Note: These copies of Rocky Start, Very Nice Funerals, and The Honey Pot Plot were provided by NetGalley.
The Rocky Start series by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer consists of three books that paint one cohesive picture. That picture centered around this out of the way town of Rocky Start and it’s inhabitants. Max Reddy is an ex-operative that is walking the Appalachian trail with his dog Maggs when they pass through Rocky Start to pick up supplies. An interesting encounter leads him and Maggs into a situation he may not be able to look back from, with a group of people that don’t seem to be as innocent as they outwardly portray themselves.
I’ve given some impressions on each book below without giving away too many direct spoilers.
Book 1 – Rocky Start
The first book introduces us to Max and his dog Maggs as they wander into Rocky Start to pick up some supplies. We’re given a quick introduction to some of the main characters in this series, one of the most important being Rose Malone, Max’s future love interest and antique shop proprietor in Rocky Start. Also a very proficient pickpocket. Rose’s employer, landlord, and all-round father figure, Ozzy, had recently passed away and the plot of the book revolves around the troubles that come her way because of this. There are one too many people interested in the contents of the will left behind. It doesn’t help when a stranger shows up claiming to be the deceased’s son either. What secrets did Ozzy have that so many people seem to be interested and why are people willing to get violent over it. With Max and Maggs finding themselves in the thick of it, Rocky Start is a relatively quick and easy read that sets the foundation for the series as a whole. There are a lot of unanswered questions but they are addressed in the following two books.
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Book 2 – Very Nice Funerals
The second book follows the events of the first and we find Max itching to get back onto the Appalachian trail because he’s always a man who finishes what he starts. Having said that he’s also begun to see the kind of life an ex-operative can have in this town of Rocky Start, with a person like Rose, who makes him feel like he’s home. Doesn’t help that Maggs has decided he more or less would like to stay with Rose and Poppy. Such a smart doggo. But things aren’t all smooth sailing. The discovery of hiden caches of money in the antique shop means that there are more and more people hoping to ‘help’ Rose with anything she may need. While her list of suitors is ever increasing, an infamous true crime author wanders into town just as a dead body is found. Just what Max needed. Finding a killer in a town of retired operatives with a journalist asking questions. In this book we see more and more of the past being revealed, and we get a bit more clarity on how most of the inhabitants of Rocky Start found themselves there in the first place. Some big revelations including why Max even ends up in Rocky Start because was it really a coincidence?
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Book 3 – The Honey Pot Plot
In book 3 Max finally leaves for the Appalachian trail, sans Maggs, but circumstances seem to want to force him back to Rocky Start when he finds himself followed by assassins. In Rocky Start the women seem to be dropping dead and who the culprit may be is anyone’s guess. Do we have a traitor in the group? Who is talking to whom, and among a group of trained killers, does anyone bear a grudge enough to kill? Rose finds herself appointed the person in charge of the remaining honey pots in town, much to her surprise. This book is Rose further coming into her own, while also giving some other characters their due. The characters arcs and growth we see are quite enjoyable to read. This book ties up the whole series giving a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series.
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The second and third books unfortunately cannot be read as standalone as there is a lot of backstory carried forward from the preceding book(s). That being said I did not expect to enjoy this series as much as I did. The plots were simple and easy to follow, and while it did take a while to get all the characters down for who they were, and what they did, it was never a dealbreaker. All three books have a very cosy vibe to them, with a bit of romance thrown in, and the portrayal of the characters, and their subsequent growth, endeared me towards most of them. This series is a definite recommendation for fans of cosy mysteries such as Richard Osman’s the Thursday Murder Club, only here all of them are ex-operatives and all retired in the same town. I sincerely hope there’s more to come in this series in the future despite the well tied ending. Definitely Recommended.
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