Harley L. Sachs' latest Mystery Club installment perked my interest for a cozy mystery but I worried that, by not having read them in order, I might not get the full effect of the series. I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Mystery Club and the Hidden Witness was perfectly enjoyable out of order. In my experience when “Cozy” is added before “Mystery” for a genre description, it usually means that you can expect wonderful characters, an easy going plot, some humor and even a little bit of romance. That is exactly what I found in The Mystery Club and the Hidden Witness.

For a usually quiet retirement community, the Rose Plaza residents manage to keep themselves busy and on their toes finding adventure, mystery and danger amongst their peers. Resident Katherine Seller heads the Plaza gift fund committee but it soon becomes evident that one of the residents is stealing funds. At first, with so many of the residents taking part in the gift funds donations, it’s unclear who it could be. Katherine is finding odd behavior in a few residents and is sure she’s heading in the right direction. It soon becomes clear that one resident is not who they say they are and is hiding out under the witness protection program with a bad track record of stealing. The Mystery Club jumps into action to help get the missing funds back where they belong and to catch the perpetrator red handed.

Harley L. Sachs created a group of characters that are both entertaining and enjoyable. The plot moves right along at a nice pace making The Mystery Club and the Hidden Witness an easy and light read.

Reviewed by Marianna Boylan
© July 2005