Gayle Wigglesworth retired after forty years as an executive in the banking industry and turned to writing mysteries. She presently has five Claire Gulliver mysteries published, and is working on the sixth in that series. MUD TO ASHES is her stand-alone mystery in which Wigglesworth explores the art world.in particular potters. Pottery is Ms. Wigglesworth’s second passion, and traveling is her third.
Karo Meisner hit the mid-life bump in the road when her husband began to update his wardrobe, became more and more critical and remote, and bought a new sports car. With a sigh of relief, she moved to Belle Vista and on to the second half of her life. She purchased a nice little house by the beach, secured a job writing pamphlets for a local bank, and joined a local potter’s group.
It should have been an idyllic lifestyle, and in many ways it was. But she stumbled on a dead body while taking her two new dogs to the beach for a walk, and life seemed to take on a much more sinister tone as the police zeroed in on her movements:
“Lieutenant Myers apparently did, judging by the numerous questions he fired at her. Karo thought they would never finish. She found herself explaining far more about her life and situation than she thought was pertinent, but eventually he seemed satisfied. She headed back toward the path over the dune quickly, anxious to get home, realizing too much of the day had already gone by.”
Wigglesworth manages to set a very nice tone to a mystery that has many facets. On the one hand, Karo Meisner is a comfortable heroine who is likable and down-to-earth in her quest to create a new life for herself full of cooking; pottery; new friends; and her lovable dogs. On the other hand, there is an undercurrent of pure evil almost everywhere Karo turns. How does she deal with it? As any middle-aged woman, she is at first patient and understanding. But when the murderer exposes themselves, Karo can fight with the best of them. MUD TO ASHES is an excellent whodunit, and Karo is a character the readers will want to see in more installments.
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
April 9, 2010