Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher
Description: Charlie Harris has sworn off investigating murder and mayhem after a recent close call. Instead, he's delighted to cheer on his daughter, Laura, who's starring in a production of Careless Whispers. The theater department at Athena College is debuting the play written by a fledgling playwright with local connections and Charlie's son-in-law, Frank Salisbury, will be calling the directorial shots.
Laura is upset to learn that Luke Lombardi, an overbearing actor she knew from her time in Hollywood will also be taking part in the production as a guest artist. Lombardi arrives with an entourage in tow and promptly proceeds to annoy everyone involved with the production. When he collapses and dies on stage, after drinking from a glass Laura handed him, she becomes the chief suspect in his murder.
Charlie knows his daughter is innocent, and he's not going to let anyone railroad his little girl. So, despite his intentions to put his amateur sleuthing days behind him, Charlie has to take center stage, and with Diesel's help, shine a spotlight on the real killer.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed this series so I couldn't pass up this newest one! And who can resist the title?
My Impression: Whenever I pick up a book by this author I know I'm in for a delightful cozy mystery and this mystery was no exception. Charlie and Diesel (and Ramses) are back in full force but I really enjoyed that Charlie's daughter Laura and her husband Frank are much more central characters then they've been in the past. I really enjoyed seeing more of them and getting some more time to observe their relationship with each other and with Charlie. And it's always good to see more of the some of my favorite characters - Haskell, Azalea, Stewart, and Kenesha and of course Helen Louise. In addition to my regular favorite characters we also got a few visits from the Ducote sisters and watching them keep that rather dreadful Luke Lombardi under control was incredibly entertaining.
I would have liked a little bit more time unraveling the identities and the motives. Not only did it seem to all come together really fast but I really enjoyed it so I wanted more detail. That minor issue aside, this was a fun cozy mystery with likable characters and an entertaining story. This has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I always look forward to seeing what's next for Charlie and Diesel - okay especially Diesel!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would. I've missed some of the earlier books in the series and I'm looking forward to going back and catching up as well as keeping my eyes open for the next book.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a great series!
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This sounds fantastic and I do agree that the title would be hard to resist!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds delightful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou know I am not much of a cozy mystery reader, yet when I read your reviews I continually ask myself why not! This series and these characters just sound so good and a series means more of them each time.
ReplyDeleteI love this series. I have this one to read. I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read any in this series but it sounds good.
ReplyDelete