A Genuine Fix

A Genuine Fix by J.C. Kenney is the second An Allie Cobb Mystery. Allie Cobb along with her tortoiseshell cat, Ursula (Ursi for short) is out walking on Friday morning. It is the day she checks out the progress of the Winchester-Cobb Memorial Park of which she is the head of the steering committee. Allie notices a dump truck has unloaded mulch where the gazebo is to be erected and then Ursi uncovers a hand. Georgie Alonso, the boy who stood Allie up for the senior prom, is found dead under the mulch and Allie is Police Chief Matt Roberson’s prime suspect. Allie Cobb, the Kickboxing Crusader, sets out to clear her name by finding the killer. A Genuine Fix can be read as a standalone if you have not had the opportunity to finish A Literal Mess. The story progresses at a steady rate making for a quick, easy to read cozy mystery. J.C. Kenney’s vivid descriptions brought the town and characters to life for me. I especially enjoyed the details of Allie’s charming abode above the bookshop. A Genuine Fix is told from Allie’s perspective (first person narrative) which allowed me to understand how she was feeling and her perspective on matters. Allie Cobb is settling into her new apartment and busy obtaining new clients for the Cobb Literary Agency. Allie is a woman who will not let herself be set up for a crime she did not commit. She is strong and determined which I like in a main character. Allie also has a “dogged desire for the truth.” The mystery is straightforward with a couple of suspects and pointed clues. Allie’s method of investigation is direct. Everyone in town knows what she is doing which aids Allie as well as the killer. It also results in some humorous situations. The way the villain was captured was unique and entertaining. A Genuine Fix is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a cunning cat, a disagreeable victim, a mound of mulch, a tolerant police chief, and one determined bicycle riding literary agent.