Moving Can Be Murder Asks the Age-Old Question, “Whodunnit?”
Let’s face it, there are far worse things in life than moving. The thing is…most of those things are unplanned. For many of us, moving—whether voluntary or not—involves a lot of planning and preparation. And hard work. My philosophy about moving is simple: I’d rather give birth.
Moving Can Be Murder, written by Susan Santangelo, is the second in a series, “Carol and Jim Andrews Baby Boomer Mysteries.” Subtitled Every Wife Has a Story, the wife who tells this story is Carol Andrews, a baby boomer who somehow makes it through her husband’s retirement without killing him (although it’s a daily challenge). In the first book in the series, Retirement Can Be Murder, husband Jim is suspected of murdering his retirement coach.
Technically a murder mystery, Moving Can Be Murder is more a story about relationships, four high school chums who grew older together, a husband and wife, neighbors, former students and their teacher, and parents and children. With the exception of the children, most of those participating in these relationships are baby boomers (which is so much nicer a term than “senior citizens,” don’t you think?).
Complicating her life is her husband’s desire to downsize—sell the home they love, and move into a retirement village (a/k/a “active adult community”). The house sells surprisingly quickly, and the night before closing, Carol visits one last time only to find a dead body in the living room—the buyer. There are several good suspects, each one with a sympathetic motive. Despite her promise not to interfere with the police investigation, Carol rounds up her baby boomer friends and becomes deeply involved.
In addition to marriage, murder, and moving, Moving Can Be Murder tackles domestic abuse, although in a disappointingly superficial approach. Carol learns of a great place to thrift shop—a boutique selling trendy discards (some still with tags) that is operated by a women’s shelter. As the story builds, she decides to write an article about abuse for her hometown newspaper, and somehow her research touches upon that body in her living room.
Moving Can Be Murder is light summer reading, with a cast of engaging characters, and a mystery with a solution that isn’t obvious. It also includes “The Moving Quiz,” which helps determine if one should “stay in your current home or strike out for someplace new,” and a collection of recipes perfect for Bunco night.
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