What Strange Creatures By Emily Arsenault

by Sandra Murphy

Details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of the review.

Theresa Battle knows her family is–well–messed up would be the polite way to say it. She’s been married, divorced, has three cats and a dog, all while trying to finish a dissertation that so far has lasted seven years. It’s not happening. Instead of a degree, she has a copywriting job at a local candle company. The fun part is describing the various scents.

Her brother, Jeff, is a genius but works well below his potential. He’s basically wandering through his life without much of a path or purpose to follow. He did manage to attract a waitress, Kim, and she seems not to mind.

Kim has a weekend trip to take alone and Jeff volunteers Theresa to dog sit for Kim’s “puggle”(Pug/Beagle mix). Of course, he volunteered Theresa first and then asked if it was okay. Well, sure, how much trouble could one little dog be? And it’s just for the weekend.

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Kim doesn’t come home though. When her body is found, Jeff becomes the prime suspect. Used to disappointments is one thing but being accused of murder is beyond the pale. The evidence seems to be overwhelming, but Theresa is sure Jeff is innocent. The old “know the victim, find the killer” saying comes to mind and Theresa is off and running to learn about Kim’s life. How complicated could it be?

There’s a lot more to Kim than any one person knew. Each time Theresa thinks she has a handle on Kim’s personality her findings veer off on another tangent. Kim seems to have been a different person depending on who she was with. So what’s the right answer? Was she a fun loving waitress, a political supporter, a go-with-the-flow gal or ambitious to the point of obsession? Kim’s life was a lot more complicated than anyone suspected and she wasn’t’ always likable though most of the other characters are.

The truth involves a secret, the motive for many a murder. Politics, murder, scandal–it’s all part of the truths and lies Theresa discovers on her journey into Kim’s life. There’s even a potential romance for Theresa but will she survive to find out? In saving her brother, she might just be sacrificing herself.

Image source: William Morrow

Theresa and Jeff are great characters, realistic in their brother/sister relationship. Theresa investigates not only to protect him but to take her mind off the dissertation she no longer has any interest in. If she doesn’t finish, then what? Start another or take a new path? Stay at the candle company or move on?

In the end, the book is a satisfying read that will have you rooting for Theresa as she figures out not only Kim’s life but her own. Theresa is a character I’d like to see again.

Previous books by Arsenault include Miss Me When I’m Gone, In Search of the Rose Notes and The Broken Teaglass.

To enter to win a copy of What Strange Creatures, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Strange,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 27, 2014. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address.

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What Strange Creatures

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes two mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble. You can also find several of Sandra's short stories on UnTreed Reads including Bananas Foster.