I enjoyed reading Death of A Wolfman. I found the characters to be likable and realistic. I love the relationship between Lily Gayle and her sheriff cousin. The mystery was not too hard but it definitely was fun to read about. I had a few scenes that had me laughing hard which had people asking what I was reading. This was a new author for me and I am looking forward to enjoying more Lily Gayle cozy mysteries.
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What is "wolfman syndrome"? I'd never heard of it before reading the southern set cozy mystery, Death of A Wolfman, book one in the Lily Gayle Lambert series. And I won't give it away here, you'll have to discover it for yourself. Discovery was part of the fun of reading Death of a Wolfman and I enjoyed meeting all the interesting characters in this small southern town. Lilly Gayle just can't keep her nose out of anything and it was fun seeing what she would nose into next.

Susan Bowles knows how to sweeten a cozy mystery like a perfect glass of iced tea, with a spunky heroine and good old southern charm. I can't wait to see what Lily Gayle Lambert is up to next. ( )

Lily Gayle Lambert has moved back to her hometown after the death of her husband. To make ends meet, she has an Etsy shop where she sells custom-made costumes and on the side likes to dabble in genealogy. She is hired by a prominent member of the community to prepare a family tree with the full genealogical background. But before she can even start on the project, a man with “wolfman syndrome’ is found murdered in the woods and then her client also is killed. Are the two deaths somehow connected?

Lily Gayle’s cousin Ben (the sheriff) is not happy to have her investigating the case along with her BFF Dixie, and the town’s elderly busybody Miss Edna. These ladies can’t possibly get into too much trouble, now can they? What ensues is a clever and witty cozy mystery filled with plenty of humor, amateur sleuthing, sticky situations, and a whole lot of entertainment.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. ( )

Death of a Wolfman by Susan Boles is the first novel in A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series. Lily Gayle Lambert lives in Mercy, Mississippi. Lily Gayle is hired by LizBeth Mitchell to do her family genealogy. Lily Gayle is known for sniffing out the obscure and unusual (she is nosy). That evening (Halloween night), Lily Gayle is having dinner with her cousin, Ben (the county sheriff), when he receives a call. He believes it is a prank so he lets Lily Gayle tag along. It turns out not to be a prank. There is a very hairy man dead in a clearing in the woods. The man resembles a werewolf (and he is missing clothing). Lily Gayle has another theory behinds the man’s hairy exterior. The autopsy reveals the victim was shot with a homemade silver bullet. It looks like someone else thought he was a werewolf. Who is the poor man and why was he shot? LizBeth calls Lily Gayle and asks to meet with her at the family gazebo the next morning. Lily Gayle shows up to find LizBeth dead (it is gruesome). This sends Lily Gayle running and screaming (they probably heard her in the next county). Is there a chance the two murders are connected? Someone wanted to keep LizBeth quiet, but Lily Gayle is determined to get those answers.

Death of a Wolfman did not feel like a first novel in the series. I felt that the reader was missing information about Lily Gayle and her past. Death of a Wolfman is easy to read and is nicely written. There is humor that many readers will enjoy (you will laugh your way through the book at Lily Gayle’s antics). I did find the mystery too simple and the killer was obvious. I knew LizBeth would end up dead as soon as she requested the genealogy project from Lily Gayle. I found Ben, Lily Gayle’s cousin, to be extremely overprotective. I know he was looking out for her, but, personally, I found it offensive at times. I know it is just a book but would you want someone telling you where you can and cannot go (restricting your daily movements). Of course, Lily Gayle could have exercised more caution (but she is nosy and determined). I give Death of a Wolfman 3.5 out of 5 stars. There is a beautiful description of a dress Lily Gayle is making in the novel (I could picture it in my mind). Those of you that watch CSI (the Vegas version) will remember the episode with the wolfman which you will find referenced in this book. It is a good first book, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next novel in The Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series. ( )