Killer Romance

 

A Killer Romance (A Beach Reads Mystery) by Maggie Blackburn

About A Killer Romance

A Killer Romance (A Beach Reads Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Setting - North Carolina Crooked Lane Books (February 6, 2024) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639106359 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639106356 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C4J77BVN

Love and murder are in the air this Valentine’s day in Maggie Blackburn’s third Beach Reads mystery, perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Miranda James.

When Beach Reads bookshop hosts a Valentine’s Day event, “Romance by the Sea,” bookseller Summer Merriweather has no idea that the guest author is under investigation for her own husband’s murder. When that same author is found dead at the local bed and breakfast, nobody assumes it’s natural causes–there were plenty of people who wanted her dead.

As Summer searches for the truth about the author’s stranger-than-fiction life, Summer finds suspicious indications of shady behavior in the author’s belongings. But the casual sleuthing is quickly derailed when Summer’s friend Glads gets hauled in for the murder, and they launch a full-blown investigation to clear her name.

As Summer and company pick through the scant clues to solve the case, they may find more treachery and heartbreak than they bargained for.

What I Thought:

This is the second book in the Beach Reads Mystery Series that I have read. I thought this one flowed well and the storyline was believable. In this one, it is close to Valentine's Day and Beach Reads is hosting a romance author who is there to talk about her new book based on Romeo and Juliet. Lana Livingston. On the way to pick up Lana at the airport, Summer falls down the steps and sprains her ankle, leaving her laid up for the "Romance By the Sea" event. Summer finds out later that evening that detective from Pittsburgh is in on St Brigid's to watch Lana as she is accused of murdering her husband. Summer is more than a little distressed by this. But then, Lana is found dead in her B & B room the next morning, and Summer's friend Glads is the main suspect. Summer and her friends have to prove that Glads is not the killer. They also find out there are more sinister things going on on St Brigid's than just murder. I enjoy the setting of this book and the characters are all likable. The story flowed well and kept my attention. There were a few suspects, including some law enforcement officers. But there were twists and turns thrown it that kept leading to more suspects. I was floored by the reveal of the killer in this book and did not see that coming at all. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  

About Maggie Blackburn

Maggie Blackburn is the pen name for bestselling mystery author Mollie Cox Bryan, who writes cozy mysteries with edge. She's the author of several bestselling mystery series Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman's World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People's Choice Award. She's also penned a historical mystery under the name of Mollie Ann Cox. She lives in Crozet, Va. and is the mother of two grown, nearly perfect daughters.

Author Links Website http://www.molliecoxbryan.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/molliecoxbryanauthor/ Twitter/ X https://twitter.com/molliecoxbryan Instagram https://www.instagram.com/molliebryan/ TikTok @molliebryan Purchase Links Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org

Hammers and Homicide

Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery) by Paula Charles

About Hammers and Homicides

 

Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Oregon Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639105999 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105991 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9PJXCFG

Perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Victoria Gilbert, when a body is found in a hardware store, will Dawna Carpenter’s sleuthing measure up to find the killer?

Recent sexagenarian widow Dawna Carpenter thought running her own hardware store after the death of her husband was hard enough. With her adult daughter, April, moving back into town, and Darlene, the annoying boutique owner next door to her shop poking around, Dawna has her hands full. But when she finds a dead man in the bathroom of her store, with a framing hammer by his side, she’s in way over her head.

The victim, Warren Highcastle, was a land developer who was looking to purchase the old theater in town to build a new hotel. Dawna and April, worried about the implications of the crime scene at the hardware store, put themselves on the case. They soon learn that Warren had made quite a few enemies in his short amount of time in town. As the suspect list starts growing, so too do the threats against Dawna and April. Can Dawna and April nail the killer before they strike again?

What I Thought:

This is the first in a new series, A Hometown Hardware Series, and the first book I have read by this author. This was  a fast read that kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed the setting of this book and the protagonist, Dawna, was very likable. I thought this book went really fast. Dawna owns and runs a hardware store that she and her husband had together. Her husband passed away due to a heart attack, but Dawna thinks his spirit is still with her. When a local real estate developer is found dead in the bathroom that Dawna store shares with the store next door, Dawna has to investigate, especially when her husband's ex partner is the main suspect. Again I thought this was a very fast read. It flowed well and the plotline was believable. There are a few suspects and Dawna makes a few of them upset by her questions. The reveal was totally surprising and I was as surprised as Dawna by he reveal of the killer. I will definitely be looking into more in this series. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

 

About Paula Charles

When Paula Charles isn't writing under the towering trees of the Pacific Northwest, she can be found in the garden with her hands in the dirt or sitting on her front porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. She has a love for small towns, ghost stories, and pie. Paula lives on a small farm in Southwestern Washington with her patient husband and a handful of furry and feathered critters. Paula also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name of Janna Rollins. Author Links Website: Cozy Mystery Writer | Paula Charles Cozy Mystery Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jannarollinsauthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulacharles_jannarollins/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show41170333.Paula_Charles Purchase Links - PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Bookshop.org