Borrowing Death

Cathy Pegau

Jul 2016 · A Charlotte Brody Mystery Book 2 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

Suffragette and journalist Charlotte Brody is bracing herself for her first winter in the frontier town of Cordova in the Alaska Territory. But the chilling murder of a local store owner is what really makes her blood run cold. . .

After three months in Cordova, Charlotte is getting accustomed to frontier life. She is filing articles for the local paper--including a provocative editorial against Prohibition--and enjoying a reunion with her brother Michael, the town doctor and coroner. Michael's services are soon called upon when a fire claims the life of hardware store owner Lyle Fiske. A frontier firebug is suspected of arson, but when Michael determines Fiske was stabbed before his store was set ablaze, the town of Cordova has another murder to solve.

Her journalist's curiosity whetted, Charlotte begins to sort through the smoldering ruins of Lyle Fiske's life, only to discover any number of people who might have wanted him dead. As the days grow shorter, Charlotte's investigation turns increasingly complex. She may be distant from the trappings of civilization, but untangling the motives for murder will require plumbing the very depths of Charlotte's investigative acumen. . .

Ratings and reviews

Borrowing Death by Cathy Pegau is the second book in A Charlotte Brody Mystery novel series. Charlotte Brody is a reporter in Cordova, Alaska working at the Cordova Daily Times (how can they have enough news for a daily paper). She also does freelance articles for The Modern Woman Review in New York. Charlotte is experiencing her first winter in Alaska, and it is extremely cold. A fire breaks out at Fiske’s store, and Charlotte rushes over to get the story. When the fire is put out they find the body of Lyle Fiske (store owner). After he is examined by Dr. Michael Brody (Charlotte’s brother as well as the local doctor and coroner), it is determined that Lyle was stabbed. The fire was set to cover the crime (the arsonist botched the job). Charlotte is quick to insert herself into the investigation. Deputy Marshall James Eddington is dating Charlotte, and he does not want Charlotte sticking her nose into the investigation. But Charlotte is stubborn, tenacious, and curious. She runs around town talking to various people (as well as some late night snooping) to find the culprit. Charlotte is also stirring up trouble with her editorial on prohibition (she is against it). The local temperance society ladies are not happy with her point-of-view. Trouble is brewing for Charlotte, and she had better be careful or she will get burned! Borrowing Death was just okay. Charlotte has her strengths and her weaknesses. I like the she is independent and has her own voice (point-of-view). But Charlotte reminds me of a dog with a bone when she is in pursuit of information. I found some information (about Charlotte’s past boyfriend and personal issues) repeated a few times which is unnecessary. Charlotte’s personal life seemed to dominate Borrowing Death (her past one with Richard and her current romance with James). I liked the mystery (it had depth), though it was easy to figure out the killer. The murder happened too early in the book and the pace of the novel was extremely slow. I give Borrowing Death 3 out of 5 stars. I was hoping that this book would be better than the first one in the series. I was disappointed (yet again). I will not be continuing with the series. This book just did not hold my interest (I was bored). I received a complimentary copy of Borrowing Death from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The opinions and comments expressed are strictly my own.

About the author

Cathy Pegau is the author of Murder on the Last Frontier and Borrowing Death in the Charlotte Brody mysteries. She currently resides in Alaska with her husband and children and the occasional bear that wanders into her backyard. Read more at www.cathypegau.com.