If you’re interested in amateur sleuthing, you’ll do well to have a full ball of yarn, two push-pin packets, and an uncluttered living room wall to chart your ideas, maintain a full grasp of town relationships, and tally up the myriad clues. Of course, Rosie Hart must have an occupation, so here’s a warning: the multiple baked goods, jams, and their ingredients might distract you from detective pursuits. If you believe this setting thrives in cozy mysteries, you’re right.

In the dynamics of a small Texas town, a mayoral battle takes center stage, especially when the challenger, Fred Clausen, seems to employ unsavory written attacks and town meeting accusations to unseat the longtime incumbent, Clay Fencott. Verbal threats to Fred’s demise are witnessed by Rosie or come to her attention. When Fred is found bludgeoned, speculation and the sheriff stake out the suspects. Spice up Fred’s murder with the suspicious death of a poisoned young male stranger. His stomach contents include local fruit relish.

Add in missing market funds, a group of women all dressed the same, a woman with multiple pieces of ID, and a group of four female octogenarians. Stir these facts wisely.

“Preserving the Evidence” stars with a winning plot, although the added yeast that should be suspense has been omitted. An example is when Rosie snoops uninvited in a boarder’s room. When the boarder returns, Rosie hides on a balcony. What should be ripe for suspense, falls flat in the one paragraph. Similarly, the paucity of powerful, descriptive verbs dulls the telling.

 Reviewer Donan Berg is himself an award-winning author with twelve published novels on Amazon. They include mystery, romance, and fantasy. To write this review, he received an advance review copy for free, and is leaving this review voluntarily.