The Joy of Murder

Daiyu Wu Mysteries, Book 2

By: Gloria Oliver

Narrated by: Brandon S. Borko

A socialite accused of murder, planted evidence, and mysterious enemies challenge blind detective Daiyu Wu in her new sleuthing adventure.

When a highly respected member of the "Little Mexico" community is killed in 1930 Dallas, all the evidence points toward Grace Pierce, wife of a local businessman and a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Grace’s son Truman turns to Daiyu Wu and her unique detective skills for help, but Dai quickly discovers that nothing about this case is what it seems. With her companion Jacques and canine bodyguard Prince Razor, Dai must navigate a family in turmoil, racial tensions, and shady business deals to find the actual killer before Truman's mother is sentenced to death.

Book two of the Daiyu Wu Mysteries.

©2022 Gloria Oliver (P)2022 Gloria Oliver

Clever cozy mystery

This is the second book in the series, and although I was left with questions about what happened in the first one, Joy of Murder can be read as standalone.

It was obvious from the start of the narrative that the author put in a lot of research into the era of Dallas in the 1930s. She didn't shy away from depicting the sexism and racism of the area and era. I didn't find that to be a negative, though. To me, it just emphasized how the main character, Dai, overcame even more than being blind.

The story isn't told from the POV of the detective, which I thought would have been interesting as a blind Chinese woman — rather Jacques, Dai's adopted brother, acts as Watson to her Sherlock, and the story spins out through his POV. The mystery is told in a way that the clues are available to the reader, and there are some twists thrown in. 

Brandon Borko narrated the story, and I thought he was a good choice for Jacques. All the characters had distinct voices and their emotions were portrayed well.

good

This was interesting and intriguing. The main characters were engaging and unique. I enjoyed following along with the blind female detective and her sighted brother. The client seemed pompous and out of place , like he was doing them the favor. I didn't care for his character but he didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a good job bringing it to life. I highly recommend this book.

Recommend

Listening to the book, I didn't realize how long I had listened to it at one time. The characters are easy to follow and understand. I was able to see how the family work together and how the characters feel about each other. At one point I did forget that it was a murder mystery book. Felt like I was watching one of my tv shows.

Received this audiobook for free in return of my honest review.

Dai and her friends do it again!

In The Joy of Murder, Gloria Oliver brings back amateur slueth, Diayu Wu and her friends. Truman Pierce's mother is accused of murdering a well-loved member of the 'Little Mexico' community in Dallas. Can Dai and her friends catch the true culprit before an innocent woman is put on trial and given the death penalty?

Once again, the story is told from her brother Jaques' point of view. He loves Dai as if she were his blood sister, and is incredibly grateful that she convinced her parents to bring him into their family when they were young, but due to the family's circumstances, as well as her disability, he also knows how protective they can be - If they knew what she was up to, they would definitely not be pleased with either of them.

As usual, Oliver's writing style is both fun and informative. I learned a lot of new vocabulary and about a lot of Mexican customs that I'd never heard of before, like the importance of a Sociedad to Mexicans and Mexican Americans. I was curious about everything that I learned about, and I did a bunch of research. Imagine my delighted surprise when I learned that the religious order that's associated with the Catholic television network that I watch has monthly Sociedad Days that they livestream on their YouTube channel. I was so excited that I found a real-life connection between the book and my research. I joined the sodality, and I can see why they appeal to a large number of people. The blend of Church teaching and fellowship provides me with a sense of purpose and helps me grow in my faith.

I received an advance review copy of this title for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very fantastic

Amazing story of a woman who is blind solving crimes and it’s just like a old fashioned mystery story that has amazing characters and very well written

Not for me...but! (slightly biased review)

This one didn't quite capture me for a few reasons.
First and foremost - I have not listened to book 1. So perhaps a lot of my misgivings are buried there. I suspect that I am missing a kinship with the characters that others might have.
I am not convinced by the premise of a blind Asian socialite detective either. Set in the 1930's Dallas, that is a stretch of the imagination - either way you slice it, especially since there isn't any "mysticism" (think Jedi or similar) to "soften the blow".

But! having said that:
The mystery as such and the setting and the style are quite good. I even enjoyed the way society is represented in a way that feels pretty accurate – if it wasn’t a blind person. There are so many details and a stringent narration, which make this a pleasant listen, after all.
I am inclined to get book 1 as well, just to check if it warrants a revisit of this one.

Pretty good – potentially really good.