Review - Muffin but Murder

Review

Muffin but Murder by Victoria Hamilton
The Second Merry Muffin Mystery

In Muffin but Murder, Merry continues to live in Wynter Castle with friends Shilo and Pish baking muffins, not only for herself, but, now that she has the proper permits, her clients-the local cafe and an old folks home. Although she still intends to sell the castle, Merry's grown quite fond of the town and her new found friends and wonders about her options. Merry also wonders about the man who claims to be her cousin...a cousin who says he's also eligible to receive part of Merry's inheritance. Deciding the best way to sell the castle is to show it off, Merry and the gang decide to throw a Halloween gala at the castle and invite rich prospective buyers to the event. The gala doesn't go quite as planned however, starting with party crashers and culminating with the discovery of a dead body!

Victoria Hamilton expands the setting in her Merry Muffin Mystery series to include the drab, depressing town of Ridley Ridge. This dismal town opens the book and sets the tone for the novel. This second book in the series is less light hearted than its predecessor with Merry focusing on her need to sell Wynter Castle, and all she'll lose in doing so. Although it's been eight years, Merry is now coming to grips with the loss of her husband and her new feelings toward Sheriff Virgil Grace. Will moving on with her life include letting someone else in? Will it mean leaving Autumn Vale and her new friends?

There are multiple mysteries in Muffin but Murder. Is cousin Cranston a legitimate heir to Merry's castle? Can Merry and the gang decipher the clue to her uncle's treasure?And finally-the murder mystery itself. Who is the unknown cowboy at the costume party? And why did someone kill him? When her good friend Pish becomes a suspect Merry is determined to solve the murder, for although her friend is hiding something, it's not the fact that he's a killer.

I enjoyed my second visit to Autumn Vale. Victoria Hamilton has a lot going on in Muffin but Murder, but manages to keep the plot moving forward. New dimensions are revealed in characters both old and new and the future is rife with possibilities.

Recipes are included.