For childhood actor turned private eye Paul Washington, investigating a theft at his childhood mall was a dream come true. But when a body turns up the second day on the job, the case turns into a whodunnit. With his dream girl as the prime suspect, can the pop-culture-obsessed detective crack the case and clear her name before it's too late?
80s and 90s kids unite - this cozy mystery is ready to take your Gen X and Millennial hearts on a fast paced adventure through your childhood.
Killer Deals at Mayview Mall by Steven Templar will be published June 3, 2025. Mysterious Ink Publishing / Victory Editing provided an early galley for review.
With a catchy title and a day-glo cover to match, I knew instantly that this novel was speaking directly to me. The 80's were my high school and college years, with much time in the latter part of the decade and the early part of the next spent browsing the windows of various malls. This spoke of "home" to my soul.
This is the first of Templar's novels that I have read (and most definitely it will not be my last - I am now a fan). Immediately, I fell into his stylistic approach and rhythms. The touches of musical elements and pop-culture references further fuel that nostalgic part of my brain. Not only do I know folks who drop pop-culture references all the time, I also happen to be one of them. And, of course, the metro Detroit references were pleasant as well for this transplant to that part of Michigan.
Overall, the story is moves at a nice pace. It features a distinct cast of characters to further flesh out the world which it looks like readers might just get a chance to revisit again down the line (can't wait). I found the novel to be an entertaining and fun read.
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