Nursing a Grudge by Chris Well

Earl Walker is a grouchy old man.  He drove a metro bus for years until someone put a bullet into his legs.  Now, he lives alone at the Candlewick Retirement Community since his wife passed away.  Earl spends his time watching TV and prefers to be alone.  So, he is a bit put out when a young woman abruptly arrives at his apartment.
 
Jenny Hutton is a college student and a firm believe in God.  She is bound and determined to help Earl and what better way then to get him out of his apartment and meet new people; make new friends.  Earl really doesn't want to, but Jenny is determined to have her way.
 
When the two of them meet some folks in the recreation room, they are immediately invited to a secret chili party.  Secret because they can't let on to the nurses what they are eating or drinking; it's against their special dietary needs.  Earl takes an immediate shine to Gloria Logan, but he acts like he doesn't care for anything.
 
But one of the men has an attack of some sort at the party and sometime later that night, dies.  Earl knows someone murdered him, but it's been listed as natural causes.  After all, it is a retirement community.  But Earl is determined to get to the bottom of it, and with Gloria and Jenny's help, he starts his own investigation.
 
Nursing a Grudge is an entertaining mystery. I really enjoyed the antics of the folks in the retirement home and I really liked the character of Earl.  The mystery itself was pretty easy to figure out, but not to the characters.  To watch them try and figure it out was enjoyable and at times laugh out funny.  The author has a great talent and I look forward to reading more.


 The Thrill of it All - Chris Well's blog