

by

Gianetta Murray

Intriguing mystery and family drama make this series follow-up a must-read!

Dug to Death is the second book in Gianetta Murray’s excellent Vivien Brandt Mystery series, and the action hits the ground running. Vivien’s relationship with her new stepdaughter, Sara, is off to a rocky start, but when a long-used green space is threatened by a huge, expensive new housing project, they agree to combine their talents to help the neighborhood fight the development. But when Sara and their neighbor, Tabitha Jones, find the young archaeologist leading the site review dead on the site, they are considered suspects, and Vivien’s digging into the background of the project becomes even more critical. 

Besides the intriguing mystery and suspected political shenanigans, this second Vivien Brandt story is rife with realistic family drama as Geoffrey’s daughter Sara returns from a post-grad year in Australia to join the newlyweds in their new home. Sara lost her mother, Geoffrey’s first wife, Kathryn, as a young teen, and is used to being the only one in her father’s life. At 20-something, she’s still trying to figure out her own life and openly resents Vivien’s presence. I was on edge right along with Vivien as Sara constantly lashed out, wondering how their conflict would resolve. Vivien, the displaced Californian, is making progress as she settles into her new Yorkshire home, encountering the occasional social gaffe as cultures collide. I enjoyed her “translations” of British English terms and phrases into “American” and the fun addition of her sister Melanie’s sometimes outrageous Texas colloquialisms during her weekly calls back home. 

I recommend DUG TO DEATH (and the series debut, MOVED TO MURDER) to cozy mystery readers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.