Best Be Prepared

Nora Best #4

by Gwen Florio

A tense small town mystery that packs a big punch starring Nora Best.

Nora Best is enjoying the quiet life . . . finally. She's parked up the Airstream on a quiet stretch of beach and is now a seventh-grade teacher in a small peninsula town in the Pacific Northwest. Her biggest worry is keeping up with her quick-witted bunch of students. No drama. No danger. And most importantly – no one turning up dead.
Until they do, that is . . . 
When a local environmental activist – and dad to one of her most troublesome students – is killed, Nora once again finds herself in the thick of an investigation that threatens her new-found peace. She soon uncovers that Ward's death is most likely linked to the building of the school's emergency tsunami tower – a project financed by Ward's ex-wife's new husband . . . and one that is testing the town's loyalty.
With emotions, and gossip, running high, in a community where everyone knows everyone else's secrets, Nora is in a race against time to get answers before fall storms slam their vulnerable Pacific Coast peninsula putting everyone's lives in danger!

Genres: Mystery

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Gwen Florio is the author of the Lola Wicks crime series ("gutsy," says the New York Times) as well as SILENT HEARTS (Atria, 2018), a standalone set in Afghanistan. A new crime series starts in November 2020 with the publication of Best Laid Plans (Severn House). Her first novel, MONTANA, won the Pinckley Prize for debut crime fiction, and a High Plains Book Award. Florio is a veteran journalist who has covered stories ranging from the mass shooting at Columbine High School and the Oklahoma City bombing trials, to the glitz of the Miss America pageant and the more practical Miss Navajo contest, whose participants slaughter a sheep. She's reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, among other countries, as well as Lost Springs, Wyo. (population three). She lives in Missoula, Montana. She is represented by Richard Curtis,

Reviews

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric, gripping and tense. It never stopped surprising me and I was satisfied by the solution
Great setting, well plotted characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Lisa Aiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really need to pay attention when I request ARCs whether they are part of a series. It's going to seriously bite me in the butt some time. This is book 4 in the series and luckily it really didn't impede my enjoyment or make it tough to follow. There was enough info in the book related to previous installments that I wasn't lost or felt I was missing out (although it did make me want to read the previous books!!!) This was a very well done mystery. I don't know that it's very thriller-y, but it definitely has that what the heck is going on, who's done what to whom, and plenty of suspicious characters to go around. Time well spent with this one for sure!

[Cate E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was gripping and each and every turn kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the writing and flow of the book. If you enjoy a book that has lots of twists and turns this is definitely a good read to pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it as an ARC provided to me by NetGalley. I definitely recommend this author and book. All opinions are my own.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d read the first book in this series and somehow missed the next two, but I was able to follow along with the fourth novel in the series just fine. Now Nora Best is a seventh-grade teacher in a remote peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t think I could handle such a small town that essentially shuts down with rain for nine months a year, but it also sounded kind of beautiful and romantic.

Even though Nora is trying to lead a quiet life, mysteriously, dead bodies pop up wherever she goes. This time it’s environmental crusader Ward Austin. It seems his death might be because he was protesting a tsunami tower being built by millionaire Spencer Templeton—who happens to be married to Ward’s ex-wife.

The town is divided about Spencer wanting to build things like a luxurious hotel with upscale restaurants. Yes, tourists might come, but will they use any local businesses? Once the construction is done, hotel jobs are as minimum wage as the rest of the residents’ paychecks, and they’re already working twelve-hour days struggling to get by.

Florio has a knack for writing female protagonists that aren’t some cookie-cutter version of what way too many stories would have women be. Even though she’s a teacher, she’s not a mother, and is sort of awkward around kids. The fact that her new partner is a (very part-time) father has her encounter some uncomfortable scenes with the thirteen-year-old boy. She’s also hesitant to move in with said boyfriend. She’s in her fifties and while she loves Luke, she also loves her alone time with her dog and cat. I really appreciate characters like that because that’s much more my story than women who want nothing more than to become a wife and mother.

Recommend. NetGalley provided an advance copy of this mystery, which RELEASES OCTOBER 3, 2023.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s just something about a good murder mystery that doesn’t center around a police or investigator that is just…divine. I love normal, everyday people getting wrapped up in situations they have absolutely no business involving themselves in.

Nora Best is just such a person…a widowed teacher distancing herself from a not-so-squeaky-clean past. Amid making decisions about her quick-moving relationship, she becomes embroiled in an attempt to uncover the murder of an eco-rights activist. It’s a small town, and everybody knows everybody, including all of their secrets. And yet…nobody seems to know who killed Ward. Nora gets pulled into it when a shadowy man accosts one of her students with a cryptic message…to find the architect of the in-progress tsunami tower. Will doing so bring the answers she’s looking for, or just more questions? And what about the distance that seems to be building between her and her boyfriend, Luke?

This was a pretty cozy little murder mystery, not heavy on the adrenaline and fear, but not lacking on the mystery either. It has some good twists that I didn’t see coming. I also appreciated that Nora’s relationship didn’t necessarily get all fixed with a pretty bow at the end. That very seldom happens in life, and if felt so much more relatable.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A local developer has donated the construction of a tsunami tower to the small town where teacher Nora Best has settled in her Airstream trailer, seeking peace after the death of her philandering husband. What should have been a welcome gift (the town is almost at sea level and has experiencing flooding from rogue waves) has divided the residents. The developer is Spencer Templeton and his plans to develop the small peninsula town don’t sit well with Ward’s Warriors, an environmental protection group. Then Ward Austin’s dead body is found by one of Nora’s students. Another student is Spencer’s stepson. An imaginative class project leads her deeper into local politics and threats and she sees that she is not the only one in danger. Nora is also questioning personal choices including a relationship that is progressing perhaps too quickly.

Best Be Prepared is a fast moving, atmospheric thriller with well described characters, especially Nora, Janie. Luke and Jeremiah. I look forward to the next in this series. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House and Gwen Florio for this ARC.

[Karin H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Best Be Prepared" delivers an enthralling atmosphere and a gripping mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set in a charming small town nestled in the breathtaking Pacific Northwest, the story beautifully weaves themes of friendship, loyalty, activism, and closely guarded secrets.

As the plot unfolds, the author masterfully crafts an atmospheric tale that draws readers into the heart of the small peninsula town, where every page brims with intrigue and suspense. The exploration of enduring friendships and unyielding loyalty in the face of hidden truths adds emotional depth to the story.

Additionally, "Best Be Prepared" brilliantly incorporates thought-provoking themes of activism, offering readers a chance to reflect on the power of standing up for what is right and making a difference in the community.

I highly recommend "Best Be Prepared" to all mystery enthusiasts and those who appreciate compelling narratives that tackle relevant social issues. Special thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC, allowing me the opportunity to discover this captivating and thought-provoking gem.

#BestBePrepared #NetGalley

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer Templeton is a very divisive individual who is developing the small town where Nora has settled with her dog and her cat but he's not the one who is murdered in this well done mystery. Ward Austin who has objected to a tsunami tower is the victim and Nora, who seems to have murder following her, sets out to get some answers. She's working a seventh grade teacher which is challenging enough but she can't help herself. This latest installment in the series (perfectly fine as a standalone) sees Nora engaging in a bit of romance (albeit with the memory of her rat of a dead husband) and stretching a tad. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good, atmospheric read.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept going back and forth on this one. Wanted to like it because it reminded me of home and I liked how Nora was a teacher, but it felt kinda choppy and left me unsatisfied:/

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover and concept are what initially drew me into Nora Best’s story but, thanks to NetGalley and Severn House, I was able to read a digital ARC of this before its official release date.

Despite having not read the other books in this series, I was still able to follow along with Best Be Prepared without issue. I did find the pacing to be a bit slow at first, but by the end (when things finally began to unravel for both the mystery and Nora) I was itching to finish this.

Overall, this was an easy read that also peaked my interest to check out earlier books about Nora’s past adventures. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more of Gwen Florio’s future releases.