Murder in a Basket by Amanda Flower
Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Five Star
Publication Date: February 2012
Rated: PG

India Haye’s life is anything but boring. An eccentric family and an inquisitive neighbor keep this librarian on her toes. Add murder to the mix and she is in for a wild ride. Her older sister, Carmen, has talked India into helping out at the Founder’s Day Festival. When she stumbles across the dead body of another volunteer, India quickly realizes she may have signed up for more than just face painting.

To solve the mystery, India will have to contend with a plethora of odd and dysfunctional (but never dreary) characters. She is determined to unravel the deadly puzzle no matter how much the handsome detective, Rick Mains, objects.

Quirky and unconventional characters make Murder in a Basket an entertaining read. Amanda Flowers creates a story that is perfect for anyone looking for a nice whodunit without dark and heavy plots. While there aren’t any surprisingly unexpected twists, the characters alone make this mystery worth reading. They are the kind of people that in real life could drive you mad, but make the pages of a novel fun.

My one disappointment was that Rick Mains sometimes came across as the dumb detective with tunnel vision. Whenever he arrived to a conclusion about a theory or a suspect, no one could change his mind. I struggled to see smart and resourceful India being interested in him. That aside, I recommend Murder in a Basket to readers who are looking not only for a mystery, but also for an amusing and sometimes comical story.