Cricket McRae

A Book Bub cozy mystery. Quick, fun read. KIRKUS REVIEWIs a case of death by botulism a terrible accident or murder?While doing volunteer work answering the Heaven House Helpline, soapmaker Sophie Mae Reynolds is disturbed by a caller who seems to be stalking her rather than asking for professional help. Her concerns for herself pale, however, when Heaven House director Philip Heaven dies a nasty death in front of her eyes. Her boyfriend, policeman Barr Ambrose, ends up in the hospital with the same symptoms but survives. The authorities blame these developments on a bad jar of home-canned beets. But Sophie Mae, fresh from recently solving a murder, has a feeling this was no accident. It turns out that all the programs Philip Heaven was pledged to support went by the wayside so that he could spend the funds on himself. Sophie Mae is also worried about her housemate Meghan Bly, who?s dating another volunteer at Heaven House, a man who seems to have no past. As Barr rests up in Sophie Mae?s spare bedroom, the local force, stretched tight, has brought in a gorgeous, supercilious Seattle detective to help find the serial attacker plaguing the area. With no help forthcoming from the police, it is up to Sophie Mae to track down a killer and expose her stalker.Stubborn Sophie Mae?s sophomore case provides her with more intriguing opportunities for sleuthing than her debut (Lye in Wait, 2007) ever did.… (plus d'informations)

I had this on my TBR for way too long and read it as a part of a TBR challenge. I enjoyed it so much I was sorry it was pushed back so often. It is a cozy mystery yet it isn’t. I mean there is cursing, (not a lot), and some mature themes like alcoholism, mental illness and family related abuse. You don’t really see those play big parts in a cozy. It made it interesting and gave it a realistic feel.
I liked a lot of the characters, especially the main ones. I also like the strong relationships that are in the book, (not all are romantic so bonus). The mystery was good with several suspects and finger pointing. I had a good time reading it. I would recommend to those cozy readers who are looking to step it up a little.… (plus d'informations)