Claws For Concern

Maddie Sparks Mystery, #3

by

Lesley A. Diehl

Murder gets personal when Maddie’s son, Richard, becomes a suspect in the murder of a client.

Claws For Concern is the third book in author Lesley A. Diehl’s fun and suspenseful Maddie Sparks Mystery series, and the stakes are exceptionally high for Maddie when her defense attorney son, Richard, is the prime suspect in the murder of a new client. When Denise Werner’s estranged husband was murdered in her yard, the police automatically looked hard at her, the angry wife, as their first choice of suspect. Being an old classmate of the best defense attorney in the area, she immediately seeks out Richard Sparks to represent her. But when her body is found in her parked car in front of Richard’s house the very next morning, the police turn their attention to him as their next most viable option. 

The plot of the book is well-paced, with twists and turns at every corner. Maddie is beside herself with worry about Richard, and she lets loose her inner Mama Grizzly as she and Zack investigate not one but two murders. To add to Maddie’s distress, her friend Jane has reconnected with a crush from the past, a biker with a bad boy past, who doesn’t give off very trustworthy vibes. Her concerns that Jane’s headed for heartache and the related implications that she doesn’t trust Jane’s judgment naturally inflicts damage to their developing relationship. Maddie is more aggressive in questioning and investigating this time around, which yields additional suspects to consider. I enjoyed the spotlight being on Spike, Maddie’s cat, during this case. But this senior sleuthing pair steadily gets to the bottom of things, providing a surprising resolution. 

I recommend CLAWS FOR CONCERN to readers of cozy mysteries, especially those who enjoy more mature sleuths and fans of the previous books.

 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.