Snowed Under

by Mary Feliz

“Flatlander” and professional organizer Maggie McDonald is out to combine business with pleasure when she heads to Lake Tahoe with her friend Tess. They want to declutter Tess’ cabin to free up funds for her son’s college and her own career change. After a week of work, Tess and Maggie will be joined by Maggie’s husband and two sons along with Tess’ son.

When Maggie finds a man frozen in deep snow near Tess’ cabin, all plans are put on hold. The two ladies become involved in trying to determine the identity of the victim and the murderer and the cause of death. They have to accomplish all this in the middle of a succession of snow storms along with a power outage. As Tess and Maggie suffer through multiple cold days and nights, the reader meets a lot of locals. Many of them come under suspicion, but we also see unusual cooperation of neighbors and other locals who help each other out with no expectation of reward or payment.

I enjoyed Snowed Under although I felt like I was cold along with the characters. I also didn’t want any of the characters to be a murderer. The snowy setting is well described along with the terrible driving conditions. This cozy mystery includes teenagers, cute kids, and an assortment of friendly dogs—Labrador, mastiff, golden retriever, German shepherd, and a Chihuahua mix.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery 

Notes: #6 in the Maggie McDonald Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.

Publication:  June 9, 2020—Kensington (Lyrical Underground)

Memorable Lines:

Normally, I would have found the timepiece’s relentless ticking annoying, but among the sounds of the wind, the shuddering of the walls in the gusts, and the growl of the snowplows, it offered a predictable and comforting counterpoint.

“Ryan’s one of those soft guys. Spots roadkill and wants to give it CPR. Wrecks his day. Couldn’t drum up enough hate to kill anyone.”

“…a good murder mystery. There’s something about knowing detectives will set the world right in 300 pages that is so comforting when everything turns upside down.”