Pages

Monday, June 3, 2024

Olive You to Death - Cozy Mystery Review

 Goodreads: Olive You to Death (A Tourist Trap Mystery #16) by Lynn Cahoon

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  In the coastal town of South Cove, June is tourist season—and wedding season. Unfortunately, Jill Gardner’s own wedding has been delayed. But that just gives her more time to search for a missing bride—and a killer . . .

Things are looking up for the owner of Coffee, Books, and More—Jill’s finally getting her MBA, and though her wedding to police detective Greg is postponed a few months, she still has plenty to celebrate. A girls’ weekend in Santa Barbara is just the ticket. But back in South Cove, someone else’s big day has become a big problem. Antiques dealer Josh Thomas and Mandy Jensen were planning a small private ceremony under an olive tree on the historic Jensen farm—until Mandy went missing . . .

Is this a case of a runaway bride—or a guilty groom? Greg zeroes in on Josh but finds him so annoying that he quietly asks Jill’s help in keeping his number-one suspect distracted. She knows that Josh is searching for something else besides his fiancĂ©e—a bank robber’s buried gold bullion. And when the professor he’d been discussing it with turns up dead, she can’t help wondering if what looked like cold feet was actually cold-blooded murder . . .

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been reading this series since the beginning and I always look forward to seeing what Jill and Greg are up to.

My Impression:  This is a series I always enjoy but isn't up on my favorite list right now.  The writing style is easy and fast paced and I love the bookish element as well as the relationships within the community.  

I didn't feel like this was the strongest mystery in the series.  Jill is far more focused on finishing up her MBA than the running the bookstore and spends a lot of time running here there and everywhere.  I wish Mandy had been a slightly more established character before this book as the whole situation with Josh and her family felt a bit out of left field.  I did like getting to know Josh a bit better and seeing a more vulnerable side to him.   I also enjoyed Jackie's storyline in the book.  She is usually one of my least favorite character but I really enjoyed how everything worked out there.  Jill's best friend Amy is a whole other story though.  

The mystery was entertaining and I loved the treasure hunt element.  There is a bit of a scattered feeling to the book so I didn't feel like everything full came together at the end.  This is a good light mystery if you're looking for a quick read.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes.  While this isn't necessarily my favorite cozy mystery series it is one I always enjoy.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you are a cozy reader I definitely recommend this series but
I don't think I would recommend jumping in with this book.  There are a lot of relationships that wouldn't make much sense if you start out here.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

7 comments:

  1. It's great when you find a series with loads of books in it. I love series and following the same characters.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I seem to be collection Lynn Cahoon books but I haven't actually read anything by her yet. I need to remedy that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is certainly a comfort reading a series you know the setting and some of the characters. It's less mental work than reading something new and different.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

    ReplyDelete
  4. Glad to see the mystery was entertaining. Lovely review :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, 16 books in the series! Too bad the mystery wasn't very strong, but good that it was still a fun read.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I saw this one on NG and admired the clever title.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a few books behind on this series. I usually love it. I'll have to catch up.

    ReplyDelete