Author: Chelsea Thomas
Genre: Mystery
Digital Book
ASIN #: B098FFCVLR
Independently Published
229 Pages
$5.99 Amazon
December 26, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There's a train headed for Pine Grove...
...and no one likes it.
It's autumn in upstate New York. Every neighbor is out on the porch enjoying the weather, and there's a pie cooling on every window sill, waiting to be eaten with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
For local sleuths Chelsea, Teeny and Miss May, life is perfect. There hasn't been a murder in a while. And all is right in their little town.
The dead body changes everything.
Chelsea has worked hard to become a stronger, more rational person these past couple years. Solving murders has helped that. But this one threatens to break her all over again.
Chelsea's cop boyfriend wants to take the next step in their romance.
Chelsea isn't sure she's over her previous heartbreak. And it's hard for her to deal with big emotions in the middle of a murder investigation.
Sixty-something Miss May leads the investigation, but she relies on Chelsea for help. Will Chelsea be able to put her heartbreak aside and solve the murder? Or will this be the one that sends her reeling?
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny attend a town meeting regarding light rail -- Alex Turnbull wants to run it through the town -- and right through Miss May's apple orchard, so naturally she's against it, along with most of the other people in the room. Surprisingly, the mayor is for it, and they want to know why. Later that evening Turnbull is in Teeny's restaurant and insults her food and her coffee, which leads to a public fight with the man. But before they can make a plan to save the town, the next night Chelsea and Miss May and Chelsea come across an abandoned car and enter the woods, only to find the body of Turnbull stabbed with a railroad spike.
Now they have suspects on their hands, and are once again thrust into a murder investigation. When they start looking for clues, they come across unexpected ones, surprising ones, and intriguing ones. None of which lead them to a killer; but it does lead them to another viable suspect. Unfortunately, there's another murder before they can find the killer, and now it's a matter of timing in order to save someone else from being a victim...
I have to say that I absolutely love this series. It is well written, the mysteries are well thought out, and there is no dearth of suspects. Then there's the banter between the three women, which is also quite hilarious at times. Poor Chelsea has a mouth that says unexpected things when she gets nervous (but she's working on it); Teeny's mouth is never under control (she's not working on it); and Miss May is the sane voice of reason (although it doesn't matter because Chelsea and Teeny aren't changing any time soon). Together they make great sleuths and a humorous trio. I especially love Teeny's obsession with television series as she applies them to the latest investigation. (Never right, but still oddly strange).
When they begin investigating, they are surprised to find an unexpected victim in their home town that puts more than one person on the list. Meanwhile, Chelsea's cop boyfriend Wayne is trying to move their relationship ahead, wanting her to meet his parents, and she starts panicking inside, not sure if she's ready, but also not willing to say no. It's interesting to watch her thought process; while I understand her hesitancy, I also hope she'll be able to move forward in her life soon. Ah, well...
When the investigation begins heating up, they begin narrowing down their list of suspects, and at last they know they have the right person. I have to say that I knew who it was long before our detecting trio, but then again I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that. To most everyone, it will come as a surprise, and I have to say that while I knew the killer, I did not know the reason, and that's half the solution.
When it all comes together, the reasons for the murder are understood (even if there's no excuse for killing another human being); and watching the climax is always a lot of fun. While this book can easily be read as a standalone, I suggest you start with the beginning, if for nothing but having fun while you read. Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Chelsea Thomas's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/
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