Title: Corpse in the Catbird Seat: A Maggie Boland Series Book #1
Author: Moira Ragon
Published on: 2nd October, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
I have mixed opinions about this book. There are some stories that start on a high, giving the reader an expectation of a really good story. Then the story falls flat and the ending is just meh!
The story started on a really good note. Maggie and her quirks – date nights with her late husband Eddie! Barbara and her two pet cats – Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Agnes of Bohemia. Though not a pet lover, Maggie ends up with a pet of her own, a white Persian, whom she names Queen Lizzie. Cute!!
Maggie sold off Eddie’s dental clinic and the apartment they lived in after his death and moved to a cottage. Maggie is one of those people whom you would like and dislike at the same time. She’s a very caring and charming lady who thinks that everybody is going to be sweet and nice to her just because she’s good to them! It gets her into trouble later on when a person or two warns her to mind her own beeswax and not interfere in their matters.
Argyle Bain, a renowned con-artist is found dead in Maggie’s late husband’s clinic (which is now run by Ryan Winsome). Maggie is curious to know as to who killed the boy whom she had known for a long time. Her list of suspects is long. And on investigating, she learns a couple of things that can be termed as gossip (Jany and her pregnancy for instance.)
Barbara and Maggie’s friendship is well portrayed in the book. Barbara is literally her 3am friend, especially when a furry animal with paws ‘attacks’ Maggie’s house. Lucien Albrecht and Maggie’s friendship might have created a spark or two, this is something to look out for in the next book in this series.
Maggie’s growth experiences was a nice touch to the story. And I have no words when it comes to her SMS lingo?? This is a gist of the conversation between Maggie and Barbara.
M: “Mtg with chief 2day. Advice on how 2 GIFH about murder?”
Not just Barbara, even I was wondering what on earth is GIFH? Get Investigating Fast…err…House? Horse?
B: “GIFH?”
M: “Get Information From Him.”
Just when the story gets really interesting, the cops have already solved the case! They happen to look at Maggie’s investigation board and they solve the case! This is something that I did not like. Maggie was so close to solving it, I expected something different to happen. Maggie’s already had her second warning – someone threw a brick through her window. A note was attached to it, asking her not to investigate further. The cops come over and the next day, case solved!!
*SPOILER ALERT* I didn’t want Maggie to be kidnapped by the perp or something. I mean, the poor old lady doesn’t have to go through all that. Yet, I felt that the ending could have been better. After all, the story was really good in the beginning and Maggie had unearthed some pretty dark secrets.
The story was pretty good, except for the ending. Overall, I liked the characters, the plot and the setting. Maggie’s detective skills were pretty good too. A bit descriptive and slow but overall, it was a nice read.
The Book Decoder 
The SMS language certainly does sound confusing. In fact even the ‘normal’ acronyms confuse me sometimes.
Haha, same here. I ask people what it means, or Google for the meaning if it is too embarassing to ask. 😉
3 isn’t bad tho…
Yes, it isn’t. 🙂