Alan Chaput has set his new series in Savannah, Georgia, a place I had not visited, so I checked out a couple of videos to get the feel of the city where the Savannah Sleuth operated. One of the major activities of Patricia Falcon, a social icon to many, is to rescue and help to relocate local abused women. Three of her friends help in this endeavor and while not official, they dress the part, have weapons when needed, and work to see that a new life is arranged for the victim when necessary…

Possibly there were others who could do this transport duty, but Patricia was part of a much larger, secret group, the Cotton Coalition, who worked to ensure Savannah remained the safe and beautiful city that it was. Patricia’s husband was a director. Being part of the Falcon family, itself, was dangerous as the family and the group had worked above and around local authorities, when things weren’t getting done. One of the interesting issues that arises during the story was whether or not women should be permitted into the coalition. Made up of a selected group of families who’d lived in the city for many years, some of them were reaching older age, but had only daughters to possibly succeed them.

Patricia had been prepared for danger as soon as she married into the family, so that the transport of women needing support was a natural activity…

But when Judy, one of her team, asked her to help on a personal issue, Patricia worried about getting into something she shouldn’t be involved in… specifically, helping Judy document that her husband was cheating on her… and then agreeing to negotiate a discussion between the two!

Then there was the scruffy young man who was watching her home… Why? When she learned he knew her name and knew whose home he was watching, she was even more on edge, since he’d hinted she might need protection…

And then Patricia’s mother died. She had been found in her car by security and was rushed to the hospital. But she had died. Patricia had been very close to her mother and knew she was in good health. She wasn’t sure she could accept that the death was natural. And having her mother’s doctor being the husband of her friend she was helping to track for an affair, made it especially of concern. Would he do something because Patricia had talked to him for Judy about a divorce?

Once the question of reason for death came up, investigations of course began with the police, but the Cotton Coalition and even the Catholic Church began to as questions. One of the questions revolved around real estate and of course money and power…

I was surprised at the complexity and breadth of the mystery–well beyond that which you might expect in a cozy mystery. A thought to consider about the genre and comparison among books. For instance, after I had read the book, I thought the front cover may also be somewhat misleading… Nevertheless, aside from these false cues, this is a well-formed mystery that certainly deserves consideration for all mystery fans, not just those fans of cozy mysteries. The Falcon team might be considered far more than amateur detectives and a group you might find in a thriller.

I liked the concept of Vigilantes working to preserve the safety and integrity of a community. It is certainly a worthy thought as our justice system seems not to be able to keep up with the scope of coverage needed in today’s world… Even then, though, can those who belong to such a group be totally trusted… The book engages readers in thoughts beyond just solving the mystery, into wondering whether something more could be effective if controlled… The story of Patricia’s team is more imaginative than I’ve previously seen–moving safety of victims into a much-more controlled environment than usual.

The multiple concurrent investigations creates an exciting, diverse exploration of what surrounded the death of one woman, but even then, the whodunit was an interesting surprise…which, as you know, I love when unable to identify that individual! Highly recommended!