Definitely Maybe Not A Detective by Sarah Fox (2026)
No maybe about it. This is most definitely an entertaining cozy rom-com mystery that coasts along on its enormous charm, quirky characters and most of all, its hapless, unlucky-in-love-until-she-isn't but somehow still adorable would-be sleuth.
The not-quite-a-detective I speak of is Emersyn Gray......in her late 20's, recently fired, needing work to support both her and her beloved young niece Livy, her late brother's only child. But Emersyn's savings were stolen by her rotten ex-boyfriend and her domineering mother is pressuring Emersyn to let her assume custody of Livy. In desperation, Emersyn goes along with her best friend's scheme to intimidate her villainous ex, by threatening him with 'Wyatt Investigations', a wholly fictitious company. The boyfriend sneers, until confronted by a hunky guy whom Emersyn had previously stumbled into......and whose real name happens to be.....wait for it.......Wyatt.
This oddest, most coincidental of meet-cutes rapidly escalates when the building manager of Emersyn's apartment is found murdered and an innocent, elderly resident is wrongly suspected. Come to think of it, with the exception of Emersyn, Livy and another hunky male specimen, the building's other residents are a collection of colorful seniors right out of 'Only Murders In The Building.. To Emersyn's increasing exasperation, Wyatt takes on his make-believe detective role, and the residents, all of them potential suspects, join in to crack the case.......not to mention a resident's granddaughter Theo, an aggressively, take charge wheelchair bound teen girl who knows how to set up a murder board.
The mystery part of this book isn't all that compelling, but the real fun comes from Emersyn doing her best to resist those inevitable romantic sparks that begin to detonate between her and Wyatt. And things don't get easier for her when she also finds also herself in the romantic crosshairs of Bodie, that equally nearby attractive guy in the building.
I loved all the characters' interactions, Emersyn's poignant, fierce devotion to caring for Livy, and her finding herself in the midst of a romantic triangle while trying to get a job and uncover a killer. at the same time. A lot going on, but author Sarah Fox deftly juggles all the elements and delivers a diverting cozy read.
The not-quite-a-detective I speak of is Emersyn Gray......in her late 20's, recently fired, needing work to support both her and her beloved young niece Livy, her late brother's only child. But Emersyn's savings were stolen by her rotten ex-boyfriend and her domineering mother is pressuring Emersyn to let her assume custody of Livy. In desperation, Emersyn goes along with her best friend's scheme to intimidate her villainous ex, by threatening him with 'Wyatt Investigations', a wholly fictitious company. The boyfriend sneers, until confronted by a hunky guy whom Emersyn had previously stumbled into......and whose real name happens to be.....wait for it.......Wyatt.
This oddest, most coincidental of meet-cutes rapidly escalates when the building manager of Emersyn's apartment is found murdered and an innocent, elderly resident is wrongly suspected. Come to think of it, with the exception of Emersyn, Livy and another hunky male specimen, the building's other residents are a collection of colorful seniors right out of 'Only Murders In The Building.. To Emersyn's increasing exasperation, Wyatt takes on his make-believe detective role, and the residents, all of them potential suspects, join in to crack the case.......not to mention a resident's granddaughter Theo, an aggressively, take charge wheelchair bound teen girl who knows how to set up a murder board.
The mystery part of this book isn't all that compelling, but the real fun comes from Emersyn doing her best to resist those inevitable romantic sparks that begin to detonate between her and Wyatt. And things don't get easier for her when she also finds also herself in the romantic crosshairs of Bodie, that equally nearby attractive guy in the building.
I loved all the characters' interactions, Emersyn's poignant, fierce devotion to caring for Livy, and her finding herself in the midst of a romantic triangle while trying to get a job and uncover a killer. at the same time. A lot going on, but author Sarah Fox deftly juggles all the elements and delivers a diverting cozy read.
4 stars (****).
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