Review: Mainely Angst

Mainely Angst
Golf Langdon Mainely Mystery #4
by Matt Cost

Award winning author Matt Cost brings us the fourth book in the Mainely Mystery series in which a boy is abducted and threatened with execution if the governor of Maine doesn’t ease business restrictions and masking requirements due to the pandemic. 

Langdon is muddling his way through the pandemic like everybody else. Business restrictions have dealt a blow to his mystery bookstore, and nobody leaves the house anymore to get into trouble and create a need for a PI. At the same time, his marriage is stronger than ever, and he’s had a chance to catch up on things around the house.

Then it all changes. The bookstore opens back up, and he gets hired to find a missing woman, find proof of sexual harassment against another local business owner, and track down a kidnapped boy before he is executed by a madman in a desperate bid to force the state to ease masking restrictions.

“Somebody stole my wife,” the man said.
Did Annika Morin leave her husband… or was she taken?

I was sexually harass’ by my boss and then fire’ when I refused his advances.” Raven’s dark eyes flashed a promise of anger and vengeance.
Local brew pub owner Rick Strong is accused of sexual harassment, which seems likely, but is he guilty of much more? Or is it entirely fabricated?

“Where is my boy?” Jill asked, her words anguished.
And then the boy is abducted, and the kidnapper attempts to hold the entire state hostage. If the governor refuses their demands, the kidnapper promises to execute the child on Halloween.

With the help of his wife, Chabal, and his friends Bart the bad-tempered cop, 4 by Four the playboy lawyer, Richam and Jewell, and Star, his bookstore employee, Langdon is in a race against time to find the missing wife, obtain proof against an unlikeable business owner, and track down a kidnapped boy before it is too late…

5 out of 5 fairies

First, let me say I loved the opening to this story. That first line made me giggle, and set the tone for another thrilling mystery with moments of humor sprinkled in. I was so happy to dive back in with Langdon and crew, they have great chemistry together, and the cases they were presented with kept me guessing. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop yourself from turning pages and trying to discover how the three seemingly separate cases are interconnected (as they are always in some way). This does touch on some current events (COVID, mask protests, etc), but that doesn’t take over the story, so no worries on that front. Highly recommend starting with book one in the series, but you can easily dive right in with this one.

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