She Doesn’t Have A Clue by Jenny Elder Moke | Book Review

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With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen—from murder to a second chance at love—in Jenny Elder Moke's half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.

A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.

Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift.

When the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.

As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.

Jenny Elder Moke’s adult fiction debut She Doesn’t Have A Clue is such a fun mystery-adventure read. I picked this book up on the premise of having really enjoyed and loved Moke’s YA books. This book is totally different – first it is set in present day. Second, it is a murder mystery. However, it still has those compelling elements that I loved from Moke’s previous books. 

She Doesn’t Have A Clue opens with author Kate Valentine trying to catch a ride to a private island in order to attend her ex-fiance’s lavish wedding. Only, the boat she hitches a ride on happens to have another passenger. The “Wandering Australian” Jake. Jake and Kate go way back – she used to help write the books of his adventures. However, they haven’t really connected in a while. There’s a reason for that as we unravel the story. The island should be a lavish paradise – and the lodge mostly is. Except for the taxidermy collection. At least the wine cellar is fully stocked. Only, Murphy’s Law starts to apply – anything that can go wrong, does go wrong. And who receives the blame? Kate. When a body is found, Kate channels her fictional heroine and tries to solve the case. Only, life may not align with the books. 

Kate has kind of lost her way. She’s overdue on her next Loretta book. She has just been off. However, it seems like in working with Jake she starts to get some of that mojo back. She’s easy to root for and identify with — as someone who also has struggled with being stuck in a rut. I also really enjoyed the romance between Kate and Jake. Afterall, Jake apparently is Kate’s plus one, unbeknownst to Kate. They share a room – yes, that trope. There is a clear spark between them. Plus, it was fun hearing about the different adventures Jake has had – even though Kate feels a little insecure over it. Again, she’s relatable. She Doesn’t Have A Clue is perfect for people who want a cozy mystery that has some spice to it, if you know what I mean. 

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Three books I recently picked up and sort of enjoyed – from backlist to two recently published books. Books Mentioned: You Lucky Dog by Julia London Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake She Doesn’t Have A Clue by Jenny Elder Moke #LibraryLover #LibraryFinds #ReadersOfTikTok #BookTok #Inverted #greenscreensticker

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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