Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon

Good Day!  The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel comes out on February 26 with One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian.  Chutes and Ladders by Marc Jedel will be out on March 12.  It is the second novel A Silicon Valley Mystery series. Designs on Murder by Gayle Leeson releases on March 26.  It is the first book in A Ghostly Fashionista Mystery series.  

Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon is A Tourist Trap Mystery Novella (No. 10).  The town of South Cove, California is having a full day of festivities in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books and More is looking forward to enjoying dinner and fireworks with her friends after a day of taking care of customers.  Alana McDaniel comes into the shop for coffee with a rowdy group of friends who have obviously been overindulging in alcohol as are many of the tourists.  Late that night, Detective Greg King is called out to a crime scene.  Jill’s customer, Alana has been found dead on the rock cliffs above the beach.  Jill immediately goes into investigator mode despite Greg’s pleas to stay out of this case.  She checks with local business owners to work out the victim’s timeline and discover who could have harmed Alana.  Will Jill solve the crime before the killer flees town?

 

It is always a pleasure to visit South Cove and check in with the residents who live in this small seaside town.  I like the cast of characters with their various eccentricities.  Lynn Cahoon has a casual writing style that reminds me of talking with a friend.  I thought Corned Beef and Casualties was well-written with a nice steady pace throughout.  The mystery is uncomplicated and can easily be solved.  However, it is just the right type of mystery for this length of book.  Personally, I recommend reading The Tourist Trap Mystery series in order.  It is the best way to get to know the characters.  I have enjoyed watching Jill settle into South Cove, manage her store, get close friends and fall in love.  Corned Beef and Causalities is a quick, easy to read cozy mystery novella that is a delightful distraction from reality. 

 

You can find a complete list of A Tourist Trap Mystery books here on Amazon.  I appreciate you visiting today.  I will highlight Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower tomorrow.  It is An Amish Candy Shop Mystery novella and has Bailey's cousin, Charlotte Weaver as the narrator.  Thank you for visiting today and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader