I grabbed this off the shelf because I was on an Easter Island kick. I usually hate starting a series in the middle; I'm kind of obsessive about reading from volume 1. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I will be looking for the rest of the series.

This book was well-written. The characters made sense. They clearly had a history together, and even though I didn't know what that was, the backstory was neither heavy-handed nor too skimpy. I really liked the story. In addition, the setting was well done. I felt like the author had actually spent time on Easter Island, and gotten to know some of the people there and the local culture.

Finally, the mystery made sense and was well put-together. There were things that I didn't understand that I put down to weird writing that later turned out to be integral to the plot, and I mean that in a good way. (I can't explain more without spoiling a major plot point.)

Definitely a nice, cozy mystery that I enjoyed with tea and a napping dog. ( )