Netgalley & Edelweiss Shelves

NetGalley & Edelweiss Shelves (October 2020)

Posted on by Darinda

Netgalley & Edelweiss Shelves

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

I added two eARCs to my TBR this month – a new thriller by S.E. Lynes and the latest book in Rachel Caine’s Stillhouse Lake series.

The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes

Publisher: Bookouture
Expected publication date: October 23, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.
All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…
Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone – she walked down the road, past the Lovegoods’ house, and was never seen again.

A year later, the Lovegoods are planning their long-anticipated housewarming party. Ava doesn’t want to go. She can’t bear to look down that end of the road, to see the place where Abi vanished, and she doesn’t want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Her husband Matt persuades her: he’s worried about her. A night out might do her good.

But as her friends and neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything.

Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.

She’s about to find out she was wrong…

Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Expected publication date: March 9, 2021
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: Stillhouse Lake #5

They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.

A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.

On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.

As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.

STATS

NETGALLEY
Books To Read: 11
Books Approved: 215
Books Reviewed: 204
Feedback Ratio: 95%

EDELWEISS
Books To Read: 1
Books Approved: 65
Books Reviewed: 64
Feedback Ratio: 99%

Book Review: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

Posted on by Darinda

The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Invisible Girl
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Series: na
My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

The author of the “rich, dark, and intricately twisted” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs returns with another taut and white-knuckled thriller following a group of people whose lives shockingly intersect when a young woman disappears.

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a computer science teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

A series of attacks on young women, a missing teen, and plenty of secrets.

Told using multiple points of view – Saffyre, Cate, and Owen. Saffyre’s POV is told in the past, while the others are told in the present. In the present, Saffyre is missing. Saffyre is a teen girl and former patient of Roan, a therapist. Cate is married to Roan. Owen lives in the same neighborhood as Cate and Roan. The characters are well-developed and interesting to read about.

Intriguing characters and a twisty plot combine in this suspenseful psychological thriller. Great novel for fans of this genre. Complex, dark, and captivating.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker

Book Review: Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker

Posted on by Darinda

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Don’t Look for Me
Author: Wendy Walker
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: September 15, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na
My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

They said she walked away. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?
From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a compelling and emotionally powerful story of a daughter’s desperate search to find her mother before it’s too late.

They called it a “walk away.” The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to start over. But what really happened to Molly Clarke?

The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man offering her a ride to safety. But when the doors lock shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.

A new lead brings Molly’s daughter, Nicole, back to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to renew the desperate search. The locals are sympathetic and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and Nicole comes closer to the truth about that night—and the danger surrounding her.

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

Molly Clarke has disappeared. The police say she walked away from her family and life, but her daughter, Nicole (Nic), doesn’t believe that. Nic travels to the town where her mother was last seen, and searches for answers.

Told with the alternating points of view of Molly and Nic. Molly is struggling with things from her past and present. She is feeling unloved by her family, but they don’t believe she would walk away from them. Nic has her own struggles, and believes something has happened to her mother. A new lead sounds promising, and Nic goes in search of her mother. The characters are intriguing and the story is suspenseful.

A tense thriller that captured my attention right away. Captivating, creepy, and twisted.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Monthly TBR

October 2020 TBR

Posted on by Darinda

Monthly TBR

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

Happy October!

I have four books on my TBR this month. I may participate in a reading challenge too, so that will add more books.

I hope you have a great reading month!

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are finding that all is not calm or bright in Silent Bite, the latest Christmas mystery in this heartwarming series from bestselling author David Rosenfelt.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion.

But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.

Once again David Rosenfelt puts readers in the Christmas spirit in a tale that is equal parts mystery and holiday cheer.

Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly

Make way for the long paw of the law as police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a baffling new mystery in Bending the Paw, by Diane Kelly.

A MURDER WITHOUT A BODY IS LIKE A DOG WITHOUT A BONE

A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace—and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime?

Meanwhile, it’s hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff, but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 partner find, Megan is building a case for prosecution, all while Brigit has her nose to the ground for a murderer…

A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott

A murder and a missing book have Addie Greyborne running around her Massachusetts town trying to read the clues . . .

January isn’t the season for the seaside, but the big Fire and Ice festival is keeping bookstore owner Addie busy. Amid the plans for a fireworks display and an ice-carving competition, she’s also dog sitting for a friend in the hospital. When Addie goes to her friend’s house to gather supplies, she notices an interesting item on the nightstand which belongs to her shop assistant, Paige: a very valuable copy of the beloved children’s book The Secret Garden.

But Addie’s blood runs cold when she finds something else: a dead body behind the bakery next door to her shop. Martha, the bakery owner, has no alibi—and has been seen in a heated argument with the victim. And the next thing Addie knows, that first edition has gone missing. Is there a connection between the body and the treasured tome? If there is, it’s up to Addie to find a killer with a motive as hidden as Frances Hodgson Burnett’s famous garden . . .

Murder is a Must by Marty Wingate

Determined to make the First Edition Library a success, Hayley Burke wasn’t expecting to have to solve an old friend’s murder in this all-new mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling’s collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She’s even made progress with Lady Fowling’s former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling’s life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.

When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she’s unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

Monthly Wrap-Up

September 2020 Wrap-Up

Posted on by Darinda

Monthly Wrap-Up

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

TOP 5 SEPTEMBER READS

1. Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker
2. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
3. The Search Party by Simon Lelic
4. This Secret Thing by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
5. The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

BOOKS READ

· print – 5
· digital – 3
· audio – 2

READING CHALLENGES

MONTHLY CHALLENGES
No challenges this month.

YEARLY CHALLENGES
· Genre Bingo – 25/25 – completed in June
· Popsugar – 50/50 – completed in September

ON THE BLOG

BOOK REVIEWS
· Until I Find You by Rea Frey
· Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook
· Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron
· The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds
· Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks
· The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

READING UPDATES
· September 2020 TBR
· Netgally & Edelweiss Shelves (September 2020)
· September 2020 Wrap-Up

Thanks for stopping by Nightcap Books. Happy Reading!

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

Book Review: The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

Posted on by Darinda

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Body from the Past
Author: Judi Lynn
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Publish Date: September 22, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Jazzi Zanders #5
My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A closed room in her newest fixer-upper leads Indiana house-flipper Jazzi Zanders to reopen a chilling cold case involving a high school girl . . .

Jazzi, her cousin Jerod, and her husband Ansel are preparing to renovate a charming house that reminds her of an English manor. Before purchasing it, they had inspected the house for structural issues, but now when they do a more thorough walk-through, they discover a teenage girl’s bedroom that clearly hasn’t been touched in years. Dust covers the pink canopy bed, clothes still hang in the closet, and a hope chest remains full of journals and memorabilia. They’ve stumbled on a shrine to a dead girl.

They learn Jessica was killed in the middle of her high school graduation party. The murderer was never identified, but the brother-in-law of Jazzi’s friend, who went to school with Jessica, was suspected and never lived it down. He implores Jazzi to review the cold case and finally prove him innocent. Now it’s up to the house-flipper to nail a killer who will do anything to close the door on the past . . .

The Body from the Past by Judi Lynn
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

Jazzi is back for the fifth book in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series. Jazzi, her husband Ansel, and her cousin Jerod renovate homes. The house they are working on has a locked door that hasn’t been opened in years. When they get into the room, they discover it belonged to a teenage girl who died. The girl’s murderer was never found. Jazzi is curious about the case, and looks into finding who killed the girl.

This book is part of a series. I’ve read the previous books, and recommend reading this series in order. That said, this can be read as a standalone.

The Body from the Past is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Jazzi works as a house flipper, and sometimes finds herself with a mystery to solve. The reason I like this series is because I enjoy reading about the remodeling jobs the crew take on. The mysteries are light, and the characters are likable. A good read for fans of cozies. Delightful and fun.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks

Book Review: Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks

Posted on by Darinda

Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Three Perfect Liars
Author: Heidi Perks
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: August 18, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na
My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

From the author of Her One Mistake, hailed as “chilling, captivating” by New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda, comes a riveting new suspense novel about three ambitious women whose lives are turned upside down in the aftermath of a horrifying fire, which destroys a successful advertising agency and threatens to expose a tangled web of lies.

Laura has returned to work at Morris and Wood after her maternity leave, only to discover that the woman she brought in to cover for her isn’t planning on going anywhere. Despite her close relationship with the agency’s powerful CEO, Harry Wood, she feels sidelined—and outmaneuvered—as she struggles to balance the twin demands of work and motherhood.

Mia was only supposed to be a temporary hire at Morris and Wood, but she’s managed to make herself indispensable to everyone. Everyone, that is, except Laura. If people only knew why she was so desperate to keep her job, they might not want her to stay.

Janie gave up everything to support her husband and the successful agency he runs. But she has her own dark secret to protect…and will go to any lengths to keep it safe.

Three Perfect Liars by Heidi Perks
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

Three women, one fire, and plenty of lies.

Told using multiple points of view – Laura, Mia, and Janie. Laura has recently returned back to work at an advertising agency. Mia was the temp hired to fill her position while Laura was on maternity leave. Janie is the wife of the man who runs the agency. Each woman has her own struggles and ambitions. When the advertising agency burns, the mystery of who caused it slowly unravels.

A gripping domestic thriller. Great read for fans of this genre. Slow-burning,dramatic, and clever.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Netgalley & Edelweiss Shelves

NetGalley & Edelweiss Shelves (September 2020)

Posted on by Darinda

Netgalley & Edelweiss Shelves

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

I added five eARCs to my TBR this month. All of them are mysteries.

Murder is a Must by Marty Wingate

Publisher: Berkley
Expected publication date: October 6, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: First Edition Library Mystery #2

Determined to make the First Edition Library a success, Hayley Burke wasn’t expecting to have to solve an old friend’s murder in this all-new mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling’s collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She’s even made progress with Lady Fowling’s former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling’s life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.

When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she’s unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected publication date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Mystery
Series: Andy Carpenter #22

Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are finding that all is not calm or bright in Silent Bite, the latest Christmas mystery in this heartwarming series from bestselling author David Rosenfelt.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he’s back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family’s first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy’s true passion.

But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie’s old cellmate, Tony Birch, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn’t necessarily believe in Tony, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.

Once again David Rosenfelt puts readers in the Christmas spirit in a tale that is equal parts mystery and holiday cheer.

Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly

Publisher: St. Martin
Expected publication date: October 27, 2020
Genre: Mystery
Series: Paw Enforcement #9

Make way for the long paw of the law as police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a baffling new mystery in Bending the Paw, by Diane Kelly.

A MURDER WITHOUT A BODY IS LIKE A DOG WITHOUT A BONE

A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace—and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime?

Meanwhile, it’s hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff, but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 partner find, Megan is building a case for prosecution, all while Brigit has her nose to the ground for a murderer…

Possession by Katie Lowe

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Expected publication date: January 26, 2021
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Series: na

Katie Lowe’s Possession is a psychological thriller novel about a woman whose husband was murdered ten years ago, and the true crime podcast that digs up all the secrets from her past she’d tried to keep buried…

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected publication date: March 2, 2021
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na

In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”

So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a riveting thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

STATS

NETGALLEY
Books To Read: 13
Books Approved: 213
Books Reviewed: 200
Feedback Ratio: 94%

EDELWEISS
Books To Read: 1
Books Approved: 65
Books Reviewed: 64
Feedback Ratio: 99%

The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds

Book Review: The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds

Posted on by Darinda

The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Day I Disappeared
Author: Brandi Reeds
Publisher: Lake Union
Publish Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Series: na
My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

A terrifying crime reunites a mother and daughter in a novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Trespassing.

Three months after four-year-old Holly Gebhardt was kidnapped, she was inexplicably returned to the same park from which she’d vanished…with no memory of the ordeal. Though a local handyman was convicted, suspicion also fell on his friend—Holly’s mother, Cecily. The troubling doubts about her involvement shattered the family, forever driving a wedge between mother and daughter.

Twenty years later, another girl goes missing under eerily similar circumstances. It’s just the latest in a series of kidnappings that Detective Jason Guidry thinks Holly can help solve. Though Holly has tried to move on with her life, a young girl’s life hangs in the balance. All she has to do is try to remember…

With her memory still mostly blank, Holly is missing vital pieces of the puzzle, and she believes her mother can put them in place. In desperation and fear, Holly and her mother come together again. But in a chilling rush toward the past, Cecily still has secrets she’s yet to share with her daughter. Should she dare to breathe a word, she could lose Holly all over again.

The Day I Disappeared by Brandi Reeds
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

As a child, Holly was kidnapped and returned home a few months later. She’s an adult now, and has no memory of what happened during the time she was kidnapped. Twenty years later, another child is missing, and Holly may be able to help solve the case if she can remember her past.

Told with alternating points of view – Holly and her mother. Holly wants to know about her kidnapping, and her mother may know a lot more than she has led on.

A complex mother-daughter relationship and a suspenseful mystery. This was a fast-paced and entertaining thriller. Gripping and dramatic.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

Book Review: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

Posted on by Darinda

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard
Author: Ellen Byron
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publish Date: September 8, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Cajun Country Mystery #6
My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Maggie Crozat has the Halloween heebie-jeebies in USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron’s howlingly funny sixth Cajun Country mystery.

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Books-a-Million

MY REVIEW

The sixth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron. Maggie Crozat and her family and friends are back in another delightful book. When mysteries happen in Pelican, LA, Maggie, a B&B owner in Cajun Country, is quick to help investigate and find the guilty party.

In this book, Halloween is coming up, and some local B&B owners put together the “Pelican’s Spooky Past” package to draw visitors to town. The package included fun events for the visitors. It’s all good until someone spots a rougarou. More sightings start scaring off the visitors. Then someone dressed as a rougarou stumbles onto stage during a play… and dies. Maggie jumps in to solve the mystery.

I have read all of the books in this series, and have enjoyed each one. The mysteries for each book are standalone stories, but the personal events happening with the characters is a continuing storyline.

Quirky characters in an inviting setting. I love the Southern charm of Pelican and its residents. An entertaining read for fans of cozy mysteries.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.