I have reviewed The Great Loveda Brown by Jolie Tunnell for Reader’s Favorite.
Amidst the pine trees and mountains, unsolved murder cases are piling up in the small town of Idyllwild in this historical fiction, The Great Loveda Brown by Jolie Tunnell. Chanting “Damn Billy Dunn,” Loveda Brown escapes from her abusive husband, Billy Dunn, with her horse and a trunk. As bizarre as it was for a woman to travel alone in that time and age, Loveda relied on her strong character, wits, and determination to survive. Even though her journey from Texas to Idyllwild was uneventful, her arrival shook this sleepy town awake from its long slumber. In no time, the sheriff of the town began running in circles, finding corpses and investigating their murders. When the body of Billy Dunn was discovered, the sheriff considered Loveda to be the prime suspect. This hiccup meant that her plan to cross this town to reach her uncle had to be indefinitely delayed. Her husband, as it turned out, had a way of disrupting her life even from his grave. In a town full of dubious people, was there a way for Loveda to prove her innocence and find the real culprit?
“Miss Brown is a suspect,” the sheriff said helpfully. I wanted to slap him.
“That’s poppycock!” I told Mr. Hannahs, scowling at the sheriff. “And that man was my husband.”
Mr. Hannahs slapped his hands on the posters and slid them back into their hiding spot behind the counter. His gaze shifted uneasily between the sheriff and me. I could feel him willing me out the door with his mind.
– An excerpt from The Great Loveda Brown by Jolie Tunnell
The Great Loveda Brown is a blockbuster start to The Idyllwild Mystery Series. From the suspicious characters, the life of any good mystery worth its salt, to engaging twists, the backbone of a solid story, Jolie Tunnell has aced it all. Without making it too obvious, the author has instilled the attributes of an independent and feminist woman into the main character, Loveda. Our heroine knows what she wants in life and sets out to achieve it, ignoring the unconstructive opinions of those surrounding her. Like any normal human being, she too goes through periods of self-doubt and fears, but those moments do not define her decisions. The side characters, such as Miss Nelson, and Thomas Fuller (the sheriff), are equally crafted. They have strong beliefs and memorable personalities. Moreover, the characters are truly relatable. In Miss Nelson, we find a person who is so much set in her old ways that she considers any change dangerous and absolutely unacceptable. In any town, there are a handful of such people, and that’s what makes her relatable. This careful creation of the characters is one of the most impressive traits of The Great Loveda Brown. Engaging conversations and descriptive scene-setting are other characteristics to watch out for.
“Because, sir, you are the man who buried my husband, and I’ll need to know where to send his mother, should she inquire.” Billy’s mother had been dead for over ten years, but none of this was Carlos’ business. “She will need to know where to place the tombstone.”
– An excerpt from The Great Loveda Brown by Jolie Tunnell
In terms of plot, the author has fabulously executed the first book of this mystery series. Jolie Tunnell has left no stone unturned in ensuring that the story remains mysterious and appealing to her audience. Every element of the book is so well placed that the readers find themselves drawn in and unable to put down The Great Loveda Brown before solving the mystery. Filled with small-town gossip, historic setting, beautiful story-telling, and intriguing mystery, The Great Loveda Brown by Jolie Tunnell is a highly recommended book for fast-paced mystery lovers.
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