Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon

Good Day!  Do you like to read cozy mysteries?  There are an abundance of them coming out this summer.  Here are just a few of the upcoming releases:  Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett (July 21), From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris (July 28), Knot of this World by Mary Marks (July 28), Ghost Ups Her Game by Carolyn Hart (August 4), Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison (August 18), Thread and Dead by Elizabeth Penney, and 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher (August 25).  

Cozy Beach Cottage like Jill's

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon has Jill Gardner stressing out over preparations for her best friend’s bachelorette party.  Amy and Justin have chosen Vegas as the locale and it is up to Jill to come up with a party idea.  Jill is shocked when she gets a letter from the South Cove Heritage Society stating that they do not have funding this year to approve her site.  She has spent the last four years trying to get the mission wall designated a historic site.  Jill is surprised when Frank Gleason from the Heritage Society comes up to her outside Coffee, Books, and More and tells her to ignore the letter.  Frank states he will take care of it.  Unfortunately, Frank is then mowed down by black RAM on his way back to his car.  Detective Greg King works the case, but there is a lack of clues and motive.  Jill then begins receiving offers for her home and one pushy realtor does not want to take no for an answer.  As if Jill does not have enough going on, a letter regarding the Business-to-Business group states that the dues will be increasing the next year because of the cost of coffee and treats that Jill serves at their meetings.  This starts another round of problems for Jill.  Jill works to get everything resolved before Amy’s bachelorette Vegas weekend.  

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon is the 11^th novel in A Tourist Trap Mystery series.  Jill Gardner has her hands full.  Jill is Amy’s maid-of-honor and she had no idea that Amy would become consumed with the wedding.  It seems that all Amy can talk about is the wedding (decorations, where to sit people at the reception, linen colors, table decorations).  Jill is trying to plan a bachelorette party in Vegas while handling extra duties at work.  Aunt Jackie is wrapped up in Harrold and plans for her own upcoming nuptials.  Jill must deal with Sabotage, complaining emails, persistent realtors, a travel writer, and a developer.  Just after Jill talks with Frank Gleason from the South Cove Heritage Society, a car hits the man and then takes off.  Detective Greg King, Jill’s beau, is investigating, but the leads are sparse.  I was surprised that Greg accepted Jill’s help (he normally tells her to stay out of the case).  Jill digs into Frank’s background and speaks with his first wife. I found Murder in Waiting to be disjointed with so much going on.  The mystery tied together in the end (mostly).  I wanted it to be the focus not a side story (which is what it felt like to me).  Eating seemed to be have a higher priority than the whodunit (there is a lot of food consumed in this book).  I then felt the wrap up was rushed with an odd chase scene.  The mystery can easily be solved before the solution is revealed.  The trip to Vegas seemed so out of character for Amy and Justin who prefer outdoor activities.  I am curious how they can afford a $40,000 wedding (I could not help but wonder considering their jobs).  A Tourist Trap Mystery series is character driven.  Jill, Aunt Jackie, Toby, Greg, Amy, and the gang are what make this an enjoyable series to read.  I like visiting them in each book to see what they are up to.  It is nice to see Aunt Jackie happy with Harrold.  Emma, of course, continues to be a highlight.  It is wonderful that Jill loves books and reading.  I like how it is featured in the series.  Jill gets ARCs that she devours and she even comments how she loves the smell of books (I concur).  Murder in Waiting can be read as a standalone for those new to A Tourist Trap Mystery series. While Murder in Waiting is not my favorite book in this series, I still enjoyed my visit to South Cove, California.  I look forward to my next visit A Stocking Full of Murder.  Murder in Waiting is a blithe cozy mystery with a determined developer, an assertive realtor, a scheming saboteur, party planning problems, work worries, and a bridezilla bestie.

Murder in Waiting releases June 30 and is available for pre-order on Amazon*.  Guidebook to Murder is currently $.99 (first book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series) and If the Shoe Kills is $1.99 (please verify price before purchasing-sale prices change without warning).  The next A Tourist Trap Mystery is A Stocking Full of Murder which releases on October 6.  Lynn Cahoon has a new series debuting in August.  Kitchen Witch Mysteries begins with Chili Cauldron Curse on August 25 (a prequel).  The next A Farm-to-Fork Mystery by Lynn Cahoon is Penned In which releases on August 25.  Thank you for visiting today and reading my review.  Tomorrow I am featuring The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn.  I hope that you have a happy day.  Laughter is good for you!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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