Mikki is hired to edit a revealing memoir by Sunny Feldman about her life at Feldman’s Catskill Resort Hotel. Sunny is the last living relative of the original owner and has many stories to tell.
Unfortunately the current owner, Greg Onslow has been murdered and Mikki must clear herself.

What is great about this story (series) is the main protagonist is not your norm. She’s a spunky 70-something retired school teacher, which is what grabbed my attention. However, I can’t say I loved this book. I didn’t hate it either, but it just sort of hit below what I was expecting. The mystery was well written, although not hard to figure out “whodunit.” For fans of Murder She Wrote, this might appeal, but Mikki is no Jessica Fletcher. She comes across at times as waspy and uses “her teacher voice” to put other people in their place. Sadly, some of the other characters are just as bad in that they’re mean and and the worst of us. What really turned me from wanting to read more from this author is the wrap-up felt incomplete. On the last page, we still don’t have all of the answers. I will say this book is an easy and quick read.

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 3rd A Deadly Edits Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to this series (or skipped a book). The author has a casual writing style which makes the story easy to read. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and the surrounding area. The pacing varies throughout the story. Mikki Lincoln is seventy years old and a widow. After her husband’s death, she moved back to her hometown of Lenape Hollow. Mikki also purchased her childhood home and spent most of her retirement money fixing it up. Mikki is a retired English teacher. She takes those skills to begin a manuscript editing business out of her home. Grammar is a theme featured throughout the series with helpful tips at the end of the book. Mikki rarely loses her temper, but Greg Onslow pushed her buttons when she was filling up the tank of her car. Unfortunately, the whole scene was caught by someone wielding a cell phone and posted online. When Onslow ends up murdered, Mikki along with her cousin, Luke find themselves suspects. When the detective seems to focus on the cousins, Mikki sets out to find the true culprit. I like that Mikki is an older protagonist who brings a mature viewpoint to the cases she investigates. The mystery had multiple suspects courtesy of Onslow’s swindling ways. There is a red herring or two to distract the reader. Devoted cozy mystery readers will have no problem pinpointing the guilty party. I would have liked a better wrap up of the case. I was left with a couple of unanswered questions. Mikki needs to work on her questioning technique. She is too direct which can come across as rude. Mikki also feels the need to use her “teacher” voice to put people in their place too often. Nick, Mikki’s nephew, pays a visit and I found him an annoying individual. I know he was trying to protect his aunt, but his behavior bordered on boorish. Nick and Mikki clashed frequently. I have trouble liking the characters in this series. I want them to be more like those in the author’s A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series. My favorite line in A Fatal Fiction came from Sunny when she said, “Good riddance to bad rubbish” when she learned Onslow was dead. A Fatal Fiction is a blithesome cozy mystery with one dead developer, a reckless writer, magnified memoirs, a nagging nephew, and an annoyed aunt.

This is another solid entry in a favorite cozy mystery series. I liked the way previous books sort of built up to the murder featured in this third volume, and I appreciated the realistic way Mikki was hooked into helping solve the case. In addition to the central murder, I also really enjoyed the conflict between Mikki and her well-meaning nephew who comes into town to keep an eye on her and totally cramps her amateur investigator style. In other cozies, it is often a love interest or law enforcement officer who disapproves of the protagonist's crime solving; this was a really refreshing change of pace, and it led to some of the novel's most entertaining moments. As always, I also really enjoyed seeing the names of real Hudson Valley locations pop up throughout the story. Having grown up in the area, it was fun to feel that I could imagine exactly where Mikki was at certain points. The third book in a cozy series is often the point at which I walk away because the stories get tired, but that was not the case here at all. I'm already eagerly awaiting book 4

First time reading this author’s book and I was impressed with the depth and complexity of the story. This gives all of us who are growing older hope that even when you are in your later years you can make a difference. Loved the editing suggestions at the end of the novel.

Out now from Kensington Books is the third installment in the "Deadly Edits" literary centered series by Kaitlyn Dunnett, A Fatal Fiction.

Mikki is at it again. She can't seem to stay out of a murder investigation. This time she is the prime suspect due to losing her temper with the victim. He is a complete con man. There is nothing good to say about him. This literary centered series is perfect for those of advanced age, especially if they are tired of people treating them as if they are out of their minds and belong in a nursing home, or need to be watched at all times if they express their opinion or lose their temper. Mikki's nephew, Nick, is worried about her safety, but his condescending attitude, assuming she is losing her marbles, puts Mikki and readers on edge who have kids or relatives who think they know what's best for them because their over fifty.

Other characters are enjoyable and have quarks or secrets that make them great suspects. Mikki's best friend and her arch-nemesis make another appearance in book three but do not play as significant a role as most fans would like. Mikki doesn't get as much editing done as she would like, and her literary client is hiding things from her. The killer can be a challenge to figure out with all the twists and turns, but if readers follow the evidence, it should become apparent quickly.

I have a fondness for this series but advise readers who are just starting with this series to go back and start at the beginning. The previous books, although not necessary, explain a great deal about who Mikki and friends are as well as their motivations. It would go a long way in helping new readers understand the part and personality of each of the reoccurring characters. For those who love books, editing, writing, and have a general literary bent; this is a wonderful series to sink your teeth into. A Fatal Fiction is an enjoyable, quick read with colorful characters and an easy to understand plot. I am happy to recommend this book and the entire series to readers of all ages.

How refreshing to have a main character, Mikki Lincoln, who’s now 70 and a real crackerjack. She’s the type of woman most women would want to be when they hit their 70’s. She’s witty, works part-time as an editor, active - can jump down from her roof to the ground (7 foot drop) without serious injury, plus she has a great cat, a calico named Calpurnia.
And she’s definitely not timid when speaking her mind. Mikki is known for letting ‘er rip when provoked.
Her latest ‘heated’ discussion with a local con-man at a gas station, is caught on video and goes viral, When he’s found dead at his latest development site Mikki becomes one of the prime suspects.
The local police don’t seem to be looking at all of the potential suspects so Mikki takes it upon herself to figure out exactly who did murder the developer.

Overall this was a quick, pleasant read. A minor quibble about the character is that she seemed to be annoyed or angry just a little too often. Especially at her nephew who was a nice young man, only trying to help by sticking close to Mikki so that she wouldn’t end up in trouble. She, of course, found creative ways to ditch him.

Cozy readers who aren’t fond of romance in their mysteries, will be very happy to know that there’s no romance in this book, just a straight up mystery. This is the third book in the series but the back story isn’t deep, so first time readers won’t experience any confusion or lose any enjoyment not having read the earlier books. Also Kaitlyn Dunnett doesn’t give away any spoilers in respect to any of the earlier books. At the end of the book, Dunnett provides readers with a real treat, a list of grammatical terms, definitions and proper usages. Entertaining & informative!


Many thanks to Kensington Publishing, Kaitlyn Dunnett and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Retired teacher turned book editor MIkki Lincoln is a spry and feisty 70 year old. She despises when she is dismissed for her age or thought to be less capable. So when a video of her losing her temper in a spectacular way goes viral and her nephew arrives from Maine to assess her sanity, she is peeved. It was a momentary flash when someone pushed her buttons once too often. The fact that said pusher is murdered that same night, puts MIkki on the suspect list.
There is no shortage of others on the list from business associates who were swindled to others he had used and abused. Other than her outburst caught on tape, MIkki has less motive than any of the others. At first she just wants to prove she wasn’t the killer but when the spotlight swivels onto her cousin Luke -and Luke has some very good motives- she decides she must help find the murderer to take the heat off Luke. Fair enough. As a reason to get involved, it is acceptable. However a few of the things she does make the reader wonder if perhaps, her family might have something to worry about. In particular is her escape from her home so her nephew doesn’t know what she is doing. I am all for senior power but with age is supposed to come wisdom. Thankfully, she does redeem herself at the end when she helps bring the killer to justice. I had the villain pegged from the outset but it took Mikki a lot longer to twig.
Four purrs and two paws up.

I enjoyed this book. Was unable to read previous books, but didn’t feel like I missed too much. I would recommend this series. Reminiscent of Mrs. Pollifax or Miss Marple.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Retired teacher Mikki Lincoln has moved back from Maine to her hometown of Lenape Hollow, New York. She supplements her retirement earnings by doing freelance editing. One of her latest projects is editing the memoirs of Sunny Feldman whose family owned a large resort in the area. The resort has been sold and developer Greg Onslow is heading up a new renovation and for some reason is furious about Sunny’s upcoming book and gets into a loud, very public shouting match with Mikki over the book. When Greg is found dead at the renovation site the next day, Mikki becomes one of the county sheriff’s prime suspects. In spite of the danger, Mikki starts asking questions of potential suspects so she can find the real killer.

This is the third book in this series. I enjoyed the debut but missed the book immediately preceding this one. I was able to quickly catch up and think brand new readers would have no problems getting to know the main characters. I like having an older main character who is independent, intelligent, and out-spoken. Mikki can sometimes be hot-tempered, but at least she stands up for herself. I enjoy the friendship she has with Darlene and also like her younger cousin Luke who also lives in the same town. Luke also becomes a suspect in the murder and I love how Mikki and also Darlene stick up for him. As much as I like these characters, there are a few that are annoying, including Mikki’s high school rival Ronnie, the victim’s gold-digging widows, and also the pastor’s wife. I really didn’t take to Mikki’s nephew Nick. Even though he means well, I didn’t care for his overbearing ways and wish he would have headed back home to Maine earlier in the book.

Since Greg was a shady businessman and could be quite rude in his dealings with other people, there was no shortage of suspects in his murder. Mikki does a good job of figuring out who had a motive to kill him and with help from Darlene’s online research, finding out quite a few secrets that were being kept. When the murderer is revealed, I was surprised since the clues were pointing elsewhere. The ending was a bit of a letdown because the killer’s motive is disclosed it’s second-hand instead of during the murderer’s dramatic confrontation with Mikki. Overall, I enjoyed the story, as well as the grammar and language tips at the very end. Fans of J.D. Griffo’s Ferrara Family mysteries which also features an older widow turned amateur sleuth will enjoy the latest from Dunnett.

~ Christine

This was a total cover request for me from Netgalley, I couldn't resist the books on a shelf and a pretty kitty but it certainly won't be the last I pick up in the Deadly Edits Cozy series. Mikki Lincoln is a professional editor currently working, but suddenly finds herself involved with a mystery! What I loved most was her as a main character, this 70 year old woman kept me entertained and it was a great quick read!

3.5 stars from me!

A fatal Fiction is the 3rd book in the Deadly Edits Cozy Mysteries collection. Mikki is a feisty and quirky heroine who is a freelance book editor. One day she is seen publicly arguing with Greg Onslow right before his shocking death. Mikki's character is flawed, endearing, and likable. I enjoyed this quick read in one raining afternoon and enjoy most Cozy mysteries for what they are enjoyable reads to fill an afternoon. Thank you to Kaitlyn Dunnett, Kensington Publishing, and Netgalley for my advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

A Fatal Fiction is the third book in A Deadly Edits Mystery series.

Once again, the deceptive developer Greg Onslow is out to cause trouble. Onslow is still upset that Mikki Lincoln refuses to edit his lat wife’s manuscript. So when he notices her at the local gas station he begins talking to her and before long it turns into a loud shouting match. Somebody has recorded the melee and the video has gone viral and before long most everyone in Lenape Hollow has seen the video. The next afternoon while researching with Sunny Feldman, when Pam Ingram, the librarian, informs them that Onslow’s dead body has been found at the old Feldman resort that he was in the process of tearing down. Mikki knows that is just a matter of time until the police come to question her whereabouts when Onslow had died.

After her initial police interview, Mikki realizes that she will have to start her investigation to clear her name. As she is getting to a good start to looking for possible suspects, out of the blue her nephew Nicky shows up. Claiming that he wants a vacation and decided to come to see his favorite aunt, never mind she is his only aunt. He soon admits that he is there to protect her. She knows that this will put a damper on her sleuthing. Then her cousin, Luke, is questioned by the police and will become a suspect. Mikki hopes he’s not involved, but he is unwilling to explain why he is under suspicion. She’s hoping that the killer will be found before they might also become victims.

A wonderful addition to this interesting series. It’s well-plotted and written and moves at a nice even pace. The characters were well-developed and believable.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Who says you’re too old? As you’ll find out in this story, age is just a number. I loved Mikki and Donna. Step by step and they don’t give up, even when they say they will. The story line is good and the characters play off each other well. You may be shaking your head or chuckling at some of their antics. This is my first book by this author, but I hope to read many more. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

A Fatal Fiction by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 3rd book in Deadly Edits mystery series, and another good addition. Mikki Lincoln has been hired to edit Sunny Feldman's memoir, the last living relative of the original owners of the Feldman's Catskill Resort Hotel. When a body is found at the hotel demolition site, Mikki becomes the prime suspect, so she must solve what happened. This book is a fun read, with an intelligent older women. I found this book to be a quick read, with well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries like I do, than I recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Best Cozy I Have Read All Year!
This book is just aces. The main character also narrates the story. She is a 70-year-old retired High School English teacher. Her story-telling sounds exactly perfect! I could swear that was my perfectionist, nearing retirement high school English teacher speaking! The story setup is perfect. The characters, the cats, the location are all delightful. The mystery was complicated with so many likely suspects with great motivation. I was pleased and surprised by the denouement. The story can be read and enjoyed without having read the earlier episodes, however, I am going to go read the first two books in the series. I am also going to check this author's other series' to read, too.
I loved the grammar tips at the end. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

A cozy mystery full of twists with a senior citizen trying to solve the case without getting arrested or killed in the process. Good character development.

I will a 4 star review on Amazon under name of Connie
Thank you for granting me access to this book

This was the first book I have read from this series, but it won't be the last.

Mikki is an senior citizen who has returned to her hometown in New York from Maine after being widowed. She and her husband had no children but she does have relatives - nephews and cousins. A good many of them feel she is too old to take proper care of herself, especially when there is a murderer about.

Mikki edits books to help suplement her retirement income. A childhood friend is writing memoirs of life over 50 years ago and is willing to name names. When a man is found murdered on the site of the friend's former family property, the suspects are many as Greg had managed to make many enemies during his lifetime.

I found it amusing that a 70 year old woman who is considered helpless by her relatives can chimb out of a window, tumble down a roof, jump from a 7 foot height, and pursue her line of inquiry finally sneaking back into the house with the help of a neighbor holding a ladder so she can go back up the roof to the window. Sorry. I don't buy that - but it is fiction, and fun fiction at that.

This is one of my favourite newer series. I like Mikki very much, and that she and her friends, although senior citizens are portrayed as sharp, witty, competent and fully involved characters. Aware of her own limitations - physically, mostly - Mikki participates wholly in her world, aided by more youthful characters, but is ultimately the one who investigates and picks apart the clues and suspects.

Her nephew, Nick, comes to stay unexpectedly for a few days, shortly after a chat between Mikki and his mother, Mikki's sister-in-law. Of course, he's 'spying' for his mother, but after some verbal standoffs and the realisation that Mikki is, in fact, in control of all her faculties, he backs off (he's in her house, after all) and winds up trying to help her solve the investigation.

The mystery itself revolves around a manuscript that Mikki is editing for a friend. Long-buried secrets and sketchy real estate deals are the motives for this murder, and this time Mikki is a suspect, having had an argument with the victim that went viral online. Someone is trying to set her up for it, and she takes it upon herself to find out who.

A good mystery, great characters and setting, and simply a thoroughly enjoyable read. I will definitely be continuing this series and keep my eyes peeled for the next installment.

Even though this third installment of Dunnett's Deadly Edits cozy series feels a bit flat, I still enjoyed it-- and that's primarily due to the main character, Mikki Lincoln. Her deceased husband described her as a BMW-- Big Maine Woman-- and this seventy-something freelance book editor with her hearing aids and glasses is one sharp observer with a voice that draws me right into the story.

A lot of humor is provided when Mikki is sent a "bodyguard" to keep her safe while she tries to find Onslow's killer, and I did enjoy learning nuggets of history about the Borscht Belt in the Catskills. But that's not all A Fatal Fiction has. It also has a strong mystery that took me some time to figure out.

If you're in the mood for a light-hearted mystery with an older (and wiser) sleuth, A Fatal Fiction is the book for you. If you're a newcomer to the series, start with the first one, Crime & Punctuation. You're going to have some fun.