A Question of Devotion by Anita Kulina | Cozy Mystery Book Review

In A Question of Devotion, Mrs. B has a quiet life, and she likes it that way. Morning pinochle games at St. Mary’s Senior Center. Afternoon lunches with Myrtle, Anne and Rose. Peaceful evenings with a cup of coffee and the classic movie channel.

But one day she wakes to a phone call, which leads to consequences she could never have foreseen. Secrets snowball and threaten to change the neighborhood of Burchfield forever. Someone has to make things right. It’s up to Mrs. B.

A Question of Devotion

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Publisher:  Brandt Street Press (November 8, 2016)
Category: Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths
ISBN: 978-0974260761
Available in: Print & ebook,  256 Pages

Then she saw it – a sheet of paper in the mailbox, underneath the mail. It was white with large black letters and said LEAVE IT ALONE.

Guest Post from the Author

I asked the author about the setting of her story and told her I want to be Mrs. B when I grow up! She graciously agreed to write this post!

My first introduction to a female detective wasn’t a detective at all, but a quiet little old lady named Miss Marple.  I had just graduated high school and had a receptionist job, watching the switchboard, with plenty of time to read.  My lunch breaks consisted of jaunts to the Fiction – C section of the local bookstores.  I couldn’t get enough of Agatha Christie, and I became fascinated with Miss Marple’s world.

I, too, grew up in a town where people lived in the same house where their parents, and their parents before them, had lived.  The kind of town where you know everyone and everyone knows you.  Though my town was a neighborhood in a big city, it was still the kind of place where news got around quickly, and people reached out to help each other without being asked.  Schools and churches were central to that world.  Writing the Mrs. B stories gives me a chance to visit that world again, if only in my imagination.

It wasn’t that long ago when women didn’t work outside the home.  Instead, they devoted their lives to their families, to making sure their husbands and children were cared for and fulfilled.  Over and over again, I saw these women bloom in their senior years.  The women joined the local senior centers.  They pursued hobbies, and they took classes.  They had lunch with their friends.  For the first time in their lives, they had fun without obligation, fun that was really, truly just for them.

I loved watching these women enjoying their old age, and I love exploring that world with Mrs. B.  I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next!

My Review of A Question of Devotion

I adored A Question of Devotion and Mrs. B. As I said before, it’s my goal to be Mrs. B when I “grow up.” A nice quiet life with my cats, some hot tea, and good books is the life for me. Mrs. B has lived in her neighborhood her whole life and knows all of her neighbors, but the house across from her has gotten a couple of new tenants…a young mom and her little girl. The little girl quickly becomes a part of Mrs. B’s life since her mom works a lot and her babysitter is a teenager who’d rather watch TV with her boyfriend than watch a little girl. I love the bond these two develop.

The mystery in A Question of Devotion is shockingly not a murder! However, it was a nice change to have a mystery that involved a robbery rather than your typical cozy mystery book murder. Mrs. B gets involved because the man accused of the crime is her good friend’s son. With some quick deduction, Mrs. B is able to help her friend. Along the way, you’ll meet some interesting characters at the senior center, and you’ll feel like you’re part of the story through the way the author describes this neighborhood.

I definitely recommend A Question of Devotion to all of you cozy mystery fans! This one’s a keeper. I can’t wait for more Mrs. B.

About Anita Kulina

Like most people who love to write, Anita Kulina has been telling stories since she was old enough to hold a pen. Her first publication was in the letters-to-the-editor column of Adventure Comics #341. Nowadays, much of her work centers on the rich and colorful lives of Pittsburgh’s working poor. Since Anita spent much of her life in those ranks, it’s a subject dear to her heart.

Her book Millhunks and Renegades won her the Achievement in Literature award from the community of Hazelwood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is currently at work on the next two Mrs. B books.

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