A Friend for Hire Mystery A Plus One for Murder, (Paperback)

A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford is the debut of A Friend for Hire Mystery series. I thought the premise of being a friend for hire was unique for cozy mysteries. Emma Westlake is an okay character. I thought that Dottie and Stephanie overshadowed her along with her dog, Scout. I also thought she was underdeveloped. Details on Emma's life were lacking. Personally, I thought Dottie would have been better as the protagonist. She is a hoot. Dottie is an intelligent woman who has clever ideas. She loves to read cozy mysteries which is why she encourages Emma to do a little sleuthing (with her guidance, of course). Scout is a cutie. He is a sweet and smart dog. The mystery was straightforward. It was very obvious what killed the victim. I was surprised at Emma for leaving the scene without speaking to police and for withholding pertinent information. There are four suspects in the murder. Emma reluctantly investigates at the urging of Stephanie and Dottie. Emma's two sidekicks end up being the predominant sleuths. Emma eventually jumps on the sleuthing bandwagon and becomes involved in searching for Brian's killer. There is misdirection to keep readers distracted and good clues to help with solving the crime. I did not find it challenging to identify the guilty party. There are two potential love interests for Emma. I am hoping that Emma will pick one, so we do not end up with a lingering love triangle. With a little fine tuning to Emma's characters, A Friend for Hire Mystery series will delight cozy mystery readers. There is a preview of A Perilous Pal at the end of the book. A Plus One for Murder is a cute cozy mystery with a cuddly canine, a departed poet, a dashing detective, creative clients, shady suspects, a greenhouse overflowing with flowers, and an unenthusiastic sleuth.