When it comes to linguistics, I go back and forth between prescriptivist and descriptivist. I know, intellectually, that language flows with the people, and forcing “correct” rules on it ignores how languages evolve to accommodate new needs. Still, there’s part of me that loves the clear meaning that you get with a well-defined, broadly accepted set of grammatical constraints. I love the way grammars and rules allow for clever wordplay (Jasper Fforde is a particular favorite for this) and more subtle expression. I have a lot of sympathy for a traditional editor and a style guide stickler, is what I’m saying.

So I was pretty happy to come across Crime & Punctuation, the first novel in the Deadly Edits series of cozy mysteries by Kaitlyn Dunnett. The novel features a newly-minted book editor with an eye toward linguistic precision, who has moved back to her hometown after decades away. When her first local client is found dead, Mike finds herself pulled into the case. As she digs deeper into the death, she discovers old acquaintances and new disputes – all while keeping up her editing business.

I was hoping that this would have the right mix of coziness, mystery, and linguistic precision for my taste. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cozy mysteries. My preferences is for cozies that use their theme and character identities well – purposefully, but not overplayed. I was particularly interested in whether Crime & Punctuation would leverage Mikki’s editing skills. Given that the hook was cozy editing, I wanted to see some grammar in action!

A Senior Sleuth with an entrepreneurial bent

Crime & Punctuation follows retired and recently widowed Mikki Lincoln as she moves back to her hometown of Lenape Hollow. She’s moved into her childhood home and finds it sorely in need of repairs. To afford them, she takes up a new freelance career as a Book Doctor / editor.

That’s a lot of subgenres – Senior Sleuth, Return to Hometown, New Business – and I was pleasantly surprised to see Dunnett focus on the last two. Mikki is no Miss Marple – she’s no longer socially integrated with the town and has to earn her clues. Instead, she’s rekindling her old relationships and updating her perceptions of each old acquaintance. At the same time, she’s trying to set up her editing business and ensure her home renovations go to plan.

Mikki is a clear, straightforward character, and her narration reflects that. She’s not dithery or coy – but a direct, logical thinker both internally and externally. When she has to show patience to her friends, she thinks through the steps rather than doing it instinctively. In these ways and others, she reads like a much younger character. Compounding this is her anxiety and concern around a new business. Mikki’s an interesting take on the retired sleuth, taking on a new phase of life – rather than settling in, she’s starting a new adventure.

When there’s a town at stake…

As in many a small-town cozy, Crime & Punctuation features a developer with potentially devastating plans. In this case, he wants to build a theme park, and will do some shady things to get his way. The dispute over the planned attraction – will it bring economic development or just kill the culture – splits the town in two, providing plenty of social intrigue.

Because this is the first novel in the series, the dispute is pretty well-integrated into the mystery itself. The murder victim was the developer’s wife, and signs suggest she may have soured on the plan. (The developer himself has a sketchy past, adding to suspicion about his intentions – is he just scamming the locals?) The victim’s grandmother, on the other hand, is the biggest critic of the planned theme park. A large part of the mystery solving revolves around untangling all the characters involved in this small-town intrigue.

This made for a fun first mystery, with focus and real plot stakes. It makes me wonder if future entries will suffer from a split focus between the main mystery and this sub-thread. For now, I’m intrigued enough to read more.

Reader’s notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)

I enjoyed Crime & Punctuation quite a bit – it’s a great mix of different cozy mystery tropes smushed together into an interesting whole. (My Cozopoly board is a lot more full now!) While the mystery wasn’t particularly surprising – I guessed the culprit about halfway through – it was well integrated. At no time did the mystery feel disjointed from Mikki’s other actions (a particular pet peeve).

Dunnett also found some clever ways to integrate the idea of editing into the mystery, though I was hoping for a few more. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but I’d hope to see more in future entires in the series.

Crime & Punctuation was a fun comfy read, and I’d happily suggest it to anyone looking for a cozy mystery with a good blend of social and mystery elements. It falls into what I’d call a “potato-chip book” category – a fun snack in the moment, but it won’t leave you full. Three and a half stars, and I look forward to more snacks from the Deadly Edits series.