A Death in Duck by Mindy Quigley

With a nod to full disclosure, I must tell you, nay – brag to you that Mindy Quigley is a very good friend of mine. She is also smart, hysterically funny and a pretty darn good writer (and she’s now on Twitter – @MintyFreshBooks). A Death in Duck is the second book in her Lindsay Harding mystery series.

Hospital chaplain Lindsay Harding finds herself with some well deserved time off over Christmas. Her good friend is getting married and everything seems happy and bright. That is until her gay best friend bullies her into a sham marriage, her chronically AWOL mother rolls into town and her crotchety old Aunt is found murdered on the beach.

The best part about Quigley’s books are the characters. They are quirky and fun and rarely take themselves too seriously. My personal favorite was groom-to-be, who in my mind was very Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec, but alas Mindy reports that she’s never seen Parks and Rec.

Who would like this book? If you like a good lighthearted mystery a la Janet Evanovich (review) or Lisa Lutz (review), then I’d say Quigley’s books are a good fit for you. They are cozy mysteries, without much blood and guts. They are funny and a good book to read to take you away for a couple of hours. Both Murder on Mount Moriah and A Death in Duck are set in North Carolina and give a really strong sense of place. I learned so much about the Outer Banks, where Duck is located, in A Death in Duck and it sounds like a neat place to visit.