Book Review: The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders

The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders

• Series: A Benbow and Wingate Mystery (Book 1)

• Written by: Corrine Holt Sawyer

• Published by: Farrago Books

• Release date: September 12, 2024

• Mystery type: Cozy mystery

The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders features two friends, Angela Benbow and Caledonia Wingate, who convince two other reluctant pals to help them solve a mystery. The four amateur sleuths are determined to discover what happened to their fellow retirement community resident, Sweetie, a not-so-sweet busybody who met an unfortunate end.

This was my primary takeaway from the book:

When you start with an upscale sun-kissed retirement community, add four senior sleuths, and mix in witty writing and a puzzling murder on a beach, you end up with a really fun, suspenseful cozy mystery. I loved The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders.

The story features senior sleuths, suspects, and victims and is set before laptops and smartphones (my guess is the 1980s). All of these factors added to the story’s charms.

The characters in this book have layers like onions. They make good and bad choices. They're real. I found this a welcome change from the too-perfect main characters that you often see heading up a mystery novel. Angela Benbow's character development was particularly enjoyable to watch.

This quote offers a little insight into Angela's character so you can see where she started:

If it had been Angela Benbow lying dead at the foot of Camden's walk to the beach, everybody would have assumed that she had been murdered, and they would not have been in the least surprised.

After researching, I discovered that the author of The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders, Corrine Holt Sawyer, was born in 1922 and lived in a California retirement community. That may be part of why she could write characters with humor, heart, and recognizable personalities that ring true.

The mystery was also very well done. I enjoyed sleuthing along with the ladies. I will definitely be reading the rest of the Benbow and Wingate Mysteries. Book two in the Benbow and Wingate Mystery series is Murder in Gray and White.

Disclosure: I received this advanced reader copy of The J. Alfred Prufrock Murders from Net Galley and Farrago. This page contains affiliate links. Cozy Crime Reads may earn a commission on qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate.