(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Although Jazz Ramsey has a job she enjoys as an administrative assistant at St. Catherine's Preparatory Academy, a girls-only school in Cleveland, her real love is training cadaver dogs.  One night, while running drills with a clever canine in an abandoned building, Jazz is shocked when Luther discovers a dead body.  The remains are those of a young woman wearing Goth clothes and makeup.  Underneath all the camouflage, Jazz is stunned to see a girl she recognizes.  Kind of.  Florentine "Florrie" Allen had a much more subtle appearance while she attended St. Catherine's, but there's no doubt it's her.  What was she doing in the old, deserted building?  Who hated the girl enough to strangle her to death?  And what happened to Florrie to cause such a dramatic change in her appearance?

Jazz's ex-boyfriend, Detective Nick Kolesov, warns her to let the police handle the investigation, but she can't get Florrie out of her mind.  She has to know what happened.  While her amateur detecting brings her closer to the truth, it also puts her own life in danger.  Can Jazz crack the case before the killer strikes again?  Or will Luther be sniffing out her corpse next?

Kylie Logan has authored several cozy mystery series; The Scent of Murder is her first foray into more serious crime fiction.  I'm glad she made the jump as this novel features an appealing heroine, a twisty plot, and dynamic prose, all elements I very much appreciate.  It's an engaging whodunit that's compelling and fast-paced, but remains PG-13 in content, an unusual feat for books in this genre.  I enjoyed Logan's descriptions of Cleveland's vibrant Tremont neighborhood as well as the warm relationships she creates between Jazz and her family.  I'm also interested to see what happens between her and Nick.  The Scent of Murder is the first book in the Jazz Ramsey series; I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Honestly, I can't remember where I picked up my copy of this book.  Sorry, FTC.