Happy St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear green today. The only green in my wardrobe is mint green. I do have a pretty sterling silver shamrock pendant to wear though! I will be spending the day running errands with my mother (wish me luck).
Murder is No Accident by A.H. Gabhart is the third book in The Hidden Springs Mysteries. Maggie Greene is up in the tower room writing
of the Chandler house when she hears noises below. Maggie stays as still as possible so she will
not be discovered. Then Geraldine
Harper, the local realtor, enters the house.
Maggie hears Geraldine find the intruder and an argument ensues. Geraldine goes to call the sheriff, but it is
her last act. Only after she is sure the
trespasser has departed, does Maggie venture down from the tower. She finds Geraldine dead at the bottom of the
back steps (many big Victorian homes had a fancy front staircase and a
serviceable back staircase that was very narrow). Maggie is afraid she will be accused of
trespassing even though she has permission from Fonda Chandler, the owner of
the house. Maggie uses Geraldine’s phone
to call 911 anonymously and then she quietly leaves. While Maggie did not see anyone nearby,
someone saw her. Deputy Sheriff Michael
Keane receives a call that Miss Fonda (as she is called) has once again escaped
from the Gentle Care Home where she is looked after by Mrs. Gibson. Miss Fonda has dementia and forgets that she
no longer lives at Chandler house.
Michael arrives at Chandler house as he is notified of the 911 call. He notices that her car is out front and enters
the open house. He finds Miss Fonda holding
Geraldine. She believes it is her
deceased sister, Audrey who died in a very similar manner. Geraldine’s death is ruled accidental. But soon another person is found dead inside
the Chandler home. Maggie is afraid to
come forward after she receives a threatening call from the killer. Has someone decided to search for the rumored
treasure of Chandler house? Michael will
need to work quickly to find the guilty party before the killer takes further
action.
While Murder is No Accident is
the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I was never able to get into and enjoy this
book. It is hard to describe the writing
style. Murder is No Accident is jam
packed with activity. There is just one
incident after another. Besides the main
mystery there is Miss Fonda escaping from the care home (frequently which does
not speak well for their care or vigilance), fishing, the fifty-year-old
mystery of how Audrey, fishing, Miss Fonda’s sister died, Sonny trying to sell
Miss Fonda’s home, fishing, the romance between Michael and Alex Sheridan
(which was very prevalent), Betty Jean Atkins dating life, Lana Waverly’s tea
shop and investigation, and more fishing. In the small town of Hidden Springs,
everyone gets involved in your life (even if you wish they would not). One of the problems with Murder is No Accident is the number of characters. I
stopped keeping track after twelve. I did
not like how fifteen-year-old Maggie was portrayed as simple minded when she
actually is creative and smart (she likes to write). The Christian element is very subtle (mostly
prayer). Murder is No Accident is more
cozy than mystery. I give Murder is No Accident 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery may seem complicated, but the solution was not (at least part of it). I enjoy Christian mysteries (I get new ones
every month), but this one was not for me.
I think the right elements are present, they just needed to be put
together differently. The first two books in The Hidden Springs Mysteries are Murder at the Courthouse and Murder Comes by Mail.
I hope all of you have a fun St. Patrick's Day. If you enjoy Christian Mysteries, I highly recommend Guideposts Patchwork Mysteries, Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries, Secrets of the Blue Hill Library, and Tearoom Mysteries. I read each of these series and love them. I am currently reading If Not for You by Debbie Macomber. She is one of the few romance authors I still read. I will see you tomorrow when I return to share another novel with you. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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