murder mystery

Review: Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen #1) by Jess Kidd

~ megs14malloy

Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder at Gulls Nest is the 1st-installment of a Historical Cozy Mystery series by Jess Kidd. This series follows Nora Breen, who has recently asked to be released from her vows.

Yes, that’s right, Nora was a nun. That alone had me intrigued about this series. It’s pretty hard not to love an ex-nun turned amateur sleuth.

The impetus behind Nora’s recent choice is the apparent disappearance of her former novice, Frieda. Frieda was always a reliable letter writer (it’s the 1950s), so when her letters stop suddenly, Nora grows concerned. Nora feels compelled to seek Frieda out, to check on her safety.

She follows a line from one of Frieda’s letters and ends up at the Gulls Nest, a charming seaside hotel in Kent, which really acts more as a boarding house. Nora, hiding her identity, begins staying at the Gulls Nest and inserts herself into the lives of the residents there.

It’s not long after Nora arrives that people start dying under shady circumstances. Now it’s not just the disappearance of Frieda that Nora needs to figure out, but also who’s murdering the residents of the Gulls Nest, and why?

I felt like this was a great start to a series. The writing is excellent and it felt like it had a lot of heft, a bit more serious than a lot of Cozies I tend to enjoy, but Nora’s character absolutely sucked me in.

I’m a nosey old broad myself, so I found it easy to relate to her. I loved watching her skills at engaging with people, and getting them talking. She had a touch of Miss Marple, or Jessica Fletcher, about her in that regard. People just opened up to her. They want to tell her things.

The residents at the Gulls Nest are an intriguing cast as well. I did find it a touch challenging initially keeping everyone straight, but once the action really kicked off, that unmoored feeling sort of went away.

The 2nd-book, Murder at the Spirit Lounge released earlier this Summer, and I’m excited to get to it. I have a feeling that like with many Cozy Mystery series, you become more and more attached to the characters as the series goes on.

I’m looking forward to learning more about Nora’s background mayhaps in the next book. We did get a glimpse into her past here, and she’s definitely lived a life.

I’m also interested to see how her relationship with Detective Rideout develops moving forward. If it will evolve into more of a romance, or if it will perhaps just be an incredible partnership of investigative minds, for which I would be happy to accept.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m so sorry it took me this long to get to this one. It was a great experience, not sure why I’ve been putting it off, but I certainly won’t be waiting to read the next installment!

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Review: I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig

~ megs14malloy

I'm Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement HomeI’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After a decades-long stint in prison, former serial killer, Carol, is looking forward to starting afresh at her new retirement home, Sheldon Oaks, upon her release. At 75-yo, Carol has a lot of life left to live and she’s ready to do it as a free woman.

Unfortunately, after a fellow resident suddenly falls to his death, all eyes are on her. Although Carol has tried to keep her unsavory past a secret, there are people who know and they’re quite suspicious of her now.

Carol had nothing to do with this death, and it seems she’s gotta prove it if she ever wants to achieve her dream of living in peace.

We follow Carol, and the other residents, as they dig into this mystery and try to figure out the whodunit. This is a cute story. Please don’t let my 3-star rating scare you off.

It’s a fine story. It did absolutely nothing wrong, though it did struggle holding my attention. I feel like if I wasn’t already such a big fan of the Marlow Murder Club Mysteries, or even The Thursday Murder Club, I might have enjoyed it more.

I just feel like for me personally, the fact that I’ve read and loved those other series first, made this seem a little lackluster in comparison. That may not be fair of me, but it is the experience I had with it, and I do rate based on my own personal reading experience.

With this being said, if you are just looking for an easy, cozy read, following an elderly protagonist starting over and solving mysteries, this could definitely be the book for you. I would never discourage anyone from reading it, and I’m sure a ton of Readers are going to fall in love with Carol.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series or not, but I am going to check out the premise of the next book. I would consider it if I think it’s a case that would be super fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I always love checking out new Cozy Mystery series. Some stick and some don’t, but that’s perfectly fine. There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book!

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Review: The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy

~ megs14malloy

The Ghost WomenThe Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ghost Women is an atmospheric blend of Dark Academia, Police Procedural and Occult Horror, all in a believable historical setting. I had no idea what to expect going into this, having never read from Jennifer Murphy before, and man, was I impressed.

Our story kicks off on a hot Summer morning in 1972, when the body of Abel Montague, a wealthy student at St. Luke’s Institute for the Arts, is found hanging upside down from a tree in the forest abutting the school.

In his back pocket, a tarot card, and you guessed it, it’s The Hanged Man. Upon examination, it’s clear that his body has been arranged in the exact pose as the man on the card.

Detective Lola Germany is the investigator in charge of Abel’s murder and we do get her perspective throughout the novel. She’s originally from the area, and ended up being my favorite character.

As she starts her investigation, interviewing students and the school administration, Lola meets Abel’s live-in girlfriend, Pearl. It’s clear Pearl is not just upset about Abel’s death, she’s hiding something.

Lola’s digging takes her further into Pearl and Abel’s world, and brings her into contact with Pearl’s group of girlfriends. They’re all a little quirky and do consider themselves a coven of witches.

They’ve also openly been using the tarot. Could the coven be involved in Abel’s murder? Perhaps helping Pearl, if Abel has crossed her in some way?

But soon more people are found dead. Again, their bodies arranged to match a tarot card left at the scene. Lola realizes these ritualistic killings could be connected to something much larger, and older, than she’d initially expected.

I ended up enjoying this story so much. More than I thought I would, actually. I loved the 1972-setting and the location being in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

It does have Dark Academia vibes, being set at a secluded private art school, and that’s not always my jam, but having the perspective of Detective Lola looking into the mysterious murders definitely helped for my personal tastes.

I thought the mystery was also very intriguing. The incorporation of the tarot cards into the murders was fun and only added to the atmosphere. I liked the occult feel it brought to the story.

Additionally, Murphy’s writing was just great. It was so fluid and compelling. I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this one. I need more people to read it.

My only minor issues were some of the perspectives, of the young ladies at the school, I did have a little bit of trouble differentiating amongst them. That could have been totally the headspace I was in at the time of reading it though. So take that with a grain of salt.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m very happy to have been introduced to this author; looking forward to more!

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Review: Scary Movie Night by Miranda Smith

~ megs14malloy

Scary Movie NightScary Movie Night by Miranda Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Scary Movie Night is a modern Popcorn Thriller meets Locked Room Murder Mystery, that also manages to bring all the luxury of Old Hollywood at the same time. It’s sounds like a lot, and it sort of is, but I had a blast reading it.

In this story, we follow Tippi, who has recently broken off her engagement and is planning to travel to Europe for a reset. Before she goes though, her BFF decides to throw her a horror-themed party for her upcoming 35th-birthday.

Tippi, named for Tippi Hedren, of Hitchcock’s The Birds fame, is a huge Hitchcock fan. In fact, she wrote a book on it, Hitchcock films. Thus, the party will stick true to those roots, with the guests even dressing as different characters.

The party is going to be held at Tippi’s Grandmother’s lavish mansion. Tippi was raised by her Grandmather, Marmee, and the two remain very close. Even though Tippi’s not really in a mood to party, she appreciates the gesture, and honestly, how bad can it be?

It’s just for a weekend and the guest list is small, just Tippi and 5 of her closest friends, plus Marmee squirreled away in her room upstairs. What could possibly go wrong?

The tone is set when before the party is even in full swing, Tippi discovers a mysterious and threatening note on the gifts table. Her first thought is her ex, Oliver, could he possibly be there, lurking around the enormous property? Who else would have written such a nasty note?

Then the terror escalates, it’s not just notes, people are getting hurt, disappearing and worse. Tippi and the other guests find themselves thrust into the action of a Thriller movie, and Tippi wants no part of it. This night will change everything forever. Who will even make it out alive?

As a Hitchcock girlie, this was such an enjoyable read. I loved the set-up and the mixed media elements Smith included. We actually get little excerpts from Tippi’s book, where she discusses some of Hitchcock’s most popular films. I loved that and how certain plot points from those films could be loosely found within this story.

I loved Tippi and her Grandmother, Marmee. Their relationship was great, though I was disturbed by the fact that, with everything going on, Tippi just left Marmee upstairs in her bedroom alone. Like don’t worry, there’s only an apparent killer on the loose, just stay here.

It definitely gets wacky and OTT in the 2nd-half, but I was eating it up. I was sat and invested in the chaos. The friend group is freaking messy. Everyone had secrets and sort of nasty personalities, NGL, besides Tippi and her bestie.

I loved the atmosphere as well. Marmee’s mansion is stacked with luxurious items and memorabilia of Old Hollywood. There’s also inclement weather, and though the mansion is large, a feeling of claustrophobia does set in once the intensity amps up. It did feel quite cinematic because of that.

Overall, I just felt like this was a really entertaining dark Thriller. It’s messy and high stakes, with a cast of morally grey characters and captivating twists. I would recommend it to Horror Thriller Readers, or fans of Hitchcock films.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed this a lot more than Smith’s earlier release, Smile for the Cameras, and I’m excited to pick up more from her.

We love an upward trajectory with an author’s work!

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Review: 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache

~ megs14malloy

12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Prior to moving their family to Australia, Olivia and her husband, Miles, as well as their two children, must go spend a two-week Christmas holiday with Miles’s extremely wealthy and terrible family.

Olivia, a Romantasy author, from a family who couldn’t be more different than her husband’s, has always felt judged and out of place at the Weiss family estate. Nevertheless, she loves him and shall grin and bear it, because that’s what a good partner does.

As expected, his family is shockingly-rude from the get-go. It’s going to be a long two weeks. All the relationships are toxic and if Miles’s mother is around, the backhanded jibes are never far behind.

We won’t mention the tension you could cut with a knife due to the great inheritance debate over the multi-million dollar fortune. Olivia couldn’t care less about the money though, she cares more about the poor treatment that she, Miles and their children receive.

She can’t wait to get on the plane to Australia. Let’s gooo!

Soon after their arrival, an accident results in a family member’s death. Shortly thereafter, another family member falls victim to a terrible accident.

But then a third? Are we still believing these are accidents? As the bodies pile up, one after another, in admittedly quite creative ways, it becomes clear to Olivia that there’s a killer amongst them, but who?

Motivations and hostilities abound. It could honestly be anyone, or multiple people. It’s certainly not beyond the stretch of imagination that a plot to seize the inheritance could be in play.

When inclement weather cuts them off from the world, Olivia takes it upon herself to try to weed out the killer. Can she possibly get to them, before they get to her first?

The clock is ticking on a Christmas they’ll never forget. If they live to remember it, that is.

I had so much fun with this novel. It’s thoroughly deranged, but in a really fun way. I loved Olivia’s perspective. Her wry delivery and sarcasm, as well as the dark humor that Bache brought to the story made it wickedly-entertaining.

It felt quite cinematic as well. I feel like it would make a great holiday movie, like a Knives Out version of a holiday movie. I feel like it could translate so well into that format because of the drama and humor.

I was picturing Naomi Watts as Olivia, and Ewan McGregor as Miles. Not bad images to have in your brain, either one.

I also need to applaud Bache’s creative kills. I’m a Horror girl, and I love a unique or creative kill. Bache definitely delivered in that capacity here.

Another thing worth mentioning, that I really appreciated about this, was the relationships between Olivia, Miles and their kids. They were very close and remained so throughout the story. They felt supportive to one another, and were really the only bright light in this family.

I’m so glad I finally read this one. It was a great fit for my tastes in the Mystery genre. I loved all the twists and reveals. Messy family is drama is one of my favorite things in fiction and this took messy to the next level.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

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Review: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (The Marlow Murder Club #5) by Robert Thorogood

~ megs14malloy

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (The Marlow Murder Club, #5)The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts is the 5th-book in Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club series. I’ve enjoyed the previous books tremendously, so had been anxiously awaiting this 5th-release.

If you aren’t aware, these books follow Judith Potts, a widow in her 70s, and her two BFFs, Suzie and Becks, as they tackle mysteries in their local Marlow community.

This installment involves the deaths of two local celebrities, who although they don’t initially seem connected, the women decide to investigate nonetheless, because it certainly can’t be coincidence. But why would a killer be targeting such high profile locals?

Judith, Becks and Suzie, never ones to turn away from a truly puzzling mystery, are sure that the two cases must have a link, but finding it will be a challenge.

With all of this going on, it’s not a great time for Judith’s past to come back and haunt her, but that’s exactly what happens. Judith’s distracted, are her dark secrets finally going to come to light, or will she be able to put out that fire and solve the murders all at the same time?

I’m so happy to report that this ended up being my favorite book of the series thus far. I loved the growth displayed by all four of our main ladies, I’m including Tanika, their friend and police contact, with this statement, and I feel like they are all truly coming into their own.

There was something so ‘final’ feeling about this ending though. I’m actually nervous about it. I really hope this isn’t the last mystery we get with this fabulous cast of characters.

When I first started with this series, I liked it, but I wasn’t in love, but as the series has progressed, each installment seems to get stronger, or perhaps it’s that I’ve become so attached to the ladies. Either way, I feel like Thorogood has done an excellent job leaning into their personalities and allowing the series to grow.

I love the dynamic between Judith, Suzie and Becks. They support each other so well, and where one of them may have a weakness, the others can provide their own strengths, making them a fantastic team.

I really enjoyed learning more about Judith’s past in this one as well. Thorogood has been alluding to something potentially shady in Judith’s past that she’s been hiding from, but we never got the full scope of that. I feel like I have a much deeper understanding of her now.

As usual though, there’s also a great amount of humor in the story, particularly when the ladies are in full investigation mode. They’re so funny, the hi-jinks they get themselves into, even dangerous ones, all to solve the crimes. Now that’s dedication to a goal.

I would highly recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths. The small town vibes are on point as well, as is the humor and heart.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned above, I truly hope we get more installments in this wonderful Cozy series!

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Review: The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

The Disaster Gay Detective AgencyThe Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency is a, I believe, standalone Contemporary Mystery story following a diverse group of characters living in New York City.

Our core characters are a friend group, more of a found family really, comprised of Brandon, Nicole, Ian and Ollie, all 20-somethings just trying to survive in the city and navigate young adulthood.

The story begins when Brandon, a hopeless romantic, ends up having a intimate encounter with a very attractive man staying at the hotel at which he works.

The man, who tells him that his name is Jon, seems like everything Brandon has ever wanted. He can’t believe his luck, that a chance encounter could lead to love.

Jon promises to text, but to Brandon’s horror, he ends up checking out early and never reaching out as Brandon expected. What’s more confusing though is that he’s seemingly left his bag of belongings behind, as well as his cell phone.

Brandon takes the phone, thinking it’ll be the perfect excuse to track him down, to find out what really happened. Brandon’s sure that Jon felt that spark too, and he’s not willing to just be ghosted like that. He can’t just let it be.

He does eventually spot Jon again, but it’s anything but the reunion he hoped for. In fact, he ends up witnessing a murder and spies Jon fleeing the scene.

His friends, now fully invested in whatever the heck this is, decide to help Brandon solve the murder and get answers on Jon’s true identity. But are they going to be able to do that without attracting the killer’s attention? Collectively, they don’t exactly fly under the radar.

I really enjoyed my time with this novel. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant going in, as early reviews weren’t great, and though it’s not perfect, I thought it was funny and engaging. I liked the characters and their found family group. Honestly, I’m hoping we get another book with their group in the future.

I think perhaps it isn’t as much of a Murder Mystery as people were expecting. It’s more like a gay-version of Dial A for Aunties. It’s all about the characters, their relationships and the hi-jinks that ensue after they’re adjacent to a murder, than it is about the mystery itself.

I think if you go in with that in mind, that it’s a Contemporary, very much character-driven, story with a touch of murder, you could really enjoy it like I did.

The main group of characters, their interactions with each other felt very believable, IMO. It’s sort of a messy group, but they all have different strengths that they’re bringing to the table and they’re able to support the others weaknesses because of that.

They’re stronger together, y’all.

The mystery does get completely wild and over the top, but I appreciated how it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The truth about who Jon is, and the situation revolving around the murder, it’s straight out of an action movie, and our main characters seemed so out of place in that plot.

But honestly, that was half the fun. For example, part of their investigative strategy is to host a Game Night, where they can question parties of interest on such topics as guns, drugs and international black market dealings, all under the guise of a trivia game.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for a humorous, diverse Queer story, with a light mystery and very strong found family elements.

Lev A.C. Rosen does found families so well. I’ve read his entire Evander Mills series, which I absolutely adore and highly recommend for anyone looking for Queer Historical Mysteries, and that was one of my favorite elements of that series. The found family.

Rosen also brings just the right amount of humor to his stories for my tastes, while also highlighting some important real world issues. I like the mix. Even with difficult issues explored though, I still find his stories heartwarming and full of hope.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned above, I’d love to see these characters in another novel.

Keeping my fingers crossed for that!

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Review: It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson

~ megs14malloy

It Happened One MurderIt Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After getting fired from her dream magazine job in NYC, Harriet Baker returns to her hometown, a sleepy beach town in New Jersey, to lick her wounds and recover.

Unfortunately, living with her eccentric mother and narcissistic step-father isn’t necessarily a soothing environment for her. Nevertheless, Harriet won’t be there for long. She just wants to keep her head down until she can return to some semblance of her former life.

Then her mother decides to throw an extravagant birthday party for her. The last thing Harriet would want, but like with everything else, her mom is like a tornado and poor Harriet just gets sucked unwilling up into the cyclone.

At the party, full of her Mom’s friends and acquaintances, Harriet ends up running into her one-time fling, Nic Allbright, whose family is catering the event. She’d not forgot those short weeks with Nic, but it did take her a moment to recognize him.

That’s not awkward at all…

When the party abruptly ends in murder, all eyes are looking to Nic’s sister, Sara, who was the chef at the party. She knowingly left in a huff after a loud squabble with the individual who now lays dead on the beach.

Nic knows his sister is innocent and he needs to clear her name. Harriet also has a motivation to investigate the crime. She’s been offered her old job back if she writes an article uncovering what really happened the night of the party. After all, True Crime is popular.

For her article, Harriet is going to need Nic’s cooperation. She needs access to his sister, and if he is going to clear Sara’s name, he needs Harriet’s skills as an investigative reporter. But will they be able to put the past in the past, and actually work together?

It Happened One Murder is a really cute romantic Cozy Mystery. I loved the set-up of the party and how quickly Lawson got us to the murder, and hence the mystery.

I also really enjoyed Harriet’s perspective, what was going on with her as far as her job and family. I also loved the beach setting. Nic was charming and compelling as a love interest as well. I liked the backstory of their time together as teens, and how differently their lives had gone since then.

While the mystery itself didn’t quite knock my socks off, the likable characters and the romance more than made up for it. The banter between Harriet and Nic was great, and I appreciated that we got both of their perspectives. I think it added a lot, as far as understanding their relationship.

I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy cozy, low stakes, mysteries with a side of romance. I think Lawson balanced all the elements of this story very well and I’m excited to read more from her in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This story is as cute as its cover!

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Review: Beware the Abbott Boys by Chelsea Abbott

~ megs14malloy

Beware the Abbott BoysBeware the Abbott Boys by Chelsea Ichaso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A year ago, the small town of Silver Creek was shattered when popular high schooler, Mariana Flores, was killed in a car explosion. Even though the police ruled out foul play, the local rumor mill tells another story.

Ask anyone in town and they’ll tell you the Abbott boys had to have been involved. Granted, they do work as mechanics and had been working on Mariana’s car just prior to the incident, but still, there’s no evidence.

The Abbott boys, triplets, Henry, Bram and Adam, are used to the town chattering about them, but they were close to Mariana, so her death hit their household very hard, and the allegations didn’t help matters.

Hayden, the girl next door to the Abbotts, knows they’re innocent. She’s Henry’s best friend, but she feels a special connection to each of the brothers and she knows they wouldn’t have done anything to harm Mariana.

When the new school year starts, another popular high school girl is found dead in the woods abutting the school.

When security camera footage reveals a figure seen entering the woods with the victim, it’s clear they’re wearing a special hoodie. One with a giant A on the back. A hoodie all three of the Abbott brothers own, but which one was it?

To clear their names, Hayden begins an investigation of her own, but the deeper she digs the more she starts to question, how well does she really know the Abbott boys?

I had a lot of fun with Beware the Abbott Boys. It’s a great YA Mystery-Thriller, full of drama and all the things that go along with that. The characters were well-imagined and I feel like Ichaso did a great job building up the intensity.

The mystery of it was fairly simplistic, NGL, but that didn’t retract from the enjoyment I had going along for the ride. Clearly, I’m not the target audience for this, but in spite of that, I still really enjoyed my time with it and can appreciate how much a Teen audience would love this.

Honestly though, with this being said, I love YA Mystery-Thrillers and Horror. I don’t think I’ll ever stop reading them. I’ll never age out of the category.

I like all the drama, and how deeply the characters feel their emotions. It reminds me of a simpler time in my own life, and each story feels nostalgic almost in their own way. Also, the stakes don’t tend to get as serious, and frankly depressing, as Adult dramas.

But that’s just me…

I would highly recommend this one to YA Mystery-Thriller Readers. For me, Ichaso’s books are getting stronger and stronger as she goes and I’m looking forward to whatever she writes next.

Thank you to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This is one of the most engaging YA Thrillers I’ve read this year, and I’m very happy I made time for it!

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Review: Death on the Lanai (Golden Girls Cozy Mystery #2) by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

~ megs14malloy

Death on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery (Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series)Death on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Death on the Lanai is the latest installment to the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery series from Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

I had a lot of fun reading the 1st-book, Murder by Cheesecake, so had been highly anticipating this release. I’m happy to report, I enjoyed this one even more!

In this installment, REC brings a classic murder mystery set-up to the page for our GGs. The ladies receive a mysterious invitation to attend a dinner party at a remote island estate. Even though they have no clue who the invitation is from, there could be single men there, so they’re definitely going to attend.

Dressed to the nines, the ladies climb aboard a water taxi to be ferried out to the island prepared for a glamorous night. The possibilities are endless of what the evening could hold, but they couldn’t imagine what would actually go down.

Once they’ve arrived, the ladies are introduced to their mystery host and owner of the estate, Declan, a famous artist known as El Toro. Quickly, memories of her time as a NYC Rockette come flooding back to Blanche.

Declan was Blanche’s beau during her short time in NYC, before she was swept back to Georgia by her family. She’s had no contact with him for years. How did he possibly find her, and what is the intent of this unexpected reunion?

The dinner guest list is small, and as the evening progresses the ladies get to know each of the other attendees and their basic connection to Declan. The majority of them are closely tied to his career as an artist, and as it turns out, even Blanche has a connection she never knew about.

As is expected in situations like this, a ferocious storm ends up battering the island, knocking out the power and stranding the guests there overnight.

The next morning, Declan is found dead in his studio and all eyes are on Blanche. The ladies know that Blanche is innocent, meaning someone else on that island is a killer, and they’re trapped there with them. It’s up to the ladies to suss out the real killer before they’re able to kill again.

This was so cute. I loved the classic set-up for the mystery and laughed so many times as the ladies tried to solve the whodunit. I love them all so much.

I feel like Rachel Ekstrom Courage is really settling into writing their personalities and bringing them to life. She’s honed in on their dynamic so well and it definitely translated better onto the page this time. Their vibe felt much more natural than it did in the 1st-book.

The mystery was also more intriguing to me, and I loved having this set cast of possible killers. There were red herrings, and at times, it was a real head-scratcher.

I’m so in love with this series at this point. I’m really hoping we get more. Miami is a busy place, and our girls are good at getting themselves into, and then out of, sticky situations.

As I said with the 1st-book, I would recommend it to any Golden Girls fan. The GGs were handled with grace, and I think it’s quite nostalgic for any long-term fan of the television show.

Personally, I don’t think it would hit quite the same for people who haven’t watched the show, but I could be wrong. As a Cozy Mystery, it’s still solid, regardless of who the characters are.

Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so invested in this series now, I’m already anxious to hear news of what’s next!

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