Hopscotch Homicide by Kathi Daley

Synopsis: When Zoe finds the body of the lunch lady on the hopscotch course the week before the new school year, she is pulled into a mystery that will find her volunteering as soccer mom, classroom mom, and PTA board member. It's funny, it's family, it's a Zak and Zoe murder investigation.

Review:  This book is a little different than previous installments in the Zoe and Zak series. There is a lot more focus on the kids and their school activities than anything else. Sometimes it felt as if the murder mystery were secondary to that part of the story.

However, I love seeing Zoe get more maternal--her shopping trip with Alex was reminiscent of taking MY girls school shopping. And the chapters written from the point of view of Phyllis King, letting us see her life as three teen girls board with her to attend Zimmerman Academy, were a lot of fun as well. I would have liked to see more of Levi and Ellie in this book, and hope we get more of their story soon.

The mystery, as I hinted at in the first paragraph, left me wanting more this time around. It just didn't really grab me and have me turning page after page to follow the clues and discover the killer.

So, while I enjoyed this story, I hope the mystery goes back to being the primary focus in future books.

Rating: Four stars 

About the author
Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. 
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. 

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