Dearly Beloved Departed ((PIP Inc. Mysteries #4) by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Published March 3rd 2023 by Good Read Mysteries

About the Book: Newly minted Private Investigator Pat Pirard is hired by attorney Jason Forman to “get some dirt” on his daughter’s fiancé. Before she gets very far in her investigation, the young man is murdered. Did his past catch up with him or is what Pat fears, that there’s a serial shooter going after Christmas Eve grooms, the reason he was killed? Pat and her fiancé, Detective Sergeant Tim Lindsey, are planning a Christmas Eve wedding which means, if she’s right, he’s on the shooter’s hit list.

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dearly Beloved Departed is a mystery leaning towards cozy. This is the fourth book in the PIP Inc. Mystery series, but it is the first I have read. It reads fine as a standalone story, but after reading this one, I will be reading the prior books in the series. Pat Pirard was the Law Librarian, but recently lost her job. She is now a private investigator and works with various law firms. In this book she gets a call from Jason Forman, a divorce attorney, to find dirt on his daughter’s fiancé. Pat finds more than enough, but Julie, Forman’s daughter doesn’t believe her father. When Jason goes to meet Devon (Emigdio) Sanders to buy him off, they are shot at with Devon being killed. This should be the end of the investigation, but Julie hires Pat to prove who killed Devon. Suddenly Pat is pulled into a situation where grooms who are set to get married on Christmas Eve are getting shot, and that puts her fiancé Tim in danger. Was Devon killed due to his gang affiliation, an angry relative of one of his previous wives, or is he a Christmas Eve groom who was targeted?

I really enjoyed Dearly Beloved Departed. Pat is a great protagonist. She is smart, intuitive and a hard worker. She is engaged to Tim, a police detective with their wedding coming up. Her best friend, Syda Gonzoles is also married to a police detective, Greg who is also Tim’s best friend. Syda is a hoot and adds the humor to this story, keeping it light. I have to mention Dot, Pat’s Dalmatian and Wimsey, their cat. They are lucky to live in such a wonderful family as they are treated like kings and they know it. Dot is also a protection for Pat on more than one occasion. I loved their appearances in the story, they always made me smile. Nancy Lynn Jarvis has penned an interesting mystery with a great plot, plenty of suspects and some red herrings. The mystery kept me guessing as I tried to figure out who the culprit was. Pat works with the police to check out alibis, interview subjects and cross off suspects. The addition of her planning a wedding adds a personal aspect to the story, which I also enjoyed. With danger, humor, and excitment, Dearly Beloved Departed kept me turning the pages until I reached the satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy a lighter mystery or a good cozy mystery, I recommend you pick this one up.

Purchase Link; Amazon

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an electronic copy of Dearly Beloved Departed. I will assign each commend a number and use a number generator to determine the winner. You will have 48 hours to contact me in order to claim your prize.

About the Author: Nancy Lynn Jarvis left the real estate profession after she started having so much fun writing the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series that she let her license lapse. She’s enjoyed writing about Regan and her husband, Tom, but decided it was time to do a new series.

PIP Inc. introduces protagonist downsized law librarian and not-quite-licensed Private Investigator Pat Pirard. “The Funeral Murder” is the second book in the series.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, Nancy worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.

Currently, she’s enjoying being a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Santa Cruz Women of Mystery.

Author Links: Website – Facebook – Goodreads

Thanks to all who left comments. Using a number generator, it selected #2, so that means lghiggins is the winner of the ebook. Please let me know your email address, so Nancy can send your copy to you.