Review of Yellow Rock
Posted: 20 Apr 2022, 05:55
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Yellow Rock" by Glenn Ickler.]
Yellow Rock is the latest book in Glenn Ickler's Mitch and Al mystery series. It chronicles the investigation of a murder mystery by reporter Mitch Mitchell and his sidekick photojournalist Alan Jeffrey. Mitch and Al are persuaded to join a square dance club by their spouses in this segment. Andy Wetherbee, a nationally renowned visiting caller, is assassinated while taking a cigarette break at one of the club's sessions. The person who announces the dance figures and chooses which motions dancers make on the dance floor is known as a square dance caller. Mitch and Al then set out to find out who killed Andy Wetherbee. A subplot regarding Mitch's mother is also included in the book. She shoots a nighttime prowler on her property by accident, and numerous hijinks follow.
Mitch and Al, Mitch and Detective Brown, Mitch and Grandma Goodie, to mention a few, all had clever banter in the novel that I appreciated. They were amusing and entertaining, and they made me laugh out loud at times. There were some amusing expressions like "snatching a defeat from the jaws of victory" that added to the story's flavor. I especially enjoyed Mitch's collaboration with investigator Brown. They made an excellent crime-solving team, and it was thrilling to watch them discuss information and Mitch piece together clues in the hunt for the perpetrator. It was also entertaining to learn about square dancing and all of its complexities. It was a lot of fun learning terms like 'allemande left.'
Some of the words had a lot of layers and meanings, which I enjoyed. It was fascinating to learn about the origins of the title Yellow Rock, for example. It was a square dance call, which I thought was extremely appropriate given the story's setting in the square dance scene. In the book, it also became a term of endearment, which I found uplifting. The murder mystery was well-written, with hints as to who the murderer was strewn throughout the narrative. Mitch's relatability was appealing to me. We got to join him in his day-to-day life and establish emotional attachments with the character as he unraveled the mystery.
The book's one flaw, in my opinion, was how little Al was involved in the plot. Despite the fact that the book is billed as a Mitch and Al mystery, he was more of a supporting character. Mitch did the majority of the legwork, while Al only appeared in a few chapters. This did not, however, detract from my enjoyment of the novel because the mystery was intriguing.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the murder mystery was well-executed. The dialogue was amusing and interesting, and the book was enjoyable to read as a whole. I considered this book to be extremely well-edited, as there were no errors or typos. This is a novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.
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Yellow Rock
View: on Bookshelves
Yellow Rock is the latest book in Glenn Ickler's Mitch and Al mystery series. It chronicles the investigation of a murder mystery by reporter Mitch Mitchell and his sidekick photojournalist Alan Jeffrey. Mitch and Al are persuaded to join a square dance club by their spouses in this segment. Andy Wetherbee, a nationally renowned visiting caller, is assassinated while taking a cigarette break at one of the club's sessions. The person who announces the dance figures and chooses which motions dancers make on the dance floor is known as a square dance caller. Mitch and Al then set out to find out who killed Andy Wetherbee. A subplot regarding Mitch's mother is also included in the book. She shoots a nighttime prowler on her property by accident, and numerous hijinks follow.
Mitch and Al, Mitch and Detective Brown, Mitch and Grandma Goodie, to mention a few, all had clever banter in the novel that I appreciated. They were amusing and entertaining, and they made me laugh out loud at times. There were some amusing expressions like "snatching a defeat from the jaws of victory" that added to the story's flavor. I especially enjoyed Mitch's collaboration with investigator Brown. They made an excellent crime-solving team, and it was thrilling to watch them discuss information and Mitch piece together clues in the hunt for the perpetrator. It was also entertaining to learn about square dancing and all of its complexities. It was a lot of fun learning terms like 'allemande left.'
Some of the words had a lot of layers and meanings, which I enjoyed. It was fascinating to learn about the origins of the title Yellow Rock, for example. It was a square dance call, which I thought was extremely appropriate given the story's setting in the square dance scene. In the book, it also became a term of endearment, which I found uplifting. The murder mystery was well-written, with hints as to who the murderer was strewn throughout the narrative. Mitch's relatability was appealing to me. We got to join him in his day-to-day life and establish emotional attachments with the character as he unraveled the mystery.
The book's one flaw, in my opinion, was how little Al was involved in the plot. Despite the fact that the book is billed as a Mitch and Al mystery, he was more of a supporting character. Mitch did the majority of the legwork, while Al only appeared in a few chapters. This did not, however, detract from my enjoyment of the novel because the mystery was intriguing.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the murder mystery was well-executed. The dialogue was amusing and interesting, and the book was enjoyable to read as a whole. I considered this book to be extremely well-edited, as there were no errors or typos. This is a novel that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.
******
Yellow Rock
View: on Bookshelves