Review of Corpse in the Crop Circle

Blurb: The truth is out there . . . along with a killer.

When Thea Olson stumbles upon a murder in the middle of a crop circle, all eyes turn skyward. Rumors of UFOs, unexplained lights, and little green men spread through Why, North Dakota, faster than prairie wildfire.

As suspicion falls on someone Thea knows, she's determined to uncover the truth. With help from her grandmother, library director Hudson Carter, and Edgar—the magical chameleon with a sarcastic streak—Thea digs into a mystery filled with secrets, suspects, and unexpected twists.

Meanwhile, amateur sleuth Mollie McGhie is in town to help establish a local chapter of her alien investigation organization. She came to meet with fellow UFO enthusiasts, not investigate a murder. But she’s about to witness one of the strangest cases the town has ever seen.

As conspiracy theories swirl and small-town gossip reaches a fever pitch, Thea must separate fact from fiction before the truth disappears without a trace.

Can Thea solve the case before the murderer vanishes into thin air, or will this mystery remain as puzzling as the crop circle itself?

Review: UFOs and crop circles are all the talk in the small North Dakota town of Why. Thea Olson doesn't believe in aliens, but the corpse she finds in one of the fields is real. When one of her old friends becomes the lead suspect, she dives into the investigation which overlaps the protests of the local alien investigation organization. Thea has help from her grandmother, boyfriend, and magical chameleon guide, but the twists the case takes surprise them all. If she doesn't figure it out sooner than later, she might be the next body found in a crop circle.

This is the fourth book in the wonderful cozy mystery series, North Dakota Library Mysteries. Ellen Jacobson is the queen of cozies. I'm always excited when one of her books comes out. I loved returning to Why and seeing all its quirky folks again. We have the sweet boyfriend with Hudson, a smart grandma, and the very NYC chameleon guide with Edgar. He has a new apprentice and Fiona's adorable. As a bonus, amateur sleuth Mollie McGhie, the protagonist from another of this author's series, is in town to help establish the chapter of the UFO organization.

Even with Mollie there, all the investigating is Thea's responsibility, and she takes it seriously. One of her old friends is a suspect, and she's certain he didn't do it. It's a layered mystery, and I loved all the twists and turns. I did figure out who it was, but it was so much fun to see how Thea got there.

You can find Ellen Jacobson on her site and buy the book here.