Author: Lizzie Benton
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781790718603
Independently Published
116 Pages
$8.99; $2.99 Amazon
March 4, 2018
⭐⭐⭐
When library director Frank Tanner is murdered in her aunt's restaurant, Nicole Capula, the new owner of the Cannoli Café, is on the case with her best friend, Lia, and a man from her past, Private Investigator Dean Coogan.
Frank Tanner led an innocuous life, or at least that's how it appeared until he was murdered. As the investigation unfolds, many skeletons come out of the closet, and it becomes clear that Frank had a number of major secrets and enemies. But which one of Frank's enemies wanted him dead?
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
When Nicole Capula, owner of the Cannoli Café, receives word that her Aunt Lucia is in the hospital, she rushes to her side. It turns out that her aunt, owner of a restaurant herself, found the dead body of Frank Tanner, who was having his retirement party there. Now Nicole, along with her friend Lia, and private investigator ex-boyfriend Dean Coogan, are trying to figure out who wanted Frank dead and why.
But they have no idea who might be a suspect, and therefore their work is cut out for them. They don't know if it's his wife Linda, the mayor, or even the floral shop owner who might be guilty. Hopefully, they can find a killer before someone else winds up dead...
This is the first book in a new series, and I always like to give a new author a pass, so I am giving it three stars instead of two. But honestly, I felt this book was all over the place. It went back and forth between timelines, which was odd in itself. The writing felt a bit stilted, and I couldn't get a feel for any of the characters at all, not even Nicole.
There was no description of the town they lived in, so I have no idea if it's small or large; no description of the restaurant, so ditto for that; and it appears that Nicole only has one employee named Susie. How does she keep her restaurant running with one employee? There was, unfortunately, no spark between Dean and Nicole. Nothing that hinted to a past relationship. (Blushing just doesn't do it).
When the ending came and the killer was revealed, I felt like it came out of the blue and was completely rushed. Again, no feelings one way or the other. I do hope that the second book in the series will improve and there will be more on the characters and the town -- and we'll have better clues.
More on Lizzie Benton's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/lizzie-benton/
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