After dropping Kate off, Meredith all but forgets about her, as she turns her attention to Inspector Alan Markby, her longtime boyfriend and their evolving relationship. Unfortunately, Andrew is found dead the next morning, and it is Alan who turns his attentions to Kate: as the chief murder suspect.

At first, the police assume that Kate is Andrew’s lover and that the murder is a crime of passion. As Meredith and Alan ask questions and put their instincts to work, they realize Kate’s true relationship with Andrew and realize there are other people in the small town who hold grudges against Andrew and have secrets of their own. Alan and Meredith realize Kate’s life may be in jeopardy and race against time to try and uncover the real murderer before the murderer finds Kate.

Call the Dead Again is the quintessential village mystery, but it suffers from predictability. Even before the murder is committed, the murderer is easy to guess, and though attempts are made to disguise Kate and Andrew’s relationship, it becomes pretty clear early on, especially when Andrew grows concerned that Kate has met his son, Luke.

The characters of this mystery are what carry it. Meredith and Alan are like old friends by this outing, not just of each other, but of faithful readers. As their relationship has progressed through the series, so has their ability to work together, in their unofficial capacity. The other characters are just as they are expected to be: the meddling, nosy, but I still saw nothing neighbors, the wronged wife and the policeman who falls for the suspect.

Kate is an especially interesting character, as she is a young woman who projects self-confidence a bit of arrogance, yet underneath, she remains a vulnerable young girl who needs someone to rely on. Andrews’s son Luke also turns out to be an admirable character as he comes through for Kate in the end.

However predictable, there is something comfortable about this mystery. The addition of the strong cast of characters, plus the new uncertainty of Meredith’s and Alan’s relationships, make this a reliable series for all fans of the village cozy.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry