Genre: Mystery
Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781516105441
Lyrical Underground Publishing
180 Pages
$15.95; $7.19 Amazon
June 2, 2020
⭐⭐⭐
With Tally's Olde Tyme Sweets finally -- well, almost -- turning a profit, Tally Holt is taking one busy Saturday off to host a grand party for her parents, traveling performers who spend most of their time on the road. Tally's counting on the publicity and free treats to attract new customers. And the event is a sweet success -- at least until Fran Abraham, the town's foul-tempered theater director, drops dead after a bitter confrontation with Tally's mother.
Murder was definitely not on Tally's menu, but it's clear that Fran's death wasn't natural. The list of possible culprits includes not just Tally's mom, but her protective dad too. Relying on Yolanda Bella, her best friend and the proprietor of Bella's Baskets next door, for help, Tally will need to unwrap the sticky pasts and unsavory presents of everyone from her own parents to her new hires before Fran's death sours everybody on her fledgling shop...
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Tally Holt owns Tally's Olde Tyme Sweets in Fredericksburg, Texas, and is hosting a party for her parents' return from their latest performing gig overseas. She's invited everyone in town, since this is where she grew up and they all know her parents, and everything seems to be going swimmingly. That is, until one of the guests becomes ill and winds up dead. Now, With Detective Jackson Rogers heading the case, Tally's parents are in the hot seat, but with her mother ill from something she picked up overseas, questioning is going to take time. So Tally's out to discover who wanted the woman dead and why...
This is the second book in the series, and after reading the first I thought it would be a good start to a new series. But I did find that there were inconsistencies between the two, and while they wouldn't have bothered other people, I am a great believer in details, and I notice them. In the last book, Yolanda states how her sister Violetta and her girlfriend have met Eden's parents, but in this book they have not. Then in the last book, Allen helped Tally find a murderer, but in this book he seems disgusted by it and the fact that she wants to clear her father, who is one of the suspects. Huh? How did his personality change so quickly?
Also, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if the killer hadn't practically pranced off the page at us. There was no suspense there; it was easy enough to figure out who the murderer was. I'm beginning to think Tally's a bit of a dimwit, since in neither book could she put two and two together until it was too late.
The plot was written decently, but when the clues started jumping at Tally she just couldn't figure it out. She comes off in this book as rather naive in a lot of areas; and I also found her parents' disclosure of their past 'escapade' a bit distasteful, as much as I would have if I learned it about my own parents, but she listens and then it's as if she thinks, 'okay, I'll just put it out of my mind now.' There's no thoughts about it ever again. Really? I think most -- if not all -- children would be pondering that one for quite awhile. It changes your view of who your parents are, and there's no getting away from it.
As to the rest of the story, there were several subplots that were added in that gave it a bit more oomph, and kept me reading to see where the relationship between Yolanda and Kevin was going to go, and if Cole was going to stick around this time (he's still my favorite character, aside from Nigel, whom I absolutely adore). As a matter of fact, Nigel is probably the best part of the book. When the ending comes, I did find that it seemed an entire chapter was missing; I really do like the 'climactic' parts in books and this one fell a bit short.
Although since I did enjoy the first book quite a bit, I will continue to read this series and see if Tally finally gets the employees she wants, along with a love life, and where Yolanda is going with her own life.
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Sweet-Tooth-Kaye-George-ebook/dp/B07W8X9C3H/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3370438137
More on Kaye George's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/kaye-george/
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