Book Review: “Deja Dead”

About Deja Dead

Things can get pretty dark in the City of Light.

Claire Baskerville is a 60-something American who finds herself alone in Paris when her husband is brutally murdered. Reeling from the onslaught of devastating secrets he left behind Claire is stunned to realize she no longer knows who to trust.

She only knows she can’t move forward until she finds out the truth behind who killed her husband.

In spite of a genetic brain anomaly that makes it impossible for her to remember faces – even ones she’d seen just moments before, and all alone in a foreign city, Claire doggedly collects the clues that will lead her to her husband’s killer.

Unfortunately, the closer she gets to the truth, the more determined that killer is to make sure she never leaves Paris alive.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0-Dead-riveting-thriller-American-ebook/dp/B07X4TRQ3F

My Review of Deja Dead

I received a copy of Deja Dead, by Susan Kiernan-Lewis through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own

Deja Dead is the first book in Susan Kiernan-Lewis’ Claire Baskerville mystery series. I chose Deja Dead because of the cover, which features a Paris cobblestone street, with the Eiffel Tower in the background cast in an eerie purplish light, indicating to me that this might be my type of mystery story. I was not disappointed. The mood and tone of the story keep things mysterious, with a feeling of danger lurking around every corner.

Another plus, from my point of view, is that the female protagonist is in her sixties, making her a relatable character for me. Claire has no superpowers, no magical protections, and she feels all the aches and pains that result from searching the streets of Paris for her husband’s killer, and getting too close. She may be older, but she’s also wiser, and driven to find out why the Paris police are trying to sweep it all under the rug. All while dealing with the discovery that her husband wasn’t the man she thought she knew. When she learns that her father died right after her husband was murdered, and her own paternity comes into question, she’s not even sure of her own identity.

Everyone seems to have secrets, and each that is revealed sets Claire reeling. Yet, she is determined not to stop until the truth is revealed, and her husband’s murderer is caught, even when her plans seem crazy, and maybe even fool hardy. She can’t do it alone, and can only hope that she’s putting her trust in the right people.

A superb cozy mystery. Claire Baskerville is right up there with Miss Marple. I give Deja Dead five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.