Not what I expected - may be distasteful to some.

This review contains spoilers. My general impression is that the narrator sounds way too old for Lucy's character and the books need to be passed by if you are triggered by animal, spouse or child abuse.
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The first two books in this series are really nothing extraordinary. Notwithstanding the release dates they are quite old, 10 years, and the language and attitudes make that apparent. Unlike a current series, the attitudes take me to a time where wives are expected to obey their husbands, are responsible for the home and the children, and the men are 'the boss'. The first story mentions a regulator, which I think is a clock?

I found some parts quite distasteful. In the first, the family's cat is strangled with a rope, buried in the yard and quickly replaced, and a dog is shot by its owner with very little regard or fanfare.

This book, the second in the series, addresses spousal and child abuse and the spiriting away of a young child who is sexually abused by her father. There are parts of this book that may be triggering for anyone who has suffered abuse or is bothered by this type of thing.

While the book covers and titles may make one think that this is a cozy mystery series using the typical formula, it is not. It does contain characters that one can become attached to and that is the only reason I may continue with it, but be aware that these books are fairly dark - they are not, to me, the typical light and fluffy cozy and definitely do not leave me feeling comforted or happy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It seems like the author has thrown some really heavy subjects into what would otherwise be a fairly comfortable, light read, so I'm left in that 'not quite sure if I like or dislike this series' state. This book in particular has not left me in a light and merry mood and that isn't what I am looking for just now, so I may come back to this series later.

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