Who among us mothers of small children has not fantasized about solving a murder? Really, enough with the deeply troubled, cynical detectives and private eyes with their perpetual hangovers and cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. (Note that many female detectives and private eyes exchange jogging for drinking an smoking). It’s time for someone new.

In any event, Ayelet Waldman’s A Playdate with Death is a complete joy. Here is a normal person who just isn’t all that thrilled with full-time momdom. She feels guilty; she loves her children; and she is bored out of her skull. Juliet Applebaum is a former public defender who is struggling to keep her sanity while staying home with two young children and a very nice, but frequently absent husband. Juliet wants to be home for her kids, but in many ways it also sucks. She is trying to find her way and as a first step has started working out to get back in pre-pregnancy shape.

When Juliet’s trainer is found dead, she is devastated and intrigued. Is it suicide or not? Juliet is curious, and her old legal instincts kick in. As a public defender she spent a lot of time investigating the crimes her clients had allegedly committed. No one is paying her now, but she knows the questions to ask and where to look. She knows how to work with nasty people who try to mislead her and shut her down. Juliet is getting to use her skills and her brains. Hallelujah!

So many sleuths seem to lead tortured lives of inner turmoil. Juliet certainly knows how she feels, but she has too many other things on her plate to obsess. While trying to get to the bottom of what she thinks may be a murder, Juliet has demanding young children who are a constant and generally funny presence. While it would be far-fetched for most of us to take a kid along while questioning a witness, it is a fun thing to read about.

Ayelet Waldman has developed an interesting cast of characters and concocted an interesting plot, based on an obscure bit of information. It’s the kind of plot that reminded me of the great Cyril Hare mysteries where the plot inevitably hinges on some arcane legal principle.

I loved A Playdate with Death. It’s a great mystery with an excellent sleuth, lots of clashing characters and a really good plot. I also loved it because it featured a young mother trying to do her best as a mom, while at the same time having a blast solving a murder.