The book cover of The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan shows the title, author, and the back view of a dog and a woman standing beside each other. Mystery. Book Review.

The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan

Genre: mystery

Publisher: Minotaur

Publication Date: 2019

Summary

Jazz Ramsey is an administrative assistant at St. Catherine’s, an all-girl’s school in Cleveland. She loves her job, but she has another passion: training cadaver dogs. While training a dog in an abandoned urban building, she is horrified to find the body of a young woman. The victim’s dressed and made up in “goth” fashion: black clothes, pale white makeup, tattoos and piercings. Underneath, though, is someone Jazz knows.

Florie graduated a few years ago from St. Catherine’s. A talented photographer, she won a scholarship to an art school. But it looks like her life took an unexpected turn . . . and ended tragically.

The lead detective is Jazz’s ex-boyfriend, Nick. Now she also must cope with Nick’s presence in her life and her still-overwhelming grief at her father’s death the year before. The question haunts her: who killed Florie? And why?

What I loved about this book

Initially, I was hesitant to read this book. The cover blurbs labelled Kylie Logan as a “cozy mystery” writer, and after a not-so-great experience with another cozy novel, I wasn’t certain if I should bother with The Scent of Murder. Finally, I started reading. And reading. And reading, until I turned the last page, wishing for a few more chapters. Here’s why:

The characters

Jazz is a terrific character.

To me, it makes sense that she would “investigate” Florie’s murder. She found her body; she knew the young woman; and like many people after a violent death, she wants answers as a way of coping. “She was just looking to make sense of a senseless act” (62). For those reasons, she doesn’t come across as a busybody snooping where she doesn’t belong.

The relationship dynamics

Jazz has multiple realistic, but healthy relationships. Her BFF is the art teacher at St. Catherine’s. She has platonic male friendships. For once, the protagonist doesn’t detest her boss. She and Sister Eileen Flannery are often “on the same wavelength.”

Her family isn’t a dysfunctional mess; her widowed mother and two brothers all love each other. They’re not perfect. There is conflict, but their affection toward one another is genuine. There’s real emotional depth here. I suspect that Logan will explore several aspects of Jazz’s family’s relationships in future books in the series.

The balance between realism and warmth

One issue I’ve had with cozy murder mysteries is that there’s the danger of trivializing the murder and the motive for it. (“Oh, somebody got killed, but, hey, no one liked that horrible person, so it’s okay!”) I dislike that.

Logan successfully avoids this danger. Jazz and Nick (and others) know the killer, the motive, and the victim’s imperfections; but they also take her death seriously, and mourn for her. She’s not just another body. She’s a person.

As Jazz and others prepare for the outdoor memorial service for Florie, Jazz uses photos of Florie without her white/black horror film makeup. (The media has used lurid photos of the dead woman in their sensationalized coverage of her murder.) Logan writes,

“The girls of St. Catherine’s had heard enough about Florie’s shortcomings, and as Eileen was about to remind them, there was more to her–more to each and every person there in the park–than just a reputation, good or bad. There is also, always, a spark of the divine.” (The Scent of Murder, 294)

I wish I had written this paragraph! This is something that crime/mystery writers need to remember. Even if you’re not spiritually-inclined, remember that lives are precious. Don’t trivialize murder for the sake of entertainment.

The melt-your-heart ending

I promise, if you love dogs, you’ll love this ending. Even if you’re allergic to dogs (like I am), you’ll melt and wish your meds were stronger. If you hate dogs . . .  well, find another book to read. And you have my sympathy for your shortcomings as a human being. (Almost kidding.)

All in all, I heartily recommend The Scent of Murder.

(This review also appears on Goodreads.)