Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #9781496704689
Kensington Publishing
352 Pages
$7.99; $4.99 Amazon
August 29, 2107
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As head of a bustling crafting retreat, Cora Chevalier could use a break of her own. So she and her creative cohorts temporarily swap small-town Indigo Gap for the Sea Glass Island Craft Retreat, where they teach classes and create beachy crafts like shell mosaics and sea glass chimes. Cora and her boyfriend Adrian are enchanted by their surroundings - especially the stunning wedding and blissful newlyweds they encounter on the beach. But awe becomes shock when the bride turns up dead the next day...
The woman's death appears to be the result of a severe jellyfish sting. But when it's revealed that she was murdered and Adrian becomes a suspect, Cora must hitch the real culprit to the crime - and fast. Because it just might take everything she has to crack a case more twisted than her most complex macramé knot!
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Cora Chevalier and her friend Jane Starr are working at a seaside crafter’s retreat. Along with them is their friend Ruby, who also is teaching, Ruby’s son Cashel, an attorney who decided to take a vacation, and Cora’s boyfriend Adrian. While walking on the beach with Adrian, Cora sees a wedding and remarks on how lovely it is but is stunned the next day when it’s discovered that the bride has been murdered. What’s worse, she soon discovers that Adrian knew the woman, and now the police consider him a suspect in the murder.
While Cora knows he’s not capable of it, she still wonders why the police are questioning him, and Ruby volunteers her son’s services as Adrian’s attorney. It's not the vacation Cashel planned, but nevertheless he accepts that Adrian needs help - even if he doesn't really like him.
When Cora thinks that Cashel might not do his best for Adrian, she decides to step in and try and find out who wanted the bride dead. But when she starts looking around, she finds that the answer might be closer than she thinks since there are people at the retreat who have secrets of their own, including the woman who organized everything. It's only when she sees that someone wants Cashel out of the way - and maybe herself - that she understands not only are there secrets, but someone else might die in order to protect them...
While I really enjoyed this book and it was quite interesting, I also discovered that I like Cashel better than Adrian. While Adrian is nice (and like Cora, I believe nice men are better than those who aren't; I'm married to one myself) I also discovered that there is no fire to him; practically no personality at all. He seems rather lifeless, while Cashel at least has a personality and you get a sense that he probably also has a fun sense of humor and would do well by Cora; he also seems more intelligent, and I like intelligent men. I don't get that impression of Adrian - the man wasn't even smart enough to realize that he was wrong in keeping secrets from her while wanting to 'get into her pants' as it were, and he seems so dull. Ah, well. There's always the hope that they'll figure they aren't right for each other after all. Just my opinion...
Aside from that little tidbit, I felt the story was well done and kept the reader interested throughout. There were enough twists that you had to look for the clues in order to see them, and enough red herrings strewn within. While there weren't any nail biting moments, there didn't really need to be; you just had to put things together as the plot moved along - which it did admirably. When the ending came it was done nicely, and while it wasn't a complete surprise, it was satisfying. Recommended.
When Cora thinks that Cashel might not do his best for Adrian, she decides to step in and try and find out who wanted the bride dead. But when she starts looking around, she finds that the answer might be closer than she thinks since there are people at the retreat who have secrets of their own, including the woman who organized everything. It's only when she sees that someone wants Cashel out of the way - and maybe herself - that she understands not only are there secrets, but someone else might die in order to protect them...
While I really enjoyed this book and it was quite interesting, I also discovered that I like Cashel better than Adrian. While Adrian is nice (and like Cora, I believe nice men are better than those who aren't; I'm married to one myself) I also discovered that there is no fire to him; practically no personality at all. He seems rather lifeless, while Cashel at least has a personality and you get a sense that he probably also has a fun sense of humor and would do well by Cora; he also seems more intelligent, and I like intelligent men. I don't get that impression of Adrian - the man wasn't even smart enough to realize that he was wrong in keeping secrets from her while wanting to 'get into her pants' as it were, and he seems so dull. Ah, well. There's always the hope that they'll figure they aren't right for each other after all. Just my opinion...
Aside from that little tidbit, I felt the story was well done and kept the reader interested throughout. There were enough twists that you had to look for the clues in order to see them, and enough red herrings strewn within. While there weren't any nail biting moments, there didn't really need to be; you just had to put things together as the plot moved along - which it did admirably. When the ending came it was done nicely, and while it wasn't a complete surprise, it was satisfying. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Macram%C3%A9-Murder-Cora-Crafts-Mystery/dp/1496704681/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2027364462
More on Mollie Cox Bryan's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/mollie-cox-bryan/
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