Book Reviews: Die Noon by Elise Sax

 

Funny, charming, and cheeky, Die Noon introduces the quaint town of Goodnight where the locals are friendly, the paper is dedicated, and there's just a touch of murder. It's fun from beginning to end with a joyous ride in between that delivers a suspenseful mystery. Matilda Dare's life has gone through a few changes and this is what brought her to Goodnight, New Mexico where she's inherited a house and a newspaper. She's a fish out of the water but she's determined to awaken her reporter senses and run the paper with a new purpose. A murder later and she finds herself a little in over her head but she's determined to find answers and catch a killer. As if her life isn't complicated enough, the handsome sheriff seems to be looking into her and her handsome roommate has a tendency to show up at suspicious times. 

Elise Sax has a knack for a quirky sense of humor and witty dialogue, and Die Noon is one of her funniest stories. The story is funny right from the start with Matilda Dare's tongue-in-cheek wit a humorous highlight of the mystery. Sax opens the story with Matilda's quirky tone using comments such as "I see dead people" and following it with "literal dead bodies." The humor is at times embarrassingly funny with naked torsos that seem to be flung at her and a certain pool incident that left her feeling mortified on her first reporter mission. She's a character that you can easily identify as she's the newcomer trying to fit into this close-knit smalltown, learn how to become a reporter, and run the paper she now owns. 

The story has an intriguing subplot that finds a mysterious girl that appears to be a storyline that will thread into other books in the series. Every character in the town serves a purpose from this mysterious girl to every Goodnight that seems to appear. Every place Matilda goes seems to bring out another midnight from the sheriff to her handsome roommate to the youngest member of the paper's staff. Goodnights are everywhere in the town and it makes for a delightful running gag throughout the story. Homage to New Mexico's quirky history is paid with the town having several theories about aliens that come from die-hard believers and some whacky ideas. Sax has created a rich tradition and history for this town that stems from its characters and brings it to life.

Sax has created a town that has a small-town vibe, an alien obsession, and just a slight murder problem that will make you want to return long after the mystery ends. Cozy in its finest element, Die Noon is charming, laugh-out-loud funny, quirky, and delightful.