Title:	Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody
	Author:	Barbara Ross
	Published:	June 30, 2020, Kensington
	No. of Pages:	272
	Cover Price:	$7.99 Paperback, $6.99 Kindle

---

Barbara Ross, veteran author of fun cozy mysteries, has started a new series with Jane Darrowfield as her protagonist. Jane is a newly retired woman who has earned the reputation of being able to solve touchy problems discretely. In the first installment of the series, Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody, Jane is introduced, as well as her friends. This series is delightful, and while most of the problems she solves involve using common sense, which many people (especially most of the characters in this book) don’t have, she investigates the issues and even solves murders. In this novel, Jane is hired to go stay at a retirement community where there is a power struggle among some of the residents and rather than being a 55+ adult community, the ambience is more like high school. Unfortunately one of the residents is bludgeoned to death with a golf club, so besides working on the residents and helping them mature, Jane is expected to also solve that murder.

Anyone who has read Barbara Ross’ previous books will look forward to this new series, since she is an excellent story teller and has enough of an imagination to make for fun reading. Ross has developed Jane’s character well; most readers will be able to relate, since she is a fairly typical retired lady. The supporting characters are also excellent. This novel is light and positive in most ways, with the exception of a murder, and there is even a little romance thrown in.

Although the protagonist is older, she is an interesting character and is very likeable. This series will be popular, and is suitable for all ages. As with any good cozy, there is no profanity, sex, or violence, which is a nice change from some mysteries. This novel is recommended for cozy lovers.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.