All the Great Pretenders

Jesus Creek Mystery #1

by Deborah Adams

Twin Elms Inn Was Becoming a Three-Ring Circus...

...featuring the disappearing act of an eccentric rich girl and the psychic hired to find her. Innkeeper Kate Yancy has all she can do just to live there, let alone manage the place -- coping with a beauty-queen chambermaid, a religious-fanatic cook, a handful of eccentric guests, and a yardful of reporters.

It's a heady shot of excitement for little Jesus Creek, Tennessee, already in the throes of a Sesquicentennial celebration.

Murder is the only thing missing -- but not for long.

Set in the sultry heat of a Southern summer, Deborah Adams's first mystery is alight with small-town mischief, modest mayhem, and a homespun cast of unforgettable characters who turn a rural shindig into a real-life soap opera.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Cozy Mystery

215 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 13, 1991

About the author

Writer, naturalist, and yoga educator Deborah Adams is the author of eight novels and numerous works of short fiction. She posts once or twice a month on her blog at www.Deborah-Adams.com

Reviews

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery with a Southern flavour. This book is the first in the series and quite delightful.

Back Cover Blurb:
Twin Elms Inn was becoming a three-ring circus featuring the disappearing act of an eccentric rich girl and the psychic hired to find her. Innkeeper Kate Yancy has all she can do just to live there, let alone manage the place - coping with a beauty-queen chambermaid, a religious-fanatic cook, a handful of eccentric guests and a yardful of reporters.
It's a heady shot of excitement for little Jesus Creek, Tennessee, already in the throes of a Sesquicentennial celebration.
Murder is the only thing missing - but not for long.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in the early 90's. I believe this was the first book in a series .
Kate is running her brother's B&B while he campaigns for mayor. A guest disappears and Kate finds herself in middle of a media frenzy . A psychic is hired by the girl's family and he must visit the room the girl was staying in. Then the man disappears and another man shows up claiming to be the real psychic hired by the family.
Meanwhile, Kate finally tires of her brother's antics and the whole business of running an inn .

This is short cozy mystery . Nothing ground shaking , but a pleasant lunch break diversion. Overall a C.

[Venzulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery. People pretending to be someone or something they're not. Has some humor with an unexpected twist at the end.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 in the Jesus Creek mystery series features appealing character Kate Yancy running the Inn for her mostly absent brother, the mayor. She is sadly absent from future series entries (through #4). I normally find the presence of a psychic in a novel a complete turn-off, but the psychic on these pages was most enjoyable.

Jesus Creek, TN series - Twin Elms Inn was becoming a three-ring circus...featuring the disappearing act of an eccentric rich girl and the psychic hired to find her. Innkeeper Kate Yancy has all she can do just to live there, let alone manage the place -- coping with a beauty-queen chambermaid, a religious-fanatic cook, a handful of eccentric guests, and a yardful of reporters. It's a heady shot of excitement for little Jesus Creek, Tennessee, already in the throes of a Sesquicentennial celebration. Murder is the only thing missing -- but not for long.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is stuck running her absentee brother's inn when a young heiress disappears from her room. This attracts reporters and not one but two psychics, both named Owen Komelecki. Too bad the competent police chief is out of town--and his gung-ho deputy isn't. The town is also having its sesquicentennial. To a great extent, the town is the "series character," as the protagonist in each of the novels varies.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun series. Each title features a different person from the town. Major characters in one book are minor or absent from another book.
Kate is innkeeper for her brother in Jesus Creek, Tennessee. Psychic comes into town to find a missing woman, but he is an impostor. Woman is found, real psychic appears, fake psychic killed, woman killed. Killer is the wife of an overzealous preacher.