Peachy Scream: A Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Gerard
About Peachy Scream
Peachy Scream: A Georgia B&B Mystery
To die, or not to die? Georgia B&B proprietor Nina Fleet turns amateur thespian to bring the curtain down on a Shakespearean actor's killer.
It's nothing short of inevitable that Cymbeline, GA, hosts an annual Shakespeare festival. But stage-struck Nina Fleet is about to learn that putting on an amateur theatrical production can be murder. Nina's anticipating showbiz glamour and glitz when a community Shakespearean troupe arrives for a two-week stay at her B&B. But the lights dim when she learns the company's director is her nemesis, struggling actor Harry Westcott--who still claims to be the rightful heir to Nina's elegant Queen Anne home.
Meanwhile, the troupe members are not content to leave the drama upon the stage. Accusations of infidelity and financial malfeasance make a shambles of rehearsals. And then, two days into the troupe's stay, the lead actor is found dead in Nina's formal Shakespeare garden. Natural causes...or murder most foul?
Nina uncovers evidence that something is indeed rotten in the town of Cymbeline. Too bad Harry is the only one who believes that she's not going completely off script. And exposing the truth isn't easy when the remaining troupe members say the show must go on...particularly when all of them seemingly had a motive for wanting their fellow actor to permanently exit stage right. Determined to keep the killer from making a curtain call, Nina and her trusty Australian Shepherd, Matilda, join forces with Harry to sleuth out the murder plot. Will they succeed before someone else shuffles off this mortal coil? Find out in Anna Gerard's delightful second Georgia B&B mystery.
What I Thought:
This is the second installment in the Georgia B & B Mystery Series. The setting of this series is great, a small town in Georgia named after a Shakespeare Play. Of course every summer the town has a Shakespeare festival. The troupe that is putting on Hamlet for the festival books Nina's B & B for the festival, and low and behold, Nina's nemesis Harry Westcott is the director of the troupe. When one of the troupe members is found dead in Nina's hawthorn hedge, Nina wonders if foul play was afoot. I enjoyed this book from the beginning till the end just like I enjoyed the first installment of this series. There were many suspects with many motives for wanting the victim dead. I would think I had it figured out, then there would be a twist and I would be wrong. I enjoyed the plot of this story and the characters, especially Nina and her dog Mattie, who by the way is a guest on this post. I enjoy a cozy where I am totally surprised by the ending and this was one of those cozies This is becoming one of my favorite series and I look forward to the next book, anxiously.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
About Anna Gerard
DIANE A.S. STUCKART is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series (writing as Ali Brandon). She’s also the author of the award-winning Leonardo da Vinci historical mysteries, as well as several historical romances and numerous mystery, fantasy, and romance short stories. The first book in her Tarot Cats Mystery series is FOOL’S MOON, available in trade, large print, and Kindle versions. Her Georgia B&B Mystery series from Crooked Lane Books launched July 2019 with PEACH CLOBBERED, written as Anna Gerard and available in hardcover, e-book, or audio CD. Book 2, PEACHY SCREAM will be on the shelves July 2020.
Diane is a member of Mystery Writers of America and served as the 2018 and 2019 Chapter President of the MWA Florida chapter, receiving the “Flamingo” Chapter Service award in 2019. She’s also a member of Sister in Crime. In addition to her mystery writing affiliations, she’s a member of the Cat Writers’ Association and belongs to the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association. Diane is a native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, but has been living in the West Palm Beach FL area since 2006. She shares her “almost in the Everglades” home with her husband, dogs, cats, and a few beehives. Learn more about her books at www.dianestuckart.com
Conversation with Mattie the Aussie…
Matilda the Australian Shepherd is one of the stars of the Georgia B&B Mystery series by Anna Gerard. Mattie points out that she can promote their new book, PEACHY SCREAM, just as well as her human, Nina Fleet, can. And so Mattie has taken charge of this interview.
What is your full name?: I’m Matilda, a/k/a Mattie the Aussie. I might be an Australian Shepherd but I was born in Georgia.
We hear you are a rescue dog?: That’s right. I was only a puppy so I don’t know the full story, but my human, Nina Fleet, tells me some nice lady found me being sold at a garage sale. She bought me and gave me to the animal rescue where Nina found me.
You used to live in Atlanta. How do you like small town living?: It’s fun. I have a giant yard to run in (though I also have my own private yard to stay in when we have guests). Plus it’s quieter without all that traffic and stray canines wandering around. And we have squirrels…and I get to chase them!
Your human, Nina, owns a B&B. What are your duties there?: I am Nina’s right-paw dog! I help greet the guests, and I guard the B&B whenever Nina has to leave. And if a human comes to stay who isn’t very nice, I let Nina know to keep an eye on them. I also regularly test out the guest beds to make sure they are soft enough (Nina doesn’t know I help her out like that!).
What do you like best about living at the B&B?: It’s fun meeting all the new people who stay with us. And, don’t tell her I said this, but it’s nice to see Nina keeping busy on her own. I mean, she’s my human, but I can’t monitor her 24/7. A dog has to nap, you know!
We understand that a Shakespeare troupe is staying at the B&B in PEACHY SCREAM, and that you are helping with rehearsals. What does that entail?: I mostly have to keep an eye on the troupe director, Harry Westcott. Yes, he’s the same Harry from our first book, PEACH CLOBBERED. He and Nina still aren’t what I’d call BHFs (Best Humans Fur-ever) but they are getting along somewhat. Harry even let me be assistant director during our final rehearsals. That meant I got to sit on a chair in the shade next to him while he yelled at the actors.
We hate to bring this up, but…your book cover. It’s really cute, but that dog on the front doesn’t look much like you. What happened?: Growl, I get that question a lot. I was really busy at the B&B the day the artist was drawing the first cover, so my Border Collie friend, Gracie, had to stand in for me. And they thought she was so cute that they made her the permanent cover model. But I really am an Australian Shepherd. You can see more about Aussies on our website, www.georgiabbmysteries.com
Finally, since PEACHY SCREAM has a Shakespearean theme, do you have a favorite Shakespeare quote to share with us?: “Exit, pursued by a bear.”
i
