Murder at Beacon Rock (Gilded Newport Mysteries #10) by Alyssa Maxwell

The New York Yacht Club’s exclusive gathering at Newport, Rhode Island’s Beacon Rock mansion hits stormy seas in the summer of 1900 when reporter Emma Cross, a lesser Vanderbilt, discovers a drowned corpse in Alyssa Maxwell’s tenth Gilded Newport Mystery…

As a reporter, Emma is used to covering Newport’s social events. But this time she is appearing on the arm of her fiancé, Derrick Andrews, at a small but exclusive gathering of the New York Yacht Club at Beacon Rock, the Grecian-inspired summer “cottage” of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. The members—which include cousin and Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan and widow Lucy Carnegie, the first woman to be admitted to the Club—are there to discuss their strategy for the next America’s Cup Challenge, to be held in New York Harbor the following summer.

But it’s Emma who must come up with a strategy when she discovers a woman’s body bobbing against one of the hulls of the boats moored at the base of Beacon Rock. Is it possible she fell from the Newport ferry and was carried by the tide? Or could she have drowned herself or fallen victim to foul play?

After the woman is identified as the missing daughter of a yacht designer, the police—with the exception of Emma’s friend Detective Jesse Whyte—hastily conclude she is a suicide, perhaps to quiet any scandal for the Morgans, since her body was found floating near their property. But Emma suspects the woman was murdered and begins to sort through a who’s who of sportsmen, boat crews, and the Newport elite in search of a stone-cold killer . . .   (Summary via Goodreads)

Any time I can travel back in time to spend quality time in Newport, Rhode Island during the early 1900's, I am going to take it.  And Alyssa Maxwell's ability to make it so life like makes it most tempting !! Readers cannot get enough of her Gilded Newport Mystery series and with Murder at Beacon Rock the tenth book in the series, you feel like a resident.

In Murder at Beacon Rock main character Emma Cross is spending time in a different "world" than she is used to.  Even though she has rich relatives that belong in the extravagant Four Hundred group, Emma is of a more relaxed and simple lifestyle.  Unfortunately her fiance Derrick is among this elite group so she has to attempt to fit in and attend a party now and then.  Little did either of them know that attending a party for members of the New York Yacht Club at Beacon Rock would find them pulling a young woman's body out of the water.  They also did not realize that they would be looking into the death, not only for the local newspaper they run together but for their own peace of mind.

It doesn't take long to identify the woman and find a few clues to follow as to how she ended up in Newport but the local police rule it a suicide when they find a photograph on her person and assume she was recenlty left heartbroken and took her own life.  However after Emma talks to the father she finds it hard to believe that Lillian who was a very independent and driven woman would take her own life, especially over a man.

Emma does not want to believe that any of the guests from the Yacht party could be guilty as they are all rich and focused on themselves and their boats to care about others but she cannot help but want to learn more about them and the workers on their yachts.  Unfortunately her detecting brings her too close to the killer and if they could throw a young woman overboard and leave her to die, what's stopping them from doing it again ??

Readers will be on the edge of their seats reading Murder at Beacon Rock. And when you get to a part in the book you will have to remind yourself to breathe because you will be so focused on what you are reading, everything else fades around you.  Maxwell will draw you into the book immediately and you will be powerless to break from her spell.....not that you will want to until you read the last word in the story.

I cannot say it enough.....you have to hop on this series and get taken back in time.  Maxwell's talent for drawing a remarkable picture for you to escape in is better than Bert drew on the sidewalk in Mary Poppins....

Review by Missi M.

 

Peanut Butter Panic (Amish Candy Shop Mystery #7) by Amanda Flower

Thanksgiving is Bailey King’s busiest holiday weekend. This year promises to be even more hectic, since Bailey’s candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, is providing desserts for Harvest, Ohio’s first village-wide Thanksgiving celebration. Yet, even with a guest list close to seven hundred people—Amish and English alike—the event’s organizer, Margot Rawlings, is unfazed . . . until she discovers her mother, former judge Zara Bevan, will be in attendance.

Zara’s reputation as a harsh critic is matched only by her infamy as a judge who has actively harmed the Amish community. So no one is prepared when Zara arrives with much younger boyfriend Blaze Smith and reveals their impending nuptials at dinner. That should have been the day’s biggest news, except shortly after the announcement, Blaze suffers an allergic reaction to something he’s eaten and dies on the spot.

Now, Bailey’s desserts are prime suspects, along with Margot and nearly everyone who attended the meal. With such a cornucopia of possibilities, Bailey must dig in and get to the bottom of this murder, before the killer goes up for seconds….. (Summary via Goodreads)

I love opening up one of the books in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower.  There is so much to love and get lost in when you read this series and Peanut Butter Panic is no exception.

Peanut Butter Panic is the seventh book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and as you read this book, you will feel like you are right there hanging around the square in Harvest, Ohio enjoying everything the town has to offer.....even murder !!

In Peanut Butter Panic the residents of Harvest are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in the square.  This is a big event as it is going to include the English residents as well as all of the Amish community.  Margot Rawlings is the one in charge of events around the square and she has left no margin for error.  Nothing can rattle this woman except the arrival of her mother Zara.  Her mother was a lawyer and judge in Harvest years ago and put alot of people in jail, including members of the Amish community. And when Zara shows up with a much younger gentleman that she introduces as her boyfriend, Margot is not happy !!  

Unfortunately things do not go well when Zara's boyfriend, Blake, drops from an allergic reaction right after they have announced their engagement.  And things do not get better when he later dies at the hospital.  

Bailey King wants nothing more than to work in her family's candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, with her grandmother and friend Charlotte but when she is asked to look into Blake's death by Zara, she is unable to say no.  Bailey is also trying to figure out her relationship with Aiden now that he has a new job 2 hours away and is both happy and confused when he shows up back in town to investigate the recent murder.

Bailey always has a lot on her plate, sometimes the plate is overflowing, and in Peanut Butter Panic that is exactly the case.  Bailey has a lot going on in the store as this is it's busy time and also she has expanded it to online ordering so she should be putting all of her focus on that.  Unfortunately she really needs to try to figure out where she stands in Aiden's life now with his new job and the distance between them.  

Readers will be unable to put this book down !!  There is no way that you cannot be drawn into the story immediately  !!  You will not be able to rest until you get to the bottom of this new murder and when you get to a certain point in the story, there will be no stopping !! Flower draws you in like no other and you are powerless to stop ....just give in to the master and transport yourself to Harvest.......you will be glad you did !!!

Review by Missi M.

A Killing in Costumes (A Hollywood Treasures Mystery #1) by Zac Bissonnette

Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Jenn McKinlay.

Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were soap opera stars in the late ’90s, a wholesome young husband-and-wife duo who combined musical talent with humor and charisma. When the truth about their sexual orientations came to light, their marriage and TV careers ended, but decades later they have remained friends. Together, they open Palm Springs’ chicest movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood--but no customers and dwindling finances spell trouble.

A Hail Mary arrives in the form of Yana Tosh, a ninety-year-old diva of the silver screen who has amassed a valuable collection of costumes and props and is looking to sell. But first, Jay and Cindy have to beat their competition, a vice president from a mega-auction house with ten times their resources. And when he winds up dead, they become prime suspects in the murder.

With their freedom and livelihoods on the line, Jay and Cindy desperately need to clear their names. There are plenty of other potential suspects, but they'll have to solve it soon before they're forced to trade in their vintage costume collection for two orange jumpsuits.   (Summary via Goodreads)

Zac Bissonnette has a hit with his debut in his Hollywood Treasures Mystery series !!!!  A Killing in Costumes has a very unique storyline and setting that will have you engrossed throughout the entire book.

If I were to use one word to describe A Killing in Costumes, that word would be SECRETS.  Everything within this story is surrounded by secrets, some are recent secrets and some are secrets from long ago....luckily main characters Jay and Cindy can see through the lies and secrets to solve the murder and save their reputations and their store.

In A Killing in Costumes Jay and Cindy once were Hollywood stars in a soap opera as well as real life husband and wife.  Sad to say everything changed when they both came out of the closet together ending their marriage as well as their careers.  Luckily they both bounced back when they went their separate ways, Jay having a successful Vegas act, Cindy going back to school for finance and finding love.  When Cindy's wife Esther passes, Cindy decides to follow the dream that they had and open up Hooray for Hollywood, a movie memorabilia store.  Jay follows Cindy to Palm Springs to help with the store and they also decide to live together as they are best friends and it just makes sense.

Jay and Cindy have a meeting with Yana Tosh who is an elderly actress who has accumulated a huge collection of costumes and props from the movies and she has all the paperwork to back their originality.  Unfortunately they are competing with a huge mega-auction house for the rights selling the collection.  Unfortunately, again, when their competition is found dead shortly after they met with him, the police have them at the top of the list of suspects.  

With their business and their innocence on the line, they decide to look into the murder themselves.....even though they know nothing about solving crimes, other than watching Murder, She Wrote, that is, and the local detective, Simon Fletcher, telling them to stay out of his investigation, they throw caution to the wind and stay on point.  

Readers will love A Killing in Costumes !!  Bissonnette has a talent for drawing readers in and keeping a hold on you until you finish the book.  A Killing in Costumes has a unique storyline that readers will thoroughly enjoy and the writing will open your imagination up wide !!  There will be times that you will feel like you are right there in the story and when the crime is finally solved, it will blow your mind away !!! This is one case that you will be completely shocked over !!!

Review by Missi M.

The Fragrance of Death (A Sally Solari Mystery, 5) by Leslie Karst

Restaurateur Sally Solari has a nose for trouble, but when her sense of smell goes missing, it’s not just her career on the line . . . it’s her life.

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, her nonna’s friends have taken to crossing themselves every time they meet. Sally’s determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her cooking. It’s too bad the food scene in Santa Cruz is cut-throat – sometimes literally.
 
When a head cold knocks out Sally’s sense of taste and smell, at the same time her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Artichoke Cook-Off, her powers of investigation are once again called into action. Could Neil have been killed by the local restaurant owner who took his winning spot at the competition? Or maybe by one of his siblings, who were desperate to sell the family farm to a real estate developer?
 
Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows – including the handsome Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it’s not just her restaurant and her tentative new relationship that are on the line – it’s her life . . .

The Fragrance of Death is a non-stop fun cozy mystery that will keep your mind buzzing and your mouth watering, and contains a selection of delicious recipes to cook at home.  (Summary via Amazon)

The Fragrance of Death by Leslie Karst is the fifth book in her Sally Solari Mystery series and you will be on the edge of your seat trying real hard to try to figure out who the murderer is....and Karst provides readers with a long list of suspects !!

In The Fragrance of Death main character Sally is competing in the annual Artichoke Cook-Out when she is reunited with the Lerici family that she knew growing up.  Sally use to go to Grace's family's farm and go horseback riding when they were in high school.  Grace's brother Neil just happens to have the booth next to Sally so she reconnects with Neil as well.  Unfortunately when the announcements are being made for the winners and Neil's name is called, he does not appear.  Shortly after he is found behind the booths by the dumpster with a head injury and an artichoke stuffed in his mouth....Sally responds when she hears a scream and knows that there is no helping Neil.  

Sally's friend Detective Martin Vargas knows she has history with the famiy so he asks Sally to be his eyes and ears while around the family to see is she finds anything out that he wouldn't. Even though Sally is kind of investigating the family, she is also enjoying spending time with Grace as the two have taken to going for rides on Grace's horses.  Sally gets to know Grace more as well as her parents and wants to eliminate them from the list of suspects, unfortunately she is unable to.  Fortunately the family is not the only people on the list but when Sally oversteps, she is told by Detective Vargas to stay away from the Lerici family and anyone else they suspect of the murder.  

Not only is Sally having a hard time leaving the case to the professionals, she is also having professional problems as well.  Sally co-owns and runs the Gauguin restaurant and after recovering from a sinus infection she finds out that she has lost her sense of smell and taste.  She tries to hide it for as long as she can until it affects her work and almost gets her and her cousin killed !!!

Karst knows how to weave a story to ensure that readers will be unable to stop reading.  And in this latest installment of the Sally Solari Mystery series, she has crafted a nice list of suspects and reasons people wanted Neil out of their way.  Readers will thoroughly enjoy reading The Fragrance of Death and will not stop until they have found out who killed Neil and why.

Review by Missi M.

Death on a Cliff (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 18) by Rosalie Spielman

Former socialite Kiki Hepburn is happily settling into life with her new found-family in Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii—working at Aloha Lagoon Dive Shop, living in a cottage in Auntie Akamai’s back yard, and getting to know the hot dive guy Dex a whole lot better.

But all that changes when Dex’s longtime friend and former football teammate, “Tiny” Anelo, comes home to Aloha Lagoon, celebrating being an NFL draft pick. Tiny is surrounded by an entourage, but not all of his hangers-on are admirers—most notably Tiny's ex-girlfriend, Delany. While no one seems happy to see her, Kiki is still shocked when Delany's body is found lifeless in the meadow at the top of a jagged cliff.

It's clear someone has murdered the young woman. And when Kiki unwittingly provides the police with evidence that points to Tiny as the killer, Dex begs her to try to help his friend. It's a request she can't ignore, even if the list of people who wanted Delany dead is longer than a late night luau. Between a smarmy sports agent, an obsessed fan-slash-“best friend,” and a former college professor, Kiki finds no shortage of motives. And the plot only thickens when a second dead body shows up, along with a mysterious clue in the form of a Hermes handbag. With the clock ticking and the police closing in, Kiki finds herself in deep water... can she tread water long enough to catch the killer?  (Summary via Goodreads)

The Aloha Lagoon Mystery Series books in order....

Ukulele Murder (book #1) by Leslie Langtry
Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2) by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens 
Deadly Wipeout (book #3) by Beth Prentice

Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4) by Mary Jo Burke

Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5) by Aimee Gilchrist

Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6) by Catherine Bruns

Ukulele Deadly (book #7) by Leslie Langtry

Bikinis & Bloodshed (book #8) by Anne Marie Stoddard

Death of the Kona Man (book #9) by Catherine Bruns

Lethal Tide (book #10) by Beth Prentice

Beachboy Murder (book #11) by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens

Handbags & Homicide (book #12) by Anne Marie Stoddard

Tiaras & Terror (book #13) by Anne Marie Stoddard

Photo Finished (book #14) by Dane McCaslin & Kimberly Griggs

Fatal Break (book #15) by Beth Prentice

Death Under the Sea (book #16) by Rosalie Spielman

Tidal Wave (book #17) by Beth Prentice

Death on a Cliff  (book #18) by Rosalie Spielman

Hula Homicide (book #19) by B.A. Trimmer COMING SEPTEMBER 6TH

I am a HUGE fan of the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series published by Gemma Halliday Publishing.  The books in this series are written by different authors and commonly center around the Aloha Lagoon Resort.  Death on a Cliff is the second book in this series written by Rosalie Spielman and they focus on Kiki Hepburn, also known as rich girl Katherine Barrington.  She kind of ran away from home and that life and is now living the life she wants on the island Kauai, Hawaii.  She works as a dive guide, giving tours underwater, with her boyfriend Dex, and his father.  Dex's Auntie Akamai, who is also Kiki's landlord and friend makes the lunches for the tours.

In Death on a Cliff Dex's friend Tiny is taken in for questioning when Dex and Kiki happen to find his ex-girlfriend dead when they went to a quiet little area to star gaze.  Dex knows that Kiki has a knack for getting people to talk because shortly after she arrived on the island she was the subject of a murder investigation and had to prove her innocence. Dex asks Kiki to look into Delaney's murder because he knows that there is no way that Tiny would ever hurt someone, let alone murder them.

So Kiki teams up with Auntie Akamai and they start their own investigation.  Unfortunately they discover things that do not make sense and also that Tiny wasn't completely honest about his relationship with Delaney.  And when the person on the top of their suspect list ends up murdered the same way as Delaney, they do not know what direction to go in.

I cannot stress enough that you should get on board with this amazing series.  Whoever the author is writing the book, you are guaranteed to have a great experience.  You will love your time at the Aloha Lagoon 
Resort and will want to find your own way of staying in Kauai for as long as you can.  Luckily there are eighteen books released and the nineteenth book being released soon !!!!

Review by Missi M.

A Dish to Die For (Key West Food Critic Mystery #12) by Lucy Burdette

National bestselling author Lucy Burdette returns to Key West for another delectable dish of secrets, intrigue, and murder.

Peace and quiet are hard to find in bustling Key West, but Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine, is taking the afternoon off for a tranquil lunch with a friend outside of town. When she comes home, she discovers her husband Nathan’s dog, Ziggy, has disappeared. She follows his barking, to find him furiously digging at a shallow grave with a man’s body in it. Davis Jager, a local birdwatcher, identifies him as GG Garcia, a rabble-rousing Key West local and developer. Garcia was famous for over-development on the fragile Keys, womanizing, and refusing to follow city rules—so it’s no wonder he had a few enemies.

When Davis is attacked in the parking lot of a local restaurant after talking to Hayley and her dear friend, the octogenarian Miss Gloria, Hayley is slowly but surely drawn into the case. Hayley’s mother, Janet, has been hired to cater GG’s memorial service reception at the local women’s club, using recipes from their vintage Key West cookbook—and Hayley and Miss Gloria sign on to work with her, hoping to cook up some clues by observing the mourners.

But the real clues come when Hayley begins to study the old cookbook, as whispers of old secrets come to life, dragging the past into the present—with murderous results.   (Summary via Goodreads)

I haven't had the privilege of reading the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette from the beginning but that doesn't matter.  As soon as you open one of the books in the series, you will get into it immediately !  You will feel like you are living on a houseboat on Houseboat Row next door to Hayley, Nathan, and Miss Gloria.

A Dish to Die For is the twelfth book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series and Hayley, as always, is in over her head in everything.  Her and Nathan are still navigating married life as they recently got married, they are living on their own houseboat on Houseboat Row next door to Hayley's best friend, 83 year old young Missi Gloria.  Nathan is a detective on the force and trying, unsuccessfully, to keep Hayley out of his investigations.  Hayley is enjoying her job as a food critic writing for a local magazine all about food in Key West. 

When readers begin reading A Dish to Die For Hayley and her good friend Eric have taken their dogs to a small beach a little ways away from Key West where their dogs can run off leash and the humans can sit and talk somewhere where it's not so crowded and noisy.  Unfortunately Ziggy, Nathan's dog, runs away and won't stop  until Hayley investigates....and when she does, shefinds Ziggy digging up a partially buried, dead man,

Even though Hayley has a lot on her plate, she is still drawn to the investigation of the dead man.  And when her mom is asked to cater the memorial service for him, Hayley assists her mom and step-dad in the task in hopes of finding out more information on the deceased, GG Garcia.  

Even though the murder was not committed in Nathan's jurisdiction, he is asked to help with the investigation as well as his estranged father who is in town for work as well as to visit and meet Hayley.  Needless to say there are enough professionals on the job to solve the murder but Hayley has the knack for getting people to talk to her and sometimes tell her deep, dark secrets......

I could read any book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series and totally enjoy the escape to Key West.  I would love to hang around with Hayley and Miss Gloria on either of their houseboats having a glass of wine or cup of coffee.  I wouldn't even mind spending time with Hayley's mother and Sam as they prepare for one of their catering jobs.  I could read one of these books even without the murders that occur.  Even though the murders are always the center point, the books could still be quite entertaining without them.  Burdette's choice of Key West, Hayley's job, her mom's occupation, the settings and the food alone with have readers coming back for more.....and the murders and the back stories will have readers asking for more.  You will always want more of this series !!!!

Review by Missi M.

 

Something Fishy This Way Comes (Whit and Whiskers Mystery #2) by Gabby Allan

In Gabby Allan’s second Santa Catalina Island-set mystery series with a rom-com twist, boat tour guide Whitney Dagner, her chonky cat Whiskers, and Whitney’s not-so-ex police diver boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood...

Take in the wild beauty of Santa Catalina Island with tour guide and eclectic gift shop owner Whitney Dagner. On the itinerary: dramatic Pacific coastlines, diverse marine life, and murder!

Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner’s daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery—someone’s dead body . . .

One of Whit’s best boat tour client’s, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn’t seem like that’s what really happened—not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family’s old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo’s kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who’s innocent . . . and who’s covering a killer’s tracks.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Whitney Dagner has the life !!!  She lives on Santa Catalina Island, has her own cute little gift and souvenir shop, helps with the family boat touring business, has a great roommate anad adorable cat, has a sexy boyfriend, has a brother and grandparents that love her.......readers will want to be her, if only she were real.  Unfortunately Whitney is the main character in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series by Gabby Allan.

The fun, and murder, started with Much Ado About Nauticaling where readers got to know Whitney and her crew along with the going ons around the island.  Now Allan introduces her second book in the series, Something Fishy This Way Comes and readers will again be swept away.....

In Something Fishy This Way Comes, Leo Franklin is found on the golf course dead and the Chief of Police is adamant that it was suicide.  Leo was in love, about to get married, and was genuinely happy so no one agrees that it was suicide even though they say he left a note.  To make matters worse Leo was going to marry Janina who was a member of the Ahern family....the Ahern family and the Franklin family have been feuding for so many years that no one really knows what started the fight in the first place.  Whitney is asked by members of the Ahern family to look into Leo's death because they know that suicide was not the cause of death. Whitney is on a very strict deadline because the coroner is away for a few days and when he gets back to the island, he is going to be persuaded by the Chief to rule it a suicide.

Even though Whitney has two in's at the police department with her roommate, Maribel, working the front desk and her boyfriend, Felix, works as a diver for the police, they can't find anything out to help the case.  So Whitney does what is asked of her and digs into the dirt on both families to find out what the feud is about and try to solve Leo's case before it is ruled a suicide and it is too late to bring the murderer to justice.

Reader will LOVE this book as well as the first book in this series.  Allan will have you wishing everything in the story was real so you could pack a bag and head to the island for some fun in the sun....and try to stay clear of murders and murderers.  I truly enjoyed reading Something Fishy This Way Comes, as well as the first book, and did not want to get to the end of the book and have to terminate my time on the island with a great group of people.....but I am excited that I don't have jet lag, suitcases to unpack, dirty laundry to do, cats to get back on their good sides, and mail to go through....and I have my next trip already planned as soon as the next installment of the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series comes out.

Review by Missi M.

Wolf Bog: A Berkshire Hilltown Mystery by Leslie Wheeler

It’s August in the Berkshires, and the area is suffering from a terrible drought. As wetlands dry up, the perfectly-preserved body of a local young man, missing for forty years, is discovered in Wolf Bog by a group of hikers that includes Kathryn Stinson. Who was he and what was his relationship with close friend Charlotte Hinckley, also on the hike, that would make Charlotte become distraught and blame herself for his death?

Kathryn’s search for answers leads her to the discovery of fabulous parties held at the mansion up the hill from her rental house, where local teenagers, like the deceased, mingled with the offspring of the wealthy. Other questions dog the arrival of a woman claiming to be the daughter Charlotte gave up for adoption long ago. But is she really Charlotte’s daughter? And if not, what’s her game? Once again, Kathryn’s quest for the truth puts her in grave danger.  (Summary via Amazon)

Wolf Bog is the third book in the Berkshire Hilltown Mystery series by Leslie Wheeler but you do not have to read the previous two books in order to be allured into the story.  Wheeler's choice of words and the incredible way she has with putting the words together on paper is a form of artwork.

In Wolf Bog Kathryn Stinson who works as a curator in a small private library in Boston but spends weekends in the Berkshires is intigued after finding a dead body when she goes on a hike with friends.  She is especially curious after seeing her friend Charlotte's reaction and thinks it is her fault that the person died.....forty years ago !!  It is learned that the person found in the bog was a boy Denny who grew up in the area and he and other local kids partied at a rich girls house, the house that Kathryn's friend Betty now lived in.....and Betty had given her a bunch of old photos that were left at the house when they moved in.  Kathryn is very interested in the photos seeing as she is learning about that time and now there was a dead body found of one of the group from then.

As Kathryn looks into the photos and Denny's death, her friend, Charlotte, is also dealing with another life changing situation when the daughter she gave up for adoption 40 years ago shows up at Charlottes.  Those closest to Charlotte are not as trusting as her and question the young woman's intentions.  

There is a lot going on in this quiet little town in the Berkshires stirring up events that happened 40 years ago....and Kathryn is trying to piece everything together.  Readers will not be able to stop reading Wolf Bog....you will want to know all the past secrets and the new secrets that are coming to light as events unfold.  Readers will be on the edge of their seats as you get deeper and deeper into the story.  Clues are uncovered from 40 years ago and how they relate to the present will blow your mind !!!  Wheeler has an amazing talent of drawing you into the story that you may forget it is not real........

Review by Missi M.