There’s a Foul Smell Here – F1rst to Find* by Morgan C. Talbot

Margarita Williams is in a constant struggle with the Grim Reaper. Having escaped Death’s cold grasp as a teenager, she now finds him taking friends and family at a precipitous rate. The latest campaign begins when Margarita discovers a fellow geocacher unconscious in a local park. His subsequent death – ruled a murder by the coroner - brings her talents as a puzzle creator and solver into focus. Her struggle with Death intensifies when more members of her geocaching community are murdered. Joining forces with Bindi Ryan – her Australian, supersmeller roommate – and their odd, new neighbors, Margarita pulls all the pieces together to solve the mystery before she or more of her friends meet the Grim Reaper.    

F1rst to Find has the feel of the classic murder mystery; some tension, a little humor, a few “Aha” moments. Setting it in the context of the sport and community of geocaching gives the story a unique and interesting twist.  

While some of the characters are a little flat, Margarita, Bindi, and their next-door neighbors are well developed. Bindi is especially well done. She is dealing with being dumped by her fiancé when she arrives in the U.S., she has a hypersensitive sense of smell which causes her to become physically ill at times, and she has an exceptionally independent spirit. Talbot manages to simultaneously highlight and blend those, to portray a young woman about whom no one can be ambivalent. The dialogue seems a little timid and bland at times, but fits well with the classic murder mystery tone of the story.    

Talbot’s writing flows well, and the plot twists are relatively easy to keep up with. This is a well-told story that will keep you reading and guessing right to the end.

3 of 5 Stars

216 Pages

Mystery 

Caching Out Series, #1

Published October 2012 by Red Adept Publishing

Morgan C. Talbot's Website