I didn’t know where to go after I finished Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series. I hadn’t been moved and entertained by books like that in a long time. So I decided to go the opposite way, and find something light and fun.

Enter: I Only Read Murder by Canadian authors Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson. It sounded like a fun, delightful excursion. We are introduced to Miranda Abbott, a bit of a Hollywood has-been. She had a successful television series in which she portrayed an amateur sleuth. But that was a long time ago.

Now, despite her ego insisting she is the best, she is scraping to get by, something she is oblivious to. When she receives a cryptic postcard she ends up in the Pacific Northwest, and finds herself in the small town of Happy Rock.

Surrounded by a variety of eccentric characters (and a couple of fans) Miranda ends up auditioning for a role in the local play and when one of the cast dies on stage finds herself in a real-life mystery.

Frequently funny with a strong emotional core, the Brothers Ferguson craft a delightful little romp that much like the play Miranda finds herself in, feels like a combination of a number of things. There’s murder, comedy, theater, small town secrets, and broken hearts.

All of the clues are there. You just need to pay attention, but this one is definitely about the ride. It’s a wonderful combination of genres, and the theater stuff is a delight – auditions, staging, rivalries, secrets.

And the murder… everyone has a motive.

This was a fun quick read, and I may very well hunt down the second novel in the series, Mystery in the Title, and there is a third one on the horizon.

I like the way the Fergusons tell their story. There’s lots of fun asides, and playful humor as Miranda navigates the smalltown. And despite her initial self-centered behavior she becomes an empathetic character, one we feel for, as she puzzles out clues of the murder and the heart.

A fun and engaging read, this one ended up being a delight, and kept me engaged from the get go. And who wouldn’t want to shop in a little book store called I Only Read Murder?

If you like theater, mysteries, and classic detective shows, this one may be for you. And hey, on top of that, it’s Canadian!