Not much ever happens in small towns, at least that's what people say. Chatham Crossing is no exception. That is, until the morning of Venus Bixby’s 50th birthday party, when she, quite literally, stumbles across a body in the town's famous museum. Falling and breaking her thumb, Venus doesn't see much of the person apart from their shoes, shoes she instantly recognises as belonging to Maggie McGee, who works at the museum gift shop. Before she can help the poor woman, Venus is taken to hospital. The local police detective informs Venus that Maggie is dead and that Venus might well have been the last person to see her alive. Venus is now the main suspect in a potential murder case. She is determined to clear her name and find out who killed Maggie McGee.

A Whale of a Murder: A Venus Bixby Mystery is written in the third person with different chapters focusing on different characters. Valerie Taylor uses this style of writing to great effect. It gives the reader a deeper insight into individual characters and how they really feel about each other, rather than using inference. 

The book is humorous throughout, and the mystery is compelling. Valerie Taylor, chapter by chapter draws you into a charming little world. The places are so well described you can imagine yourself there, especially the town's museum, the scene of the crime, with its little gift shop and beautiful garden. This book is an easy read that is perfect for a lazy day or two by the pool. 

I’ve never been one to be able to solve murder mysteries and this is another one that I couldn't figure out until near the end. The clues were sprinkled throughout the book but weren't too obvious. The novel was cleverly written and immensely enjoyable, however, it could have been edited better. There were styling and punctuation errors that were hard for me to ignore.

Valerie Taylor is one of my new-found favourite authors. Her characters are always fantastically drawn and relatable. Her stories are always well-written and the humor is ticklishly good. If you're looking for an easy read with a fun, but intriguing mystery then this is the book for you. I would give A Whale of a Murder: A Venus Bixby Mystery 5 out of 5. Yet another cracker from the very talented Valerie Taylor.