Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)
ISBN #: 9798879148008
Independently Published
169 Pages
$12.99; $4.99 Amazon
February 14, 2024
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Barbara Hollis has barely settled into the sleepy little town where her brother is sheriff, when a shocking crime rocks the community. Thanks to a peculiar new friend she has made an an unexpected prize she has won at a plasticware party, Barbara finds herself dragged into a dangerous mystery,.
Can she uncover the identity of a murderer and track down a jewelry store thief, while navigating a confusing acquaintance with a handsome restaurant owner who just a little too charming for anyone's good?
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Barbara Hollis moved from the big city to her hometown of Cobbsville, Georgia, to help her widowed sheriff brother take care of his twin boys. But that's not the only reason she left, although no one knows there was another. She's also slowly making friends, and one day a woman approaches her to ask if she'll come to her plasticware party. Since her friend Vicky will be there, Barbara agrees. But during the party, everyone notices that the hostess, Delores, seems a bit 'off' although no one wants to say anything.
Barbara wins a prize, and when she returns home, she discovers that one of the containers she's won holds a large amount of cash. Wondering what to do, she consults Vicky and they formulate a plan. But Barbara also learns that the local jeweler, Frankie Webber, has been murdered and his store has been robbed. Barbara now has two dilemmas, and she vows to help her brother solve the crime -- even if he doesn't want her to. It's nearing Halloween, and her nephews are at an aunt and uncle's, so she has the time on her hands. What could go wrong?...
This is the third installment in the mystery series, and I enjoyed it very much. These are fairly short reads, which is fine; although you're not given a lot of character development, you are given a nice mystery to read. The author does fine in setting the scene and creating a believable scenario; the characters are done well enough that they are likeable (at least the main characters), and this is a plus. I do, however, wish Barbara would let us know why she left Liberty City; it's a tad annoying to read three of these and still be in the dark. Was it worth leaving? I, for one, would like to know.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the storyline as written, and I found that the murderer's reason for the killing was the same as all -- from the beginning of time -- and made sense, at least in their own mind, if not to the rest of us! All in all, an enjoyable story from an enjoyable author and I plan to read the next. Recommended.
More on Blythe Baker's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/blythe-baker/
