Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Murder in Tropical Breeze (Tropical Breeze Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Mary Bowers
Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:`9781980680369
Independently Published
224 Pages
$9.99; $2.99 Amazon
January 28, 2015

⭐⭐⭐⭐



Strange winds are blowing in Tropical Breeze, Florida.  When Vesta Cadbury Huntington, one of its oldest, wealthiest and most eccentric citizens, dies in her sleep, nobody is surprised except for Vesta herself.  It wasn't her time, and she didn't appreciate being bumped off into the Land of the Dead prematurely.  The granddaughter of an archaeologist, she calls upon an Egyptian goddess for help.  Basket, the protective cat goddess, responds, and Taylor Verone, Tropical Breeze's modern-day cat rescuer, is going to help -- whether she wants to or not.

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When Taylor Verone, who owns a pet shelter, is called upon in the early morning hours to help rescue a litter of kittens, she's there in an instant.  But what she doesn't expect is to see a strange black cat with eyes as green as her own, watching her -- nor her elderly friend Vesta, who is guiding her toward the kittens.

When she learns that Vesta passed in the night, she's stunned.  But then the black cat attaches itself to her, and tells her that she is Bastet, the Egyptian goddess, and has failed in her task to protect Vesta -- who was murdered.  Now she plans to use Taylor as her means of revenge in order to find a killer.  Taylor soon learns that she has no choice but to help, but doesn't even know what Bastet -- renamed Basket -- wants her to do.  When she discovers another body, things start to come together -- but will it be in time to save another elderly friend from being jailed?...

This is the first book in the series, and there are times I prefer to read older books, since they focus mainly on the plot and nothing else, if you get my drift.  I found this book to be interesting in the fact that I have not read another author who used Egyptian goddesses as protagonists -- especially through the eyes of a human.  It was extremely interesting, and fun to read.

I found the plot very well done, and there was plenty goings-on throughout; and not all centered through the murder, either; but nothing took away from the murder mystery itself, instead drawing things more toward it, which is how it should be.  I did enjoy Taylor's character, and even some of the secondary ones, although I would have liked to have known more about the surroundings besides being in Florida.  A little more about the town itself?  

The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was the ending.  I did like how Taylor put everything together, and it was worth reading to get to that point; and I also enjoyed how the resolution came leaving us to look forward to something else; but I loved Basket most and anyone who has read the book will understand what I am saying and if you have not, you should read this book.  That is the only reason I took away one star.  (No, Basket did not die, for those who think this!).  At any rate, I will read the next in the series just to see if I am going to stay with this series or move onto another.  Recommended.



More on Mary Bowers's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Bowers/e/B00T1ZOHR2/ref

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