Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Pranks and Poison (A Mira Michaels Mystery #3)

Author:    Julia Koty
Genre:      Mystery

Digital Book
ASIN #:    B091S5XJDP
Busstop Press
$2.99 Amazon
May 4, 2021

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Mira's dream of fixing up the new house is put on hold while she works at the diner to make some much-needed cash.  So, when a patron of the Soup and Scoop is poisoned and Mira's famed mushroom soup is called into question, she'll stop at nothing to find the real killer.  But as business dwindles and the hope of cash-flow fades, her change in tactics backfires when the head detective wants her arrested for obstruction.  Her cat Arnold believes a simple call to her sister could clear up the mess, but Mira steadfastly refuses.  As the walls crumble around her, will Mira be able to pick up the pieces?

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Mira Michaels moved to a small town in Pennsylvania mainly to get away from her overprotective sister, who's also a famed (and real) psychic.  She's found herself working at the Soup and Scoop diner to make money to fix up the house she bought so that she can flip it.  But on the day she's made her homemade mushroom cream soup, the first person to order it falls over dead, and the second person to order it has fallen ill and needs to be taken to the hospital.  To make matters worse, it was Chelsea, who is Jay's girlfriend - the brother of her employer and best friend, Aerie.  Now both Aerie and Mira are in a real pickle, because neither of them believe the soup was poisoned, but they're both under suspicion and the diner remains closed.  Since they know they're innocent, and without an income for either of them, they need to figure out who the killer is pronto.  But with Detective Dan Lockhart appearing around every corner they do, and the threat of jail right behind him, they need to move fast...

When a man who turns out to be a food critic drops dead in the diner right after eating a bowl of Mira's homemade soup, everyone thinks it was poisoned.  It effectively closes the diner, since no one will eat there now.  So Mira and Aerie do the only thing they can -- investigate the murder.  It also doesn't help that Aerie's brother's girlfriend was also poisoned, and he knows that Aerie can't stand her.  And, it also doesn't help that the detective on the case is dogging their every step, seeming knowing what they're going to do.  So they have a triple reason to get to the bottom of things..

This is the third book in the series, and the mystery itself is interesting.  Mira isn't a person to sit back and just allow things to roll over her, but she takes action, even if it gets her in trouble.  Like her mouth.  Which she opens far too much and that gets her in trouble, too.  She knows it, but just can't seem to stop herself.  It's rather humorous altogether.  Oh, and did I mention that she talks to her cat Arnold and he talks back?  It's all telepathic, but it occurs just the same.  Speaking of which, I do wish that Arnold would have been in this book a bit more.  He's sensible and fun to be around.

I really don't want to say any more about this book, as it hasn't been published yet, but I will tell you that the ending was quite satisfying, giving us a hint as to what is to come in the next book; and it's a fun ride all the way through.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope others will, too.  Recommended.



More on Julia Koty's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

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