Review
The Fifth Barks & Beans Cafe Mystery
With her brother, Bo, back in town, Macy Hatfield is free to have a girls' weekend with her friend, Della. It's not merely a Halloween themed getaway, however. Della is concerned that the woman she was caring for didn't die from natural causes. The woman's money grubbing relatives are all in town, staying at the daughter's inn. The same inn Macy and Della checked in to. The pair are keeping their eyes and ears open while they also enjoy spooky activities such as a ghost tour and hay ride. The screams of the Spooks and Screams weekend become all too real when one of the guests is found murdered. Was the murder a copycat of a historical event? Or could it have something to do with Della's suspicions about her client? Macy and Della will have to keep their wits about them or the next murder could be theirs.
The Spooks and Screams weekend is right up my alley. I love true hauntings as well as ghostly lore and legends so I was immediately drawn in to the story of the Greenbrier ghost, as well as the treasure hunt. I also appreciate how Macy tackles a murder, by keeping in touch with the authorities and taking precautions when hunting down spooks...and bad guys.
The mystery was multilayered with lots of great suspects behaving badly. I love Macy, adore Coal, and wish the Barks and Beans Cafe was in my town! I also really like the series wide story arc about Leo Moreau...and I'm fairly sure we haven't seen the last of him or his wife.
Smart and loving characters make you care and a tightly woven, keenly plotted story keep you engrossed in this fifth Barks and Beans Cafe Mystery. TROUBLE BREWING is a spooky Halloween treat with a chilling legend, a diabolical killer, and no calories!
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Trouble Brewing (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery) by Heather Day Gilbert
About Trouble Brewing
Cozy Mystery 5th in Series
Publisher: WoodHaven Press (October 18, 2021)
Convinced that the elderly lady in her care didn't die of natural causes, Macy's friend Della determines to look into the broken relationships surrounding the woman. She books a Halloween-themed getaway at a local inn and talks Macy into coming along with her to spy on her prime suspect.
As they join a ghost tour of the candlelit town, Macy and Della feel their guide is a little too fanatical as he shares his spooky tales. He tells the story of the Greenbrier ghost, a newlywed who supposedly came back from the grave to tell her family that her husband murdered her.
When a disturbing apparition makes its presence known, guests at the inn become apprehensive...and for good reason, because soon after, a young bride turns up dead. Although everything points to a copycat killer replicating the historical Greenbrier murder, Macy has her doubts. She's discovered that the inn harbors secrets of its own, and when she pokes into one darkened corner too many, she might not stand a ghost of a chance.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown...with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order: Book 1: No Filter Book 2: Iced Over Book 3: Fair Trade Book 4: Spilled Milk Book 5: Trouble Brewing
About Heather Day Gilbert
Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather's realistic characters—no matter what century—feel like best friends. When she's not plotting stories, this native West Virginia gal can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.
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Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteLove book cover. Looks like a great book to read. Would love to read & review the book in print format.
ReplyDeleteLove title excerpt, title and review
Sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteMarilynDKC[at]aol[dot]com
This is a book that I would love to read and review on a few sites. Thank you for touring and wish you a lot of readers. peggy clayton ptclayton2@aol.com
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