Death of a Tom Turkey

A Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery Book 18

Author:    Lee Hollis

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496743534

Kensington Cozies

336 Pages

$8.99; $7.99 Amazon

September 20, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The relationships between bad-tempered Tom Farley and his neighbors are as bitter as a bowl of raw cranberries, but would one of them have taken it far enough to replace birdshot with a real bullet and make him a target at a shooting competition?  That's what the injured turkey farmer is claiming from his hospital bed -- in between terrorizing the nurses -- and insists it's because a property developer is looking to buy them all out for big money.  But Tom says he was born on that land, and he intends to die on it.  Sadly, that happens sooner than he expects.

Now an inquisitive Hayley has a cornucopia of suspects to consider, from an agoraphobic therapist to an ex-Army sniper, while also preparing for Thanksgiving.  But with the strange twists and dark secrets still to be revealed, this case will not be as easy as pie...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hailey Powell, along with her husband Bruce, is attending a local turkey shoot.  Everyone who entered has a chance to win, and Hailey is pleased (so is Bruce) with her results.  But sometime during the event, a local curmudgeon, Tom Farley, is shot.  While the bullet isn't fatal, and he has a lot of enemies, Hailey wonders who wanted him dead.

But it's not as easy as that.  Tom is the lone holdout to a company that wants to purchase his land to build and is willing to pay top dollar.  Of course, his neighbors are unhappy, but are they unhappy enough to kill him?  Hailey questions him in the hospital, but the ornery man doesn't have the answers she wants. 

Unfortunately, neither do the neighbors.  They don't like her questions, and they want her to go away.  So how is she supposed to find out who shot him?  Soon enough, it doesn't matter when Tom turns up dead and now there's a murder investigation.  In between trying to serve people Thanksgiving dinner at her restaurant, dealing with her friends Liddy and Mona, who have problems of their own, and enjoying her own Thanksgiving meal at her brother's home, Hailey's life is full.  But is it so full she can't find out the truth?...

This is the 18th book in the series, and I have read them all.  I love how Hailey has evolved.  In the first book, I was not enthused by her, and almost called an end to the series right there.  But she's changed, she's gotten stronger and better.  She's a great character who's actually in a happy marriage (sorry, single sleuths).  It's pleasant and refreshing.  Especially to know that Bruce loves her as much as she loves him.  Even when an old flame comes to town.  Oh, did I forget to mention that?  Yeah, Hailey has to deal with that, too.

But there is a lot going on.  A lot of suspects, a lot of action, and a lot of questions.  Especially about the gruesome way in which Tom Farley died (read the book).  Yet Hailey perseveres, and eventually, with the help of one unexpected person, she discovers the truth.  And while not pleasant, it leaves a very good epilogue that I hope will lead us into the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Turkey-Hayley-Powell-Cocktails-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DTJN9TSS/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7512715236

More on Lee Hollis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/

Mindset for Seniors

 A 4-in-1 Guide to Motivation, Mobility, and Aging Gracefully

Author:    Diviaya Jpeverfit

Genre:    Health/Reference

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798305938432; 9798305934830

Independently Published

132 Pages

$18.99; $13.99; $4.99 Amazon

January 8, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mindset for Seniors: A 4-in-1 Guide to Motivation, Mobility, Flexibility, and Aging Gracefully is the ultimate companion for those ready to embrace aging with confidence, vitality, and purpose.  This transformative guide integrates fitness, nutrition, and mindset strategies to help you unlock your full potential and redefine what it means to grow older.

Whether you're looking to overcome the fear of change, set achievable goals, or adopt a healthier lifestyle, this book offers practical advice and step-by-step solutions to help you thrive.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I read this book because who, as they age, aren't looking for ways to help stay healthy?  I will say that this is indeed a comprehensive guide to that end, but I found some of it repetitive and I had difficulty in finishing it.  Not that I think it isn't helpful; indeed it is; it is that I feel the information within might not be attuned to every senior out there.  I, for one, would not use AI to help me in any way.  I feel that I would rather do things on my own.

Also, like every other 'healthy diet' book, the author goes on to tell you to eat kale, spinach, quinoa; in other words, everything everyone else tells you.  (I would rather eat baby greens and tabouli instead; can't stand those three listed above).  As you can tell, I do have personal issues with this book.

At the last, I think it is tailored towards people who already have the mobility to go through these things.  I know people who cannot move easily because of chronic pain; yet I did not find anything in the book on how to deal with this (I may have missed it altogether).

I am not saying that this is a bad book.  On the contrary, it is written well and I can see how this book might help older people to 'get moving' and live a better life.  In that respect it does well.  There are chapters on exercising and balancing your life, which are very good, which is why I give it four stars.  It's very good in the information given; I just feel that there was something lacking.  However, the author has done a nice job and I would recommend this to others.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DHTXFNPS/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7479059506

More About the Author:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Diviaya-Jpeverfit/author/B0F3W4PHQM?ref

Halloween Night Murder

Author:    Leslie Meier/Lee Hollis/Liz Ireland

Genre:    Mystery/Holidays

Hardcover; Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496749420 (TBA)

Kensington Cozies

320 Pages

$27.00 Amazon (Others TBA)

August 26, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's usually a chill in the air when Halloween arrives -- but in these three novellas by beloved cozy mystery authors Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland, the crimes are even colder than the haunted climate...

HALLOWEEN NIGHT MURDER by LESLIE MEIER

After a tiring but satisfying day of organizing Halloween festivities, Lucy Stone is surprised by a lone late-night trick or treater at her home in Tinker's Cove, Main.  The next morning, she's heartbroken to learn that the teenager died in a hit-and-run just minutes after she gave him the last of her candy supply.  Haunted, she starts digging into his story -- and discovers some dark secrets...

DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN NIGHT STALKER by LEE HOLLIS

Bad weather has stranded restaurateur Hayley Powell and her friends in rural Maine -- and the only shelter available is a spooky spot where they're welcomes warmly by the lady of the house -- but coldly by her suspicious, gun-toting son.  They're even more nervous after he scares them with his Halloween zombie costume -- but the real fright is yet to come...

MRS. CLAUS AND THE WILY WITCH by LIZ IRELAND

Disgraced elf Flake has returned from exile just in time for Halloween, but not everyone in Christmastown thinks he's truly reformed.  When Pumblechook the snowman suffers a mysterious fate, and a fellow elf is felled by Flake's caramels, Mrs. Claus must determine whether the sticky-fingered Flake has become a hardened criminal -- or if sorcery has invaded Santaland...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

⭐⭐⭐⭐ In our first tale, Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lucy Stone feels sorry for a young teenager who comes to her door.  Thinking she'll probably not have any other trick-or-treaters, and noting how thin the boy is, she gives him the remainder of her candy.  But the next morning she's told that the boy has died in a hit-and-run accident.  Finding out he has siblings, she's more than happy to open her home for the night to the young trio, since their mother has been arrested.

The next day she discovers something odd at the old home where they've been staying, and reports it; all the while not wanting the children to go with the social worker.  When she attends the boy's funeral, she finds out other things as well.  This is all it takes for Lucy to go on a hunt to discover the truth.

But the truth isn't nice, nor will it be easy to prove.  With the help of her editor Ted, she's determined to help the children and anyone connected with them.  But will she be able to without proof?  Or will she have to find help from a very unlikely source...

A very good novella from Ms. Meier.  I really enjoyed this one, and it was centered on the mystery itself, which I always enjoy.  The writing was very good, the story line interesting, and the finale worth reading it for. Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In the second tale, Death of a Halloween Night Stalker by Lee Hollis, Hayley Powell and her friends Liddy and Mona are returning from a concert by their favorite country-western singer when they hit a snag.  Not only is it raining, but there's been an accident on the freeway, so they take another exit to get home, which will take longer, but it's better than sitting in traffic.  Or so they think.  When a deer is in the middle of the road, Liddy swerves to avoid it and ends up running into a tree.  With Mona injured, they need to find somewhere to get help.  Unfortunately, the only place is a spooky home, but Hayley insists they go.

The elderly woman who answers the door is more than willing to help, but her hulking son only speaks in grunts and looks at them suspiciously.  Convinced to stay the night, Hayley soon becomes suspicious herself of what is going on downstairs and wants to investigate.

But is this the right thing to do?  Fearing they may be in danger, she feels she has no choice.  It's more than a Halloween night Hayley gets, it's a journey into Halloween horror -- and will she be able to save herself and her friends, or will this be the end of them?  With nowhere to go, no internet, no one to help them, Hayley may just have signed all their death warrants...

This novella, in my humble opinion, is the best of the three.  Ms. Hollis is a wonderful storyteller, and this one is perfect for reading on Halloween.  It might just put you off driving in the country by yourself at night, too.  The story is suspenseful, intriguing, and a bit of a nail-biter, if I'm telling the truth.  The ending is is done well, as is the rest of the tale.  Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ In our third tale, Mrs. Claus and the Wily Witch by Liz Ireland, Christmastown is having their annual reindeer festival, but it's upended when one of the snowmen, Pumblechook, is suddenly paralyzed.  Unable to move at all, it's believed he's been hexed by Flake, an elf who recently returned from being exiled for something, and it doesn't help when someone dies and Flake is suspected of murdering them.  April Claus (Santa's wife) must do what she can to help the poor elf -- even if it means bringing witch Imelda to Santatown.

Following is what you'd expect: a flurry of activities, a herd of reindeer bouncing around, and a plethora of elves trying to get into the Halloween spirit while trying to figure out who is also a killer.  This book is centered more around April and the witch instead of the crazy elves, but is a lot of fun to read anyway.  Recommended.

All in all, this was an enjoyable conglomeration of stories that I would re-read again without hesitation, and would definitely recommend to others.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Night-Murder-Leslie-Meier-ebook/dp/B0DR9SRYSQ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7476183414

More on Leslie Meier's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/leslie-meier/

More on Lee Hollis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/

More on Liz Ireland's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/i/liz-ireland/

Nightbird

A Memoir

Author:    Shavaun Scott

Genre:     Memoirs/Biographies

Hardcover; Paperback

ISBN #:    1965784119; 1965784129

Pierian Springs Press

248 Pages

$29.00; $22.00 Amazon

April 14, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nightbird, by Shavaun Scott's profoundly intimate memoir that charts one woman's perilous journey through a childhood steeped in religious guilt, suffocating family dynamics, and an industrial hometown where "breathing was dangerous" -- amid cycles of abuse, gaslighting, and heartbreak she fights to hold onto her sense of self -- until a haunting moment where the man she has loved leaves her with a devastating goodbye, casting blame at her feet.

Scott takes us through the turbulence of a life shaped by deep-rooted superstition, fundamentalist religion, and crushing grief.  Themes of mental illness and intimate partner abuse are explored with unflinching honesty.  Scott sheds light on this poorly understood topics, on the aggressive nature of a subtype of suicide associated with domestic violence.  She shows us the motivations behind revenge suicide, and the process of recovering from it.

Propelled by a fierce will to understand the human mind, Shavaun discovers psychology as both salvation and profession.  As she transitions from a frightened, isolated child to a crisis intervention therapist, she bears witness to the complicated truths behind mental illness and the limits of therapy.  Nightbird is her raw testament: a testament to survival, the power of community, and the liberation that comes from naming our shadows and breaking free of self-destructive bonds.  Visceral, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful, Nightbird reminds us that healing is possible -- even after standing on the edge of our darkest fears as she paints a poignant portrait that sheds a bright light on intimate partner abuse leading to revenge suicide, grief, and the hard-won transformation of self-recovery.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue.  Why?  Because I, myself, have been a victim of domestic abuse and both an ex-boyfriend and ex-husband who killed themselves.  (one by carbon monoxide in his car, the other by stabbing himself in the heart).  I wondered for years what I had done wrong, what was wrong with me, why was I drawn to abusive men?  It wasn't until I met my now-husband that I realized it wasn't my fault; but the demons were still there.

Shavaun Scott writes a raw memoir of her bringing-up and her journey to the life she has now.  She's traveled a rough road, strewn with ghostly bodies of people who shaped her life; few of them in a positive way.  It's open, compelling, sad, and leaves you feeling lost, and somewhat empty.  But that's what it is supposed to do.  You are supposed to feel; to try and understand everything she's gone through that's made her the woman she is today.

She's been through hell and back, and still survived.  Survived stronger and healthier.  Survived by taking control of her own life.  Fighting her demons and winning.  Realizing that only you have the power to shape your life in the way you want.

Her husband committed suicide in a horrific way; one that was meant to raise all the guilt and pain inside her and make her think about him daily.  It was mean, selfish, and cruel.  Ms. Scott was able to overcome this only by allowing her grief to run its course and give her the chance to live the life she has always wanted.

It brought my own demons to the surface; things I've left unsaid and live inside my mind.  Perhaps someday I will be able to lay them to rest, and this book has given me hope.

This is not an easy book to read.  It hurts to read it; to think that she had to grow up alone and wanting; wanting affection; wanting direction; wanting to know who she was.  But the ending gives her hope, and she finally finds the peace she's been looking for.  A memoir that stays with you after the book is read, and worth all the time.  

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Nightbird-Shavaun-Scott/dp/1965784127/ref=

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7464829455

More on Shavaun Scott's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00SP9A9ZO/about?ccs_id=c5c9a91b-1ae0-497b-a39b-2d2a5b9811b6

Death on a Scottish Train

 A Scottish Isle Mystery #4

Author:    Lucy Connelly

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798892421911

Crooked Lane Books

320 Pages

$29.99; $14.99 Amazon

October 14, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summer is coming to a close on beautiful Sea Isle in Scotland, and Dr. Emilia McRoy is celebrating one year since her big move.  With a weeklong festival to end the season, the town gathers for a magical ride on the newly refurbished Storyteller's Train, but the launch's success is dampened by an unexpected death.

What appears to be a case of deadly allergies is soon revealed as murder.  As Emilia, her assistant Abigail, and the local constable Ewan McGregor unravel the mystery, the killer sets their murderous intentions on them.

If they want to survive, they will need the help of all of their friends -- before they become the latest victims.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

ER physician Dr. Emilia McRoy emigrated to Scotland to become Sea Isle's doctor/coroner.  She's encountered many a patient, and even some dead bodies that turned out to be homicide.  But this one is strange.  While attending the newest tourist attraction in their village, the refurbished and renewed Storyteller's Train, she discovers a dead man in a small room.  When trying to figure out how he died, she comes across the fact that he died from allergies.  Or so she thinks.  It's not long before she and her assistant Abigail find out the man was murdered.

Digging into his past, she and constable Ewan McGregor learn that he had many enemies.  He was an accountant, and they find that he has been cheating his clients.  Lots of bad blood there.  But who was the killer?  His partner?  His so-called friends?  Or someone they haven't discovered yet?  With the help of her friends, Emilia sees that this isn't going to be easy...and someone doesn't want her to find out anything else...

This is the fourth book in the series, and I do like the way things are progressing.  We get to see a bit more about her Scottish friends, and even Em's life is proceeding in a way she never expected, and she's at a loss somewhat.  But it's a lovely procession forward, and I enjoyed it.

The mystery is very intriguing, and not so easy to figure out who the murderer is, which I really like.  Although there are many times I know right away who the killer is, I find it refreshing when it takes me longer -- just like the protagonist -- to figure it all out.  This is one of those books, and really worth reading.

The plot is great in itself, but there are even subplots that are also a good part of the book.  They don't take away from the mystery, but add to it, along with other clues.  The clues aren't that easy to find, but they are there just the same.

Without giving anything else away, I will say that this book is delightful, full of secrets and suspense, and definitely worth the time.  I enjoyed it immensely and cannot recommend it enough.

I was given an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Scottish-Train-Isle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DT27NBQH/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7459789800

More on Lucy Connelly's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lucy-connelly/

Sour Crime Donuts

A Deputy Donut Mystery Book 10

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496749635

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

August 26, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With Emily Westhill's popular Deputy Donut Cafe rolling out seasonal summer treats, everyone in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin wants a taste.  But when a limited batch box turns up near a dead body, Emily and her curious tabby are pitted against the worst kind of customer -- a cold-blooded murderer!

Emily feels like a protective big sister around bubbly twenty-something Izzy -- a new regular whose enthusiasm for peaches and cream donuts is surpassed only by her dream to start her own business.  As if blown in by an August breeze, Izzy pulls Emily into her plan to buy a property at the edge of town to grow and sell fresh produce.  But she's not the only fan of Deputy Donut's peachy delights...or the only patron vying to own the lush parcel of land.  And the competition is fiercer than the two women imagined...

Petty squabbles turn deadly when a developer with a mean streak is found murdered on the vacant stretch of land.  Worse, Emily's signature donuts are spotted nearby, leading to several potential suspects who could have left their sugar-frosted fingerprints all over the crime scene -- including the mayor, a handsome, out-of-towner, and even sweet-to-the-core Izzy.  When her detective husband discovers poisonous ingredients in the discarded desserts, a shocked Emily must reveal holes in a collection of very fuzzy facts and nab the killer before someone else takes their last bite.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Emily Fyne owns Deputy Donut, along with her late husband's father, Tom Westhill.  They've built the business up, and are doing well.  One morning someone from Emily's past turns up, a young woman named Izzy who remembered Emily being kind to her when she was a child.  But Emily now has a plan: she's going to purchase a large plot of land and build greenhouses that will grow fruit and vegetables year round.  It seems like a wonderful idea -- until it isn't.

It seems that there's an environmental group that is against her cutting down any of the trees, and a local developer that wants the land for himself and intends to get it any way he can.  There's also a mysterious man who might have interest in it.  But then Emily's nasty cousin Hope turns up with plans of her own.

When someone is murdered in an awful way, and Izzy is a suspect, Emily has her own stake in it when her donuts are left at the scene.  Now she has to prove herself innocent and keep Izzy out of jail, too.  But with so many suspects, will she be able to help or hinder?

This is the tenth book in the series and I have read them all.  This is a delicious mystery, one you can really enjoy all the way through the book.  People (suspects) are introduced throughout, but none of it is confusing, and there are plenty of secrets to go around.

Plenty of intrigue, too.  When it's discovered that Hope has her own secrets to keep, it only enhances the story, and gives us more information to sift through.  Of course, there are subplots that only add to the tale but don't overpower it; no one wants the subplot to become the plot, of course; and then there is the intrepid Dep, the cat that actually starts it all and becomes as much a part of the tale as Emily herself.  (I love Dep!)

When the person is killed, the characters become the suspects, and Emily, along with her employees Jocelyn and Olivia, are more than ready to figure it all out, all the while trying to stay under the radar of both police and suspects.  What I do love is the fact that when they find something out they inform the police immediately instead of keeping it to myself.  I love that integrity in these guys.  Yes, these characters come to life on the page, and that's one of the things I love about this series.  You're pulled in from the first chapter, and unfortunately, continue to read the book to the exclusion of all else (good thing my husband doesn't mind takeout once in a while!)

With her shop being closed for investigation, what else is Emily supposed to do?  She needs to reopen to keep her reputation, and she needs to get Izzy -- who is way too trusting -- out of the eye of the detectives on the case.  The only thing she can do is utilize her skills and try to find the killer herself.

The clues are there, but they aren't easy to find.  When Emily does start to have suspicions, it may not be healthy for her to try and go any further, but we know she will; and when she does, there is a climax that is definitely worth reading the entire book for.

With the killer caught (as we know they will be) everything seems to go back to normal at Deputy Donut.  But there is an epilogue that gives us a perfect ending, and a perfect segue into the next book, which I eagerly await.  Highly recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Donuts-Deputy-Donut-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DR9SQZYJ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7445236763

More on Ginger Bolton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ginger-bolton/

Death at an Irish Village

 An Irish Castle Mystery Book 3

Author:    Ellie Brannigan

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798892422581; 9798892423137

Crooked Lane Books

320 Pages

$29.99; $19.99; $14.99 Amazon

August 26, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Entrepreneur Rayne McGrath's wedding venue is open for business until a dead and unburied body is found at the cemetery in the third Irish Castle cozy mystery.

With six months left to fulfill the provisions of Uncle Nevin's will and save the fixer-upper castle she and her cousin inherited, Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith's bridal venue venture is finally bringing in money.  To unite the reluctant villages, some who'd vehemently protested their efforts to modernize the village, they agree with Father Patrick's idea to create a group of volunteers to clean the old cemetery behind the beloved church.  When a body is found by one of the historic tombstones, the cousins must work overtime to solve the newest case.

The plot thickens and an unsolved crime from the past is unearthed when it's discovered that the body was on top of a fake grave that has connections to Rayne's ancestors.  With two weddings scheduled at the castle and her mother on the way, Rayne fears she won't be able to balance it all, yet she rolls up her sleeves and dives into old family journals in hopes of puzzling out not one but two mysteries.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When her business partner/boyfriend Landon Short stole everything she owned, and her bank account, too, it seemed fortuitous that her late Uncle Nevin in Ireland would leave her everything he owned.  Especially when she discovered that Nevin had an illegitimate daughter, Ciara Smith.  What's worse, she and Ciara, who were left to manage everything, need to work together to save the village of Grafton and Grafton Castle in one year, or they are to dispose of everything and split what is left, if anything remains.

At first Rayne decided to do just that, since Ciara didn't seem to like her at all.  But then, Rayne chose to stay and try to make it work; first by working on Modern Lace, her business, from the castle.  Then to host weddings there as a venue, and hope that it will bring in enough to save them.  If not, she can always sell her designer handbags, right?

But the first wedding didn't go off as planned, nor the second.  This next wedding is her last hope for salvation, and they both plan to do anything to make it work.  Plus, they have to gain the trust of the village, by helping them as well.  That includes cleaning the cemetery for Father Patrick.  The first day all goes well, with many volunteers; most of them are seniors, but they do the job and never complain.

However, the next day when Rayne and Ciara arrive, there is a body by one of the gravestones.  It is of a local, and the stone he's propped up against is one of their ancestors.  They wonder why the man wasn't buried in the McGrath plot, as he should have been.

But there's more going on here -- Ciara is having doubts about her future marriage; Rayne knows that Landon has escaped from jail but not where he is; an old trunk is holding a century of secrets; a neighboring village wants to swallow them up  -- and will, if they can't make this work.  

Finding a killer is the main thing, but not the only one.  They also are trying to keep the information from their wedding guests, because they want this to go off without a hitch.  But how can it, when a killer is on the loose, and one of their friends is a prime suspect?  Saving the village is important, but saving their friend even more so...

I have read the other two books in the series, and they just keep getting better.  I'm becoming attached to the residents of Grafton Village, and I want the best for them.  The book is full of action, surprises, and intrigue; the two women aren't the only ones who are hiding a secret, and one of them may lead to clues to find the murderer.  We learn more about others who work on the grounds, and even some history of their own Irish ancestors.  I love the fact that both Rayne and Ciara are growing and realize that they need each other, in their own way.

I loved how everything came together; the struggles, and the realism of the characters and the village.  It makes me want to visit.  That's the best compliment I can give.  The book does tell a wonderful tale, and I heartily look forward to the next one.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Irish-Village-Castle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DP3RB3R6/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7425275389

More on Ellie Brannigan's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ellie-brannigan/