Cozy style mysteries aren’t usually a go-to genre for me, but I am trying to expand my reading horizons. I decided to give Think Murder by Cassidy Salem a shot. I must say I was entertained!

Synopsis (from the author): Adina Donati came to Washington D.C. to find excitement, not a dead body.

When a friend is murdered, Adina is drawn into the middle of the police investigation. Tensions rise as the suspect list expands to include Adina, her friends, and colleagues at the prestigious think tank where she works. But every cloud has a silver lining. Between the nice detective, the hot new volunteer at the dog rescue center, and the newly available preppy ex-boyfriend, Adina's dating dry spell appears near its end. That is, if she doesn't become the next victim.

What I liked: The story was interesting and held my interest. Adina was a fresh take on the overworked (and underpaid) office minion. Her budding potential romance with the detective and the flirtations with another volunteer at the animal rescue shelter made for an interesting side story. The clues to the killer’s identity were nicely scattered throughout the story and did keep me guessing for a large part of the book.

What I didn’t like: Despite Adina’s likeability, I thought her reaction to the murder could have been more realistic. The budding relationships between Adina and her potential beaus as a predictable part of the book, too, and I thought Bruce (from the animal rescue center) would have made a great suspect.

Overall impression: Think Murder was a well-written and entertaining book. The plot could have been a bit more complex, but the book was an easy enjoyable read!

My Rating: 4 Stars