Author: Clare Lockhart
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Edition
ISBN #: 9798403979047
Independently Published
220 Pages
$9.99; $4.99 Amazon
January 23, 2022
⭐⭐
Empty-nested and excited to start a new chapter in life, Quinn is almost ready to open her new lakeside café in the small town of Bookend Bay.
Everything is perfect until she realizes she's being followed.
Confronting the stranger sets Quinn on a course where her problems no longer revolve around selecting a feature scone. She's suddenly questioning everything she believed about her marriage and her sanity.
Midlife isn't supposed to bring a change like this!
When police question her about a murder, Quinn quickly realizes she can't tell anyone but her best friend about the conniving, ghostly stranger who's stalking her. No one would believe she's been talking to a dead person, and Quinn is barely coping with the truth herself.
Things go from bad to worse when the ghost makes her agenda clear -- an exchange of favors that could save or sink Quinn's café before she serves her first spiced latte.
The closer she gets to the truth, the more afraid she becomes of a horrible secret that could ruin her life.
Now, she can't help thinking some secrets should rest in peace.
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
Quinn Delaney is getting ready to open her new café, even though her husband Bryan was against the idea from the beginning. She's excited to go with this new chapter in her life, along with going through the first stages of menopause. When she's in front of her new building, she sees a woman watching her every move. Finally, the woman confronts her, tells her that her name is Beverly, and that her husband is in trouble.
When Quinn learns that Beverly was recently murdered, she wonders if this was an imposter and sets about to find the truth. But when she discovers that Beverly is a ghost, and wants very specific things from her -- and will give her in return information that proves her husband is innocent of the murder -- Quinn doesn't know how to handle it...until she talks with her best friend Toni, and together the two of them decide to figure it all out and save Bryan, and also Quinn's café, in the process. But it isn't going to be easy, and she'll have to be careful so the police don't suspect a thing...
I really liked the premise of this book, and I really would have liked it more if I could get past all the problems. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I didn't like Beverly at all, and having her permeate pages of the book only irritated me. She had no redeeming qualities, and I wish she'd just gone to the other side sooner than she did.
But that wasn't the only problem I saw coming, and I hate to put them forth, there's nothing else to be done about it. So please only read the following if you've already read the book:
- Chelsea is marrying a man she's known for five months and her mother thinks eloping is a 'hoot?'
- Her son doesn't love her enough to tell her he's getting married? How inconsiderate is this person? I have sons, and I'd be crushed if they didn't tell me.
- Bryan's been married for 28 years and totally ignores that fact to decide to cheat on his wife?
- The marriage has been in trouble but neither the wife nor husband thought to discuss it before it got that far? They just went about their days and ignored what was going on? Both of them are at fault.
- Why should Quinn care about whether her husband was in trouble or not? He obviously didn't care about her. FYI, it shouldn't have affected her business unless this town is full of small-minded people. There are persons who kill every day (unfortunately) and their spouses don't know it; you can't blame the spouse or ruin their business because of it (although right now I do wonder about people; this country has gone bonkers about someone having a difference of opinion).
- Where was the police presence? Were they even investigating the murder? It seemed to me that Quinn was off their radar since they never re-interviewed her nor her husband, so it made no sense that she'd be worried about being a murder suspect. The police only appeared at the end of the book.
- A book that conveniently has the information Quinn needs? Including all the letters spelled in order? It would have made more sense to have the letters mixed up, and Quinn would have to put them in the proper order to read it. This did not sound believable at all.
- Her husband is moving to Korea (!?) but Quinn doesn't think to check the joint bank accounts to see if he's removed all the money?
- What happened to the envelope with the 'generous offer?' Who was it from? And:
- Beverly was the most unlikable being I've ever read about. I was getting more and more irritated every time she showed up. She had no problem putting Quinn in danger as long as she got what she wanted. She was horrible, and I didn't enjoy her presence at all.
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