The Happy Housewife by: Kate Cooch

About the Book:

Dateline: March 3, 2011, Woodinville, Washington. “Built green? Nope black! ELF.” The mocking sign was left at the sight of an eco-terrorist attack on ‘green’ multi-million dollar homes which were burnt to the ground. While the incident drew headlines from local papers, it barely made the national news. No arrests have been made.

Dateline: Same day, Fairfax, Virginia. Samantha Sherman, a former Coast Guard helicopter pilot turned stay at home Mom, tries to decide between Tide 2X Ultra with Dawn Stain Scrubbers and her old standby, Tide with Bleach Alternative. She finally determines that it truly makes no difference and sighs. Little does she know that in a few short weeks her happy, but not wildly exciting life will be turned upside down by the threat of eco-terrorism, the Weather Underground, and murder.

“The Happy Housewife” is a 200 page suburban murder mystery which involves one ordinary woman, Samantha, who finds herself drawn into a criminal investigation. In the process of solving two murders, she also struggles to overcome a mistake from her past career which resulted in her current inability to make decisions and assert herself.

 

My Review:

 

The Happy Housewife is a wonderful mix of investigative journalism and murder mystery.  The murder mystery that unfolds throughout the book is engaging and draws you in, while the personal challenges and background story of Sam not only encourages you to read more but you find yourself wanting to know what happens next .

I look forward to reading the next installment of the Happy Housewife to see where Sam’s adventures take her, to watch her overcome her confidence issues, to better understand her relationships with the somewhat brusk detective and to hear more about her time in the Coast Guard.