Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café – Richard Dee

 

*I received a free copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only and with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

 

Blurb:  Meet Andorra Pett; with her trusty sidekick, she’s taken over a derelict café. On a mining station. It just happens to be orbiting Saturn!
She’s hoping for a fresh start, away from all the drama of her old life. It’s a chance to relax and start again in a place where nobody knows anything about her or her past.

But the café holds a secret, and secrets have a habit of coming out; whether you want them to or not. And being accident prone doesn’t help. The more you try to pretend that you know what’s going on, the worse it gets.
Andorra’s plans for peace and quiet get lost amid the revelations and skulduggery and she soon realises that the fate of the whole station lies in her hapless hands.

In space, you can still trip over your feet; the question is, will you land upright?

 

This is a fresh take on the cosy mystery café genre and it really worked.

The space setting and mining/Scooper-driving details added an interesting backdrop and an overall claustrophobic, dangerous feel behind the pleasant surface.

Well, mostly pleasant surface anyway.  Within just a few days of opening their Oort Cloud Café Andi and Cy are already up to their eyeballs in overeager volunteers, mafia-esque henchmen, break-ins and bodily harm.  Not to mention the inconvenient whereabouts of the previous owner!

The plot unfolds nicely and at a good pace, and whilst there are plenty of suspects and motives it remains easy to follow what’s going on.  I instantly loved Andi and Cy (who wouldn’t), but also found the side-characters interesting and well fleshed-out.  I’ve seen this described as ‘Agatha Raisin in space’ and agree for the most part, except that I never really took to Agatha the way I did to Andi here.

Richard’s light, witty tone lifts the story, and the elements of romance and thriller that he slips in alongside the main mystery plot mean that there is a little something for everyone.  I would definitely recommend this book to cosy mystery fans looking for something new!

 

   Saturn’s rings in all their glory filled the room with reflected light, the space opened out and the room became more than just a derelict and unloved bar.  Even an ‘ucky’ one.
This was now my café, and I was going to make it work.  I’d even thought of a name.  And Cy was going to help me.
“Welcome to the Oort Cloud Café, Cy.”
He shook his head.  “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

– Richard Dee, Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café

 

 

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Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café is available on Amazon right now!