Death by Politics

By Kent Ostby (Indie author, 2021)

Genre: Fiction/Cozy Mystery

“Politics turning to violence is the mark of an unstable society. Death by politics was generally confined to third world countries and was definitely supposed to end at the US border.”

Simmering tensions threaten to boil over into murder and mayhem following an acrimonious ballot initiative that split Cobb County, Georgia into two in this cozy mystery by indie author Kent Ostby.

When the mayor is critically injured and a county supervisor is murdered, Shea Carlin suddenly finds himself up to his proverbial eyeballs in a murder mystery. Are ReUnite protestors to blame, or is something else in play? What? As dead bodies pile up, so does the danger. Can Carlin solve the Whodunit before he’s next on the hit list? And what about Carlin’s main squeeze, Kim?

Carlin runs Shea Carlin Technologies, a security startup company in East Cobb County, Georgia. Some Cobb residents aren’t exactly turning cartwheels over the recent county split. They’ve formed an opposition group, REUnite. During a REUnite protest, a speeding van nearly turns Mayor Phil Rawlings into road kill. 

The Basics

Narrated by a Pepsi-guzzling Shea Carlin, the story has an authentic, gritty feel to it. Intrigue abounds. The basic plot centers on deducing who the murderer(s) is/are. Readers are encouraged to solve the case right alongside the reluctant protagonist. It’s a cozy option for mystery fans who enjoy a good brain teaser as well as armchair sleuths itching to crack a case.

“People have a limit on the amount of emotional energy they can expend on extracurricular activities like political protesting.”

Multiples

Meanwhile, Cobby County is beset with multiple murders and multiple suspects. Are the extra taxes and lost revenue generated by the county split a factor? How? Plenty of techno gadgetry and doo-dads such as algorithms, drones, sensors and cameras and the like are in play. There’s also extortion. Betrayal. Revenge. Moola. Blackmail. A notebook. A snow hat. A bomb. Pizza. A clean romance.

The author makes full use of a prodigious wit combined with a touch of levity and self-deprecatory humor. Vivid descriptions of sites and locations such as Weeds Bar and Grill and the Waffle House add local color and flavor (pun intended) to the narrative.

“Someone has been killing people, which was obviously bad, but now it had gotten personal.”

Odds & Ends

As with another Ostby title, One Last Wave, ragged right margins are used instead of fully justified. This may be visually jarring for some readers. The back cover lacks a book blurb and a synopsis. Death by Politics could also benefit from the attention of a copy editor and a proofreader to clean up typos, punctuation errors and some basic mechanics. Brief examples:

• “officer Phillips” vs. “Officer Phillips.”
• “It would had to be someone…” (p. 55)
• “… the van that struck Phil Rawlings and it’s owner.” (p. 92)
• “… the result was a motley of different heights and colors..” (p. 109)
• “Ferriss Buehler” (p. 139. The correct spelling for the 1986 movie is Ferris Bueller.)
• “My destination that night was the sight of an abandoned, burned-out church building” (p. 201).
• The anti-split group is sometimes “REUnite” and sometimes “Reunite.”
• Periods are MIA at the end of several sentences.

Quick

Still, the first-person narration draws you in quickly. You feel like you’re looking over Carlin’s shoulder as events unfold. Or standing in his shadow. The story has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Characters are well-rounded. The dialogue, both external and internal, is credible. The pacing is fairly nimble, although some readers may get bogged down in the techno/computer nerd stuff. Descriptions of interactions with law enforcement could benefit from a trip to Citizens Academy and a course in basic police procedure and patrol. Loose ends are tied up neatly in the Epilogue, which also includes a twist on then-current events.

Death By Politics is written as if it may be the first book in a potential series and Shea Carlin may be a recurring character. But we couldn’t find any sequels.

Bottom Line

Agile, entertaining, and engaging, Death by Politics is a worthwhile read. It’s a cool, cozy whodunit/murder mystery with plenty of high-octane action and a touch of romance. It would be even better with a good copy editor and another proofread.

Our Rating: 3.5

For more from author Kent Ostby, see One Last Wave: Worth the Ride.

Atlanta, GA skyline image credit: Good Free Photos.