Some people like to hear their own voice. That jewel of wisdom hit me as I filled the coffee carafes for the third time. As chamber liaison, I'd volunteered my shop, Coffee, Books and More, to serve as the semi-permanent host site for South Cove's Business Basics meeting. The early morning meeting was scheduled to run from seven to nine, but the clock over the coffee bar showed it was already twenty minutes past.
All because the newest committee member, Josh Thomas, owner of the new antiques store down the street, had issues...
"I wonder why he even moved here," Aunt Jackie fake-whispered to me as she sliced a second cheesecake. "He hates everything."
***
In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store—Coffee, Books, and More—open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?
When Jill’s elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily’s gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill—along with all of her problems . . . and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit—especially if it gets her closer to South Cove’s finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she’s on the case—and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently . . .
***
Every so often, some cosy crime fiction is just the ticket. I read this while on holiday recently, and it made for ideal reading to relax with. It is the first in the Tourist Trap series and introduces Jill Gardner, who runs the local book and coffee shop.
At some points it was glaringly predictable, particularly regarding the romance element of the story. However, the 'who dunnit' aspect came as a surprise to me at the reveal, which perhaps it shouldn't have done had I not had my mind so firmly in holiday mode.
The author has written several other series including the Kitchen Witch Mysteries, the Cat Latimer series and the Farm to Fork mystery series. Guidebook to Murder was the winner of the 2015 Reader's Crown for Mystery Fiction. The following book in the series is Mission to Murder, which I might just keep on ice until my next holiday.
ISBN: 978 1601833044
Publisher: Kensington Trade
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 226 (paperback)
Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today bestselling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader's Crown for Mystery Fiction. There are six Tourist Trap Holiday novella's available in digital and audio that are bundled into two print books. The most recent book in the series, Wedding Bell Blues, released in 2022.
Lynn started her career writing sweet contemporary romances with heroes ranging from cowboys to warlocks. (You can find these books and more at www.lynncollinsauthor.com)
A breast cancer survivor, she lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.
(author info courtesy of her website. ARC courtesy of NetGalley)
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