Lowcountry Boneyard (Liz Talbot #3)
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Blog Tour
Description: 23 year old Kent Heyward disappeared somewhere between her Charleston home and a nearby restaurant. The police believe she left of her own choosing but Kent's powerful wealthy family and her assorted friends believe differently.Just as Liz starts making progress she gets an unpleasant surprise delivered to her door. Is finding Kent going to cause Liz to disappear?
Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: I absolutely love a missing person case and this series sounded interesting.
My Impression: I've read a lot of cozies and have gotten to be fairly picky regarding them. I like there to be reasons for the main character to be investigating, I like for the main character to act like the age they actually are, I like a fully developed setting, and I like the mystery to be well put together and well-paced. I'm glad to say that Susan M. Boyer has delivered on all counts. This was my first meeting with Liz Talbot but I can guarantee it will not be the last! Liz is smart, quick on her feet, and has a heavy dash of sarcasm. I also liked the way Liz and Nate's professional and personal relationships unfolded. They both acted like adults which was refreshing. They talked about their personal problems but didn't let that interfere with acting like business partners when they needed too. The mystery of Kent's disappearance was interesting and kept me turning pages far later into the night than was smart. I really enjoyed Boyer's details about the PI business and it really felt like Liz and Nick were actually PIs instead of it just being a label.
I have mixed feelings about Liz's ghostly friend Colleen and the side plot involving why Liz needs to stay on the island. While I enjoyed both aspects the story itself is strong enough that these parts didn't seem necessary. The phrase "gilding the lily" came to mind about them. Part of the problem could be that since I haven't read the first 2 books I wasn't as connected to the ongoing plots. That being said, I still found the subplot enjoyable even though I wanted to hurry up and get back to the investigation. This is a great cozy mystery - great characters, beautiful setting and perfectly paced.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely! I've already added the first 2 books to my TBR and am looking forward to getting to know Liz better.
Would I Recommend this Book?: Absolutely! I think any mystery lover would enjoy this and if you're new to cozies this would be a great place to start.
Challenges Met? Reading Road Trip (South Carolina)
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I enjoyed this one!
DeleteI do enjoy smart, sarcastic heroins - adding it to my list, great review ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like Liz. She definitely has sarcasm down but isn't over the top with it.
DeleteYou know I love snarky protagonists! Plus anything with "bone" in the title is a big attraction! TBR...
ReplyDeleteLOL yeah I'm a sucker for a bone title as well!
DeleteThank you so much for the lovely review, Katherine! I'm so happy you enjoyed the read! I wish I lived in a library, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I loved meeting Liz and look forward to seeing more of her adventures.
DeleteNot an author I've come across before, but it does sound like a good read :)
ReplyDeleteShe was new to me as well but I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.
DeleteHi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteMy own views about the value of cozy mysteries, are pretty much the same as your own. I don't tend to read them on a regular basis, however they do make for great lighter reads between more serious stories.
Do you think that the series really works as stand alones, or should I really add the first book to my 'Want To Read' list first?
Thanks for sharing and for a great objective review :)
Yvonne.
I definitely think it works fine as a stand alone. I think I would've been more interested in the political subplot if I was more invested in the series. As it was I understood what was going on just fine.
DeleteThis sounds wonderful! I've been wondering about this series. I, too, like a series where there's a reason for the main character to be investigating and that she acts her age. This one sounds like a series I'll enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI think you would really like this Yvonne! The only problem I can see for you is that Liz is more of a dog person than a cat person!
DeleteThanks, I will now look for this author.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do! I really enjoyed this one.
DeleteI have this in my TBR pile. Like you, I haven't read the preceding books so it'll be interesting to see well I find it works as a stand alone, especially with those side plots.
ReplyDeleteI found it worked well as a stand alone. The main problems with the side plot is that I wasn't as interested in it and I'm wondering if that would be different if I had read previous books.
DeleteI am glad to hear you liked this one, Katherine. I've been wondering about it as it does sound good. Adding it to my wish list now.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it and hope you do as well. It was a fun read!
DeleteI love a good cozy, BUT like you---they must be 'good'. I might have to give this series a try.
ReplyDeleteI have pretty much the same pet peeves regarding cozies and particularly cozy heroines as you do, so your review is encouraging. I've been eying this series but wasn't sure if I wanted to try it. Now I think I should!
ReplyDeleteYeah I wonder if you would have felt differently about the side stories if you had read the others. The case itself has me most curious. Lovely review Katherine.
ReplyDeleteLike you I love missing person stories as they are so mysterious. Not sure about the ghostly friend though, I wouldn't expecting a supernatural element in a cozy. But still it sounds good overall!
ReplyDelete