A Mammoth of a Mystery

The Mammoth Murders by Iris Chacon

The Mammoth Murders is the second book in Iris Chacon’s Minokee Mysteries. I read the first book, Finding Miranda, a while back and loved it, so picking up a copy of Book 2 was a no-brainer.

I loved every word of this book. I cannot get enough of Shep and Miranda. And Carlo. The three of them make a great team, and the relationship between Shep and Miranda is just about the sweetest thing in print.

When a farmer finds a sinkhole on his property and realizes that sinkhole might just contain some very valuable archaeological finds, the race is on to see who will claim the prize first…will it be someone who will donate it to the university, or will it be someone with a more nefarious intent? When Shep and Miranda and their crew of a very intelligent cat, an ornery but good-as-gold neighbor, some of Shep’s radio followers, and Carlo (the Italian valet, cook, and all-around superhero) get involved in trying to find a missing archaeologist, they soon learn that not is all as it seems.

But the mystery isn’t the only good thing about this book. Miranda and Shep are engaged to be married, though they haven’t told anyone. Somehow, Shep’s domineering mother finds out and enlists the assistance of Miranda’s parents (and in particular, her cold-as-ice mother) to plan the spectacle of a wedding that neither Miranda nor Shep want.

The dialogue zings all the way through this book. It’s laugh-out-loud funny in places, and hits just the right notes of relatability and plausibility. Come for the mystery, stay for the characters, and you’ll be glad you did.

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