In Want of a Knife

A befuddling title until you reach the end. With one teen girl dead, found in a bizarre outfit, and another one missing, Zoe Zola and Jenny Wilson are prepared to assist the police. In Want of a Knife by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli is a chilling tale and the third book in this series located in Bear Falls, Michigan.

Janice Root, the daughter of an orchard owner, was found dead and wrapped in material at the side of the road. A shy teen who worked at her father's farm stand, there seems to be no reason she would wind up dead. When the autopsy shows she died of asphyxiation, police chief Ed Warner is stumped. He asks Zoe, Jenny and ex-police officer Tony Ralenti.

A few days later Cammy Otis, a special girl, is discovered missing and Zoe and Jenny are determined to find her alive. Jenny is having an employment crisis and is debating leaving her home town, her mother Dora and her special guy Tony and moving back to Chicago. Zoe is in the midst of a writer's crisis with regard to her Jane Austen book; both are looking for distractions.

In the meantime the town of Bear Falls has welcomed some very influential new residents, one who promises to donate two million dollar to the town if residents will come to his housewarming party. Everyone has ideas on how to spend the money, but when little person Zoe meets little, but obnoxious Fitzwilliam Dillon, and his entourage, the two million might be in jeopardy.

The search for Cammy is racing on as the days pass. Following clue after clue, Zoe and Jenny finally figure out where she is and rush to save her.

An excellent mystery and yes the "knife" title does figure in.

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A Little Library Mystery

Elizabeth Buzzelli's latest book She Stopped for Death features an odd collection of characters. Jenny Weston has moved back to Michigan after her divorce and lives with her mother Dora. Next door neighbor is Zoe Zola, an almost famous writer, a Little Person and Lewis Carroll enthusiast all rolled into one person.

Dora has been instrumental in placing Little Libraries in the town of Bear Falls, Michigan, and when she excitedly finds snippets of poetry in the boxes, she is sure they are from reclusive town poet Emily Sutton. One night Dora, Jenny and Zoe wait patiently in the dark for the deliverer of the poetry to visit the box. Sure enough it is the shy, unassuming poet who shows up to deliver her poetry. They hope to befriend her, but she flees into the night.

Emily has lived with her sister in a house on the edge of  Pewee Swamp. Hardly anyone has seen either sister in years. Once a celebrated poet, she lives in the shadows. When Dora finally

befriends Emily she learns the cousin who shops for the sisters has not been there in weeks and the poet's sister Lorna has abandoned her. Emily immediately volunteers Zoe for shopping duty.

Not pleased with having to run the errands, Zoe grudgingly shops, although Emily hasn't given her enough money for the purchases. When Zoe delivers the groceries, Emily refuses to come to the door so Zoe leaves the bags on the porch.

Many other mysterious happenings occur and they center around Emily. Zoe begins to think there is more going on at the house than meets the eye.

She Stopped for Death is an exciting, complex book with half truths, missing siblings and a dramatic climax. I very much enjoyed the book and hope there are others in the series.

For other books by Elizabeth Buzzelli, click here.