Book Review: Death of a Toy Soldier by Barbara Early (2016)
Synopsis: Liz McCall returned to her hometown of East Aurora, New York, after her father, Hank, was nearly killed in the line of duty as the village's chief of police. Liz now helps her father run a vintage toy store while also trying to remind him he's retired and shouldn't be getting mixed up in police business, even as the new chief of police, Ken Young, reluctantly tolerates her father's help. However, when a stranger is murdered in the store, Hank becomes the primary suspect.
Review: I'm not part of the Baby Boomer generation. However, when I decided to check out Death of a Toy Soldier at my local library, it was for a very boomer-like reason, the larger print. I knew nothing about the author or her work prior to reading the book. After doing so, I have to say I was surprisingly pleased.
As a stand-alone mystery, it was intriguing. There were quite a few questions relating to the stranger who was found dead in the store, including his real name and why he was so interested in getting a box of antique toys appraised (the same box that also went missing at the same time). This, along with Hank being in the store at the same time and seeming to be expecting the man, made it easy to believe he'd be the top suspect.
I also found I liked the dynamic between Liz and her father. At first, I wondered if she would just be more of a spectator/narrator while her father solved the crime (like Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories) but as the book progressed, it ended up being a good mix of the two of them, with Liz discovering clues and her father sometimes using his experience to help her understand why it might be important.
I also thought the solution to the mystery was a good one. The cat might have been let out of the bag a chapter or two too early, but it was still someone I hadn't expected up until that point and I thought the motive for murder was a somewhat unique one, especially since there was clearly a better motive the killer seemed to not care about.
I even admittedly liked the whole Liz/Ken subplot. There was sexual tension between the two characters, but it wasn't something that was a major part of the storyline or anything that distracted from the mystery. At the same time, that, along with Ken's respect for Hank, made the decision not to arrest Hank and look the other way as he conducted his own investigation a little more believable
Final Opinion: I'm still a bit undecided if I want to read any more books from this series but as far as this book is concerned, it proved to be a solid mystery with some entertaining characters. I'd recommend it, even if it didn't have the larger print.
My Grade: A
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