Book review: What’s the time of Death, Mr Wolf? - Kura Jane Carpenter

Kay Mercer reviews the second installment in Kura Jane Carpenter's Cozy Mystery series.

Magic be praised! Book 2 of Kura Carpenter’s Wyld Enchantment Woods cosy mystery series, much like a sentient pumpkin, has ripened full of dark mystery and is ready for the picking.

The wait for a sequel is always a nervous time for a reader, smitten with the first book in a series, especially when that series is by a fantastic New Zealand writer, relatively new to the ‘cozy mystery’ scene. I am pleased to report that this Julius Vogel award-winner reads her audience well, and delivers on her early promise with a strong encore, wherein the first book’s cast of characters have truly come of age. Many questions are satisfyingly answered, others are intriguingly posed, and new players are introduced. One of the newcomers certainly gets the blood pumping (in several ways) and could stand a book series of their own - a girl can dream…

Synopsis: Tom April was a rookie henchman working for the wicked queen until a magical accident turned him into a cat. Together they solve crime in the frozen fairy-tale kingdom of Wyld Enchantment Woods. When a beloved Charmington resident is killed, neighbour accuses neighbour as hysteria grips the town. Can Ella and Tomcat uncover the werewolf’s true identity before it kills again?

I had the privilege of reading an early draft of Kura Carpenter’s second book in the Wyld Enchantment Woods series, thoroughly enjoyed it, and was left hungry for more. With its concise writing and full-throttle storytelling, I recommend the series to anyone who enjoys Pratchett-style humour and amusing real-world parallels, but with a delicious flavour all its own - this is a proper twisty whodunnit.

- by Kay Mercer

Available in paperback and e-book formats

Author website: Kura Jane Carpenter - Dunedin Cozy Mystery Author