The Pinocchio Murder

by Jo Cassie McRae

In this second novel of the Kate Atherton Mystery series, Kate again shows herself to be “an American, 21st-century Miss Marple” and not a lady one should ever underestimate!

On a hot afternoon in August, Giselle Freeman is brutally attacked in her home workshop. The very next day, a stranger is found, murdered, in the same place. Who is the attacker, and will they strike again? Are the murderer and Giselle’s attacker one and the same? And, as if all that weren’t enough, there’s the matter of that priceless emerald and diamond necklace. Wheaton Creek’s fledgling, still under-staffed police force has its hands full as they attempt to solve the complex and engaging puzzle, making newly-appointed police chief Diego Vela unusually open to input from Giselle’s best friend, Kate Atherton. Much as he hates to admit it, Vela knows Kate’s skills, developed as an agent for a shadow intelligence agency of the U.S. government, make her a valuable asset.

Fans of Martha Grimes, M.C. Beaton, or Richard Osman, or television series like Murder, She Wrote, Beyond Paradise, or Midsomer Murders will enjoy the Kate Atherton Mysteries.

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2024

About the author

Joe Cassie McRae is a native Texan who has lived near Austin on the edge of the Texas Hill country for over 30 years. In addition to writing, McRae loves to read, garden, and cook. Like Kate Atherton (The Light Catcher Murders), McRae’s bookshelves overflow with history books, biographies, historical fiction, and mystery novels. Unlike Kate, McRae does not have a mysterious, secret former career, having worked instead as a rather ordinary legal assistant at an Austin law firm.

Reviews

[Randy Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. An interesting story with interesting characters. I’d like to thank the publisher for making this book available in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Angela Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need like 5 more Kate Atherton mysteries immediately

[Marshall Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author goes to great lengths to develope and explain her characters. You really feel like you know them personally by the time you get thru half the book. The story moves at a good pace so this is an easy read. Like all good mysteries, the end had some good twists and turns
Highly recommend this book

[atxngal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Kate Atherton series, and it's just as satisfying as the first. Not only are there twists in the mysteries to be solved, but I feel like I know the characters and could visit with them over a cold glass of iced tea while overlooking Kate's garden. Time spent reading this book is definitely time well spent. I highly recommend this warm, well-written book.

[R J Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.

First, I have to say that I haven’t read the first book in the series, and while it didn’t take away from my delight of book 2, I think I really need to read the first book to see the character development. This was a wonderfully engaging book. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. And I so enjoyed Kate’s personality. The plot was riveting with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. The plot development certainly kept me on my toes. I caught myself trying to put the clues together into a satisfying whole, but failed miserably. I’m so looking forward to the next Kate Atherton book.

[Julie Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and easy read. The characters were well developed and the story is such you don’t need to read the previous book. I liked the characters they had a very comfortable feel. The setting was nice and well explored. I enjoyed the story line of the mystery and there were a few surprises. Good book to just sit and enjoy.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pinocchio Murder caught my attention because of the title! I liked it when I discovered that the main character, Kate Atherton, is in her sixties! This mystery takes place in a small town called Wheaton Creek in Texas. Kate is retired from her work at a highly secret federal intelligence agency, which makes her a good amateur sleuth! Police officer Diego Vela has quite a case on his hands and though he's reluctant, he is short handed and can definitely use her help. A dead man has been discovered in furniture maker, Giselle Freeman's workshop. It looked like Pinocchio had been murdered because there was a wooden dowel in the victim's face. Several people in Giselle's neighborhood have acted suspiciously and Kate tries to piece together what happened. The author did a great job weaving this story together. I enjoyed reading it and now I want to go back and read the first book in the series to see what I missed.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book with its well developed characters and twisty plot! I am looking forward to reading the next!

[Gwen Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read

Good characters, pacing was well done. Received this book from Goodreads, thank you. I liked the story, and will probably read others in the series.