It’s Christmastime in Charm, North Carolina, and while Everly Swan would prefer to focus on decorating her iced tea shop for its first holiday season, Great-Aunt Fran has decided to run for mayor against her long-time nemesis. But when the other candidate turns up dead just before the first scheduled debate, all eyes turn to Fran as the suspect with the most obvious motive.
Everly knows her sweet, elderly Aunt Fran couldn’t have murdered anyone, but as she struggles to find the real killer, it begins to seem like this may be the last merry Christmas her family may ever have.
Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once again, I loved living in the quaint seaside town called Charm. It continued to be this buttery, divine escape for me as a reader.
Overall I’m finding this Seaside Cafe Mystery series as one of my favorites and one that I think anyone could jump into without being terribly rigid about reading succession. There was just enough of a refresher backstory to set the tone and characters, but it didn’t belabor or spoil it either. It was just right. I say that because I didn’t have access to the second one before I read this third one, so I’ll have to go back, but I feel I will be able to pick up where I initially left off.
I loved how the author took the liberty to build up the town and characters in the setting where it lies. A place where people would typically leave their doors unlocked. Where amatuer sleuthing around and small town gossip adds intriguing gullibility and interesting layers to the story.
I loved the writing style. There was this flow and ease of reading in a ‘now you know, therefore you know’ approach. Though there was quite a bit of detail given at times, I still enjoyed it. Probably because the sentence structures themselves were not excessively fluffy or overly descriptive but instead celebrated the the simple aspects of what they were.
I wasn’t sure where the main character’s personal relationship with love interests were going. One I was questioning reconciliation, the other, maybe emasculating and calling their relationship over. I wasn’t sure if the meddling and bantering from a non colleague was becoming too much. But we’ll see, I wasn’t deterred from my enjoyment of the story. Not sure what will result from unrequited almost tipping to frustration as to what kind if progress they would be making, hoping it doesn’t become problematic, to gain any traction in what could be. So I look forward to where it goes.
I would have liked to have seen more of a recipe for the caesar salad, but that’s ok.
There is a delicious lingering to the storyline which will keep me looking forward to the next.
FAVORITE LINES:
“When you feel lost or like giving up, it’s time to stop and give thanks.”
