If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, Clause & Effect, it's an absolute gem that deserves every one of its four stars. With its charming small-town setting, and during characters, and intriguing whodunit, this book is the perfect blend of suspense and comfort. The author’s storytelling prowess shines through as they skillfully weave together clues, red herrings, and surprising twists, keeping readers engaged and guessing until the satisfying reveal period from the delightful amateur sleuth to the quirky supporting cast, each character feels like a beloved friend, adding depth and warmth to the narrative. With its cozy atmosphere clever plot and satisfying resolution, Clause & Effect is a must-read for anyone seeking A delightful escape into the world of cozy mysteries.

Smart freelance editor Mikki continues her adventures in solving the cold case murder, when a corpse is found during the renovations in the historical building. I like Mikki and I admire that heroine in her late sixties is presented here both in funny and realistic ways). The series is good for chuckles and cozy times - but the mystery is not that catchy and interesting.

Twists and turns make this, Clause & Effect a great cozy mystery.

Here we find, Lenape preparing for a celebration with a shocking twist. A body has been found walled up in a fireplace. Things get complicated and Lenape gets involved if the mysteries are to be solved.

A great, enjoyable read!

The Lenape Hollow history was interesting. I didn't know who the killer was. Some of the evidence in the murder investigation was funny.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

The Deadly Edits series features protagonist Mikki Lincoln, a 68 year old retiree, who now works as a freelance editor. The small town in the Catskills where she lives is going to be celebrating its 225th anniversary of its founding and the committee has decided to perform the play that was originally written for its bicentennial 25 years ago. Mikki has been drafted/voluntold to update and correct the script. When she visits the historical society building to find the script, she works her way around the construction that is going on for its renovations. While she is there, the contractors discover a body that had been wrapped in plastic and hidden in the fireplace that had been covered over during the last renovations. As Mikki investigates the cold case by searching through archives, she asks questions that seem to scare someone and another person is murdered. Will Mikki and the police find the culprit before another murder takes place?

This is a fun cozy mystery series with some great characters. Mikki is still quite active although not so much so that it’s unbelievable with reminders she is an older leading lady. She is smart and knows how to use archives and search for things, perhaps due to her job as an English teacher. She is also persistent and does not give up easily. There were plenty of red herrings, but only a few suspects. This story seemed to be a bit drawn out, with some slower sections, but the ending was quite climactic. I will read more in this series, to see what else Mikki gets up to. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, especially those with an older MC, then be sure to pick up this series.

This was a great mystery. The story kept me engaged and guessing until the very end. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series, as well as from this author.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from Netgalley.

This is book 2 in a series but it thankfully read well alone.

Anyway the book follows Mikki, a 70 something year old book editor tasked with editing a pageant script for her small towns historical society. While at the historical society human remains are found during a renovation and a murder mystery emerges. Cute book. I wouldn’t consider Cozy mysteries one of my favourite genres as it tends to spiral into the unbelievable (a 70 something year old solving a murder that had nothing to do with her is less than common). Still, it kept me interested, the mystery was actually a mystery (not predictable) and so, I did enjoy it.

Clause & Effect by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the second book in the cozy Deadly Edits mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of this series has it’s own self contained mystery to solve so each can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. However, for those that read in order there is some character development carrying over book to book. t

In the first book of the Deadly Edits series readers were introduced to the main character of this series, Mikki Lincoln, who is in her sixties and starting over in her life after her husband’s passing. Mikki and her husband had lived in a remote area taking care of their land themselves for years but after losing her husband Mikki felt it was time to find an easier place to spend her retirement years so when she caught an ad for her childhood home in the Catskills she bought it sight unseen.

When Mikki found her new home needed more work than she expected she decided she would start up a side business to help with her finances. Since the move Mikki has been working as a freelance editor and settling into her new life making some new/and old friends. When the village of Lenape Hollow prepares to celebrate the 225th anniversary everyone looks to Mikki for help with the town play but as things are being set up a body is found in the walls of an old fireplace and Mikki starts looking into the cold case.

The Deadly Edits mystery series is one that I have found to be full of the quirky and cute fun that I enjoy in a cozy. Despite her age Mikki still is quite active although not so much so that it’s unbelievable with reminders she is an older leading lady. With plenty of suspicion all around this was another solid installment of the series leaving me looking forward to the next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have read all of Kaitlynn Dunnett's books and this one I really looked forward to. I honestly don't know how someone could do this as a sidegig, it seems very tedious, but our protag makes short work of it. Our protag returns back to her old home and deals with some characters from her past, along with solving a murder. Good cozy reading.

Clause & Effect is the second book in A Deadly Edits Mystery series Mikki is a 70 year old retired English teacher who bought the home where she grew up. Being low on funds she starts a proofreading and editing business. One of her friends, Darlene Uberman, tries to talk Mikki into rewriting a play about the town for the town's 225 birthday. Mikki wants to look over the play before she commits herself. While Mikki is at the Historical Society a wall comes down and there is a dead body.

I usually like cozy mysteries but I felt like I was back in school with the mean girls. If you can get past the bickering of old enemies you will probably like this book.

“Clause and Effect” earns 5/5 Suspicious Scripts...Engaging Fun!

Typos might be within Mikki’s skill set as an freelance book editor, but investigating murder just might her talent. Engaging fun! Kaitlyn Dunnett has penned a very entertaining second book in her Deadly Edits series. With a clever mystery incorporating a recently uncovered cold case and then a current one adds to an engaging dramatic layer to the mystery. Also including an exploration of the town’s interesting past, wonderful characters, and a final solution that was a “Wow!” The citizens of Lenape Hollow are set to celebrate the 225th anniversary of its founding and hope to reenact a play written for the previous bicentennial...but the script needs a bit of work. Enter Mikki Lincoln...she has been asked to polish it up with some updating, unfortunately she’ll need to work on the script in the archives...at the museum...during its renovations. Worse? While there, a wall collapses revealing a dead body appearing to be about twenty-five years old...leftover from the bicentennial? When another suspicious death occurs, Mikki is compelled to investigate. Could the old script riddled with content errors be a clue waiting to be deciphered? I love Mikki! She is delightful, clever, and easily identifiable to me (I, too, am a recentlyretired teacher, who even does a bit of editing on the side). The other characters are quite intriguing, but the “mean girl” senior citizens seemed over drawn, but then I recently ran into a former high school acquaintance who seems to be the same personality...so outgrowing the pompous snarky attitude may be very realistic after all. I wavered a bit as to who was the killer, but the whole experience was very entertaining! I recommend that cozy fans check out this book!

Senior citizen Mikki Lincoln has settle back into the town where she grew up, Lenape Hollow in the Catskills. A widow and retired English teacher, she's reinvented herself as an editor, taking on the freelance work of correcting other people's grammar.

When the town celebrates the 225th anniversary of its founding, they ask Mikki to update and correct a script left over from the 200th anniversary.

While Mikki is at the historical society, where the building is being renovated, a wall comes down, complete with human remains, comes tumbling down. It's up to Mikki to figure out whose remains they are, and why they were hidden, before she ends up dead herself.

Clause & Effect is the second book in the Deadly Edits series, and it's just as much fun as the first one. Mikki is perfectly written character. She is of a certain age, but she is still feisty and ready to go on all fronts. I rather love the fact she bought the house where she grew up, because I think for many people it's a dream to go back to home. Mikki does it very well.

There is a laundry list of suspects in this book, and Mikki explores each of them perfectly. She's n0t afraid to ask the hard questions, and I enjoyed the tension that brought about in many of the scenes. I found the ending, although I had figured out the killer, to be tightly written and tense.

I also enjoyed the way the author wove the history if the town into the story. Those details made for very rich reading. Clause & Effect is a great addition to this series. I enjoyed it very much, and look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Kensington through NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book. Its a fun read. I liked meeting Mikki and the rest of the characters. I would read more in this series. I would recommend.

I love Mikki and her quirky friends! This story revolves around Mikki re-writing a play about the town's founding. Of course, there is a body involved with a museum renovation and it's up to Mikki to solve. This of course leads to danger for Mikki but she overcomes all obstacles and proves age doesn't matter.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

Mikki Lincoln has returned to her childhood home and opened an editing service. Naturally, when the local historical society needs to edit a pageant script, they think of her.
Mikki isn't wild about taking on the job -- the historical society figures she'll do the work for free, out of civic spirit -- but the addition of a long-dead body increases the appeal. Things get more interesting after that, with a long-lost relative, hints of local corruption, and old sins with long shadows.
The people and the place are interesting and realistic. Mikki is a refreshing change from the self-deprecating young heroines you often find in this genre. And the mystery is well-plotted, with plenty of twists and turns but also with all the loose ends neatly tied up.

Even though I liked the plot, concept, pace and Mikki (especially as she's a bit older), I felt the writing style was a bit immature at times. And don't even get me started on the Ronnie character.

Clause & Effect is the second installment in A Deadly Edits Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you have not had time to read Crime & Punctuation. I like that Mikki Lincoln is a mature main character (70 years old). She is a retired English teacher who now lives in the home where she grew up with her cat, Calpurnia. I think the name of her proofreading and editing business is clever (The Write Right Wright). We learn a little more about her friend, Darlene Uberman and her frenemy, Ronnie North. Personally, I could do without Ronnie. She is an abrasive character (the traditional mean girl) who quickly got on my nerves. The endless sniping reminded me of high school girls instead of mature women. Mikki’s cousin, Luke shows up and we learn more about Mikki’s family tree. I enjoyed Mikki’s reminiscing about her childhood as it lets us get to know Mikki better. The two mysteries tied together nicely which provided multiple suspects and a red herring or two. There are clues to help the reader identify the evil doer before Mikki. Mikki’s questioning technique leaves a lot to be desired (blunt). She comes across as a busybody instead of amateur sleuth. Detective John Hazlett tells her multiple times to stop investigating, but he does appreciate the intel Mikki shares with him. Readers also learn more about the village and how it has changed over the last twenty-five years. I admit it is confusing that there is a town and a village with the same name. I did feel that the story lacked humor and the pacing was lethargic (action was sorely needed). The literary and grammar references that were sprinkled throughout Crime & Punctuation were missing in Clause & Effect. There are some language and grammar tips from Mikki at the end. Clause & Effect has a town celebration, two dead bodies, a crumbled fireplace, feuding sisters, a cat named Calpurnia, and one prying proofreader.

Mikki Lincoln knows words. As a freelance editor, she helps writers get their pieces ready for publication. It’s only in her spare time that she snoops around, asking people about murder. But with her town, Lenape Hollow, having its 225th anniversary, there’s not as much time for playing Miss Marple. Especially since they want to put on a play that the town did for their 200th celebration, and it needs a lot of editing help. As someone who grew up in Lenape Hollow, Mikki wants the celebration to be a success, so she reluctantly agrees to volunteer her time to polish the script.

But when some renovations at the historical society reveal a body that had been concealed behind a wall for decades, Mikki finds herself back in the midst of a mystery.

Her work with the play has her studying a lot of town history, so she finds herself uncovering long-held secrets, some of which heal relationships rifts, and others just cause more problems. Mikki tries as hard as she can to write a happy ending to the story, but there is someone else working against her, someone trying to keep their identity as a killer from being exposed.

Clause and Effect is the second book in Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Deadly Edits series. A long-time writer of mysteries (I love her Liss MacCrimmon series, about a Scottish shop owner in Maine), this is actually her sixtieth book in print (congratulations to her!) as well as a genuinely fun read.

Mikki is an independent older woman (in her 70s), but still working and renovating her childhood home and hanging out with her friends. Clause and Effect is a smart, well-written mystery with plenty of shady suspects and red herrings. It’s a cozy for word lovers, and a very enjoyable way to pass the time.

Galleys for Clause and Effect were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Princess Fuzzypants here: We like MIkki. Momma, being of a certain age, can certainly empathize with her. She is a smart literate capable lady from the early Baby Boom. She works as a book editor but is pressured into helping her small town celebrate it’s 225th anniversary. She is asked to update a script last used at the Bicentennial but a quick look tells her the original will need to be scrapped and rewritten. She is in the local HIstorical Society when renovations reveal a terrible secret. Hidden in a wall is a body of a woman who may, in fact, be the author of the original script. Talk about a tough critic!
Despite the flaws of the script, it soon comes out that there were plenty of people who might not have wished the victim well. One of them felt justified in murdering her and placing her where the killer thought she would never be found. It is all a pretty convoluted mess as one of the characters says, it was like a Peyton Place at the time in question. Who said history was boring?
I confess I really like MIkki. I like that in spite of the things that no longer work properly, she is still resourceful when she is in danger although she does have a bad habit of talking about people when they can overhear her. It is a fault that may cost her dearly. She is a character with depth and potential and makes the reader want to join her on adventures.
Five purrs and two paws up.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read this book!

What a charming sleuth Mikki makes! In this one book we learn a fair bit about Mikki and her childhood, as well as her friends and almost enemies. She is delving into a cold case, but we learn about her as wellin the process. I loved how everything tied together, and it had to for a crime that happened over 25 years earlier. All it takes are the right questions to the wrong people for someone to slip up and reveal themselves as a murderer!

What I really liked was the red herrings, and I wonder where some of the characters (Luke especially, although the sister's quarrel and reconciliation was interesting as well) I haven't read the first book, but I'd like to now, as well as this author when they write under a different name.

A solid start, five stars.