A Basket Case

Maddie Sparks Mystery, #2

by

Lesley A. Diehl

Intriguing double mysteries and complex personal relationships combine for a compelling story.

A Basket Case is the second book in author Lesley A. Diehl’s intriguing Maddie Sparks Mystery series. Still, newcomers to the series can easily pick up, catch up, and enjoy it as an introduction or standalone. When a director at the museum where Maddie’s granddaughter is completing a college internship and she is volunteering is murdered right before completing the turnover of Native American artifacts to local tribes, Sara’s boyfriend’s father, a well-known Native American activist and a claimant to one of the museum’s holdings is accused of the crime. Maddie, convinced he didn’t do it, enlists her defense attorney son, Richard, to represent the man in the white justice system and her love interest, former local sheriff Zack Montgomery, to investigate and find the real killer. 

Maddie and Zack had grown serious and close over the summer; however, when he returns from a trip to visit his adult daughter, Amy, he shows up not only with her but with Mary Sanders, a woman with whom Zack apparently had a long history, one Amy has decided he should rekindle. Maddie is stunned when Zack bows to his daughter’s wishes and moves his things from Maddie’s place into the B&B where Amy and Mary are staying. Knowing Amy is fighting a battle with drug addiction and needs her father’s support, Maddie tries to understand his actions and, though heartbroken, goes along with the situation. Maddie and Zack’s interactions are awkward and hard to watch unfold, especially with Mary stirring the pot every chance she gets. Zack comes across as weak and indecisive in his handling of his relationships, but he’s being torn apart by his need to be there for his daughter and be with the woman with whom he’s already fallen in love. His blindness to Mary’s toxicity and lack of the skills his daughter needs goes on way too long, and there are consequences. 

The situation at the museum is also more complex than originally imagined. There is evidence of a very toxic work environment with ongoing incidents of harassment, racism, and misogyny, and pieces from the museum’s collections are suddenly going missing, with forged lookalikes left in their place. Sara discovers the discrepancies and shares her concerns with her grandmother, but their knowledge may have put them in the crosshairs of a killer. Although clues are hard to come by, Maddie and her friends are able to piece together enough plausible hypotheses to conduct an investigation, though with so much going on in the story, their efforts were scattershot for much of the book. The difficulties in the various personal relationships really distracted everyone: Maddie, Zack, and even Sara, who had to deal with her protective parents and being in a mixed-race relationship. However, red herrings come and go as plot twists complicate an already intricate case but guaranteed my attention and entertainment until the final resolution. 

I recommend A BASKET CASE to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy a more mature set of sleuths, strong female protagonists, relationship-heavy plots, and behind-the-scenes looks at museum operations. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.