Author: Lynn Cahoon
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)
ISBN #: 9781516111107
Kensington Publishing
176 Pages
$16.95; $7.99 Amazon
September 6, 2022
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In the California coastal town of South Cove, Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, discovers that wedding planning can be murder...
Hustling her fiancé off to a neighboring tourist town might be the only way Jill Gardner can plan her nuptials to South Cove's in-demand police detective. But when a mystery man turns up dead at South Cove's PD, Greg is hightailing it back home to investigate, leaving Jill to finish the vacation solo.
Jill can barely get in a spa day before her own respite is spoiled by a greedy hotel guest and unexpected revelations about Max Winter, the developer conniving to buy her home out from under her. Then there's the staffing issues at the store, the strange men seen lurking about town, and an aggressive and obnoxious family member harassing Jill's beloved employee. It's enough to make the bride-to-be full of jitters...especially when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer...
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Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, is newly engaged to South Cove police detective Greg King. They've taken a much-needed and rare vacation, since they never seem to get any time away from their jobs. The plan was to enjoy the weekend and plan their wedding. But before they can even get the conversation going, Greg gets a call from one of his deputy's about a man who walks into the station with a stab wound in his stomach. By the time Greg arrives, the man is dead, but no one knows who he is and he doesn't have any identification.
When Jill, who has called her best friend Amy to join her at the hotel, arrives home, she finds her employee Evie in a state. It seems Evie's ex-husband is harassing her and again Jill asks for the help of the police to keep him at bay. But she knows she needs help at the store, and her own life isn't calm as developer Max Winter is still after her home; she can't do her daily run with a killer on the loose; and things in South Cove seem to be going crosswise. How can she plan a wedding when all this is happening -- and the killer might be after her next?
This is the fourteenth book in the series and I have read them all, savoring one after another. Ms. Cahoon has had no problem bringing me to the town of South Cove; the problem is I never want to leave after I finish the book. I find the characters believable and the descriptions of the town delightful; I enjoy every visit and can't wait to crawl back between the pages of the next book.
In this book there is a lot going on -- with what I've mentioned above -- and Jill and Greg are finding it hard to get any time together. Jill is learning what it's like to be a cop's wife while running her own business; at least she has good employees to back her (even if she knows she needs more). There's the fall festival coming up, and she wants everything to be solved (but maybe it won't be) by the time it rolls around. She's also trying a new craft (one I've been doing since I was about eight at the feet of my mother teaching me) and she's frustrated regarding that, too, but still plugging away.
When her employee's ex starts stalking Jill, too, she's about had enough, and that's all it takes for her to decide this is over. But watching it play out is the best part, and the end is definitely full of surprises (nice ones) that left me feeling pleased. So pleased that I want to jump into the next book (hurry, please?) soon. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Lynn Cahoon's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lynn-cahoon/
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