Clocked Out: A Josie Posey Mystery

  After finishing Doomed by BloomsbyAnna St. John, I was ready to dive into Clocked Out, the second book in the Josie Posey Mystery series, and I wasn't disappointed.

Clocked Out follows Josie as she tries to solve the murder of a local watchmaker. She has a varied list of suspects and motives, and she has the approval of the police chief to investigate on her own. With her friends, she dives into trying to solve the mystery.

Let's start with what I don't like and what ultimately keeps this from being a 5-star read. I honestly can't understand why the police chief actively goes to Josie to help him investigate. He has a police department, so why go to a retired journalist? I get questioning her to get her thoughts, but then to have her question suspects at the station? That seems to go too far. It feels contradictory when the chief constantly tells her to stay out of it but then asks for help. I think this aspect needs to get cleared up better in future books.

What I do like is Josie and her circle of friends. I am glad to see that they're an active, older group of ladies and their partners. They do volunteer work together, play mahjong weekly, and work together to solve mysteries. They are actively investigating, and Josie does figure things out and doesn't just stumble into the solution. I enjoyed the whole horology—the art of clock making—aspect and all the details the author included that enhanced the story.

I'm enjoying the Josie Posey series, and Clocked Out is a solid addition. I got caught up in the story and had fun on the ride. I highly recommend this book for fans of small-town cozy mysteries.