She Doesn’t Have a Clue, by Jenny Elder Moke, is a cute murder mystery set on a private island. Kate Valentine is an author of a series mysteries novels revolving around a kick ass heroine named Loretta. Kate is also on the way to see her ex-fiancé and editor get married to someone else on a private island. During the wedding weekend a murder takes place, and the details are eerily similar to the books that Kate writes. The only person that’s around to help Kate solve the murder is Jake Hawkins, who also happens to be her biggest romantic regret.

This book is part murder mystery and part romantic comedy. It’s humorous, fast paced, and witty. The mystery was quite well done with a couple of unforeseen twists. It was hard to put the book down. The story takes place on a private island amongst a a colorful group of characters. All of the characters were distinct and all of them had a motive for murder. That combined with a manor filled with taxidermied animals and secret passages ways, made for a very entertaining read.

It’s hard to do humor right in a book, but Moke manages it fantastically. The humor was never over the top and it didn’t take away from the story. I found myself laughing out loud several times. The romance element is also good. It’s paced well, and Jake Hawkins is a great romantic interest.

The book changes perspective from Kate to her fictional character, Loretta. It can become confusing at times to determine which character’s point of view that you’re in. Sometimes, the words are italicized to show that it’s something that Kate has written. However, there are times when Kate is imagining herself as Loretta without warning. This can get a little confusing and frustrating.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy murder mystery. It’s a quick and easy read that would be perfect for the beach. Or given its setting in the Pacific Northwest, it would be a perfect rainy day read.

This was an ARC that was given to me by Minotaur Book/St. Martin’s Press. All views are my own.