November Hunt: A Murder-by-Month Mystery

Set in Battle Lake, Minn., Lourey’s seventh cozy featuring PI wannabe Mira James (after 2011’s October Fest) successfully combines humor, an intriguing mystery, and quirky smalltown characters. Mira, who supports herself by work at the local library and as a food columnist for the community newspaper, welcomes the chance to investigate the death of Tom Kicker, a prominent businessman who was shot in a hunting accident, in return for a significant fee and much needed experience. Mira’s sleuthing is the epitome of amateurish, but Lourey manages to make her awkward efforts endearing rather than embarrassing. The author also deftly presents a dark possible motive for Tom’s death without introducing a jarring note. Providing support and comic relief is Peggy McMillian, whose inspirational aphorisms (“Don’t give the Devil a ride and expect him to wear his seatbelt”) have been collected in a book titled A Penance for Your Thoughts. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (Mar.)