Book 7 in the Southern Beach Cozy Mystery series set on Sophia Island, Florida, which is in real life Amelia Island, Florida. A long-hidden discovery in the tangles of Jewel and Craig Mantelle’s backyard reveals more family history than the Sophia Island Museum has in all its files. As the mystery unravels, Craig must confront the sordid past no one imagined in his family. Can he show his face on the island, knowing all this? Jewel and her lunch bunch are recovering from the holidays when a woman invited to their lunches realizes her husband is missing. He’s soon found dead, but everyone says it was just a sad accident. The clues suggest otherwise to Jewel, or does she now see murder everywhere? Clues or no clues, Detective Johnson declares the case is closed. After all, he’s got love on the brain. Jewel tries to distract herself from the closed case by focusing on her friend Annie’s commitment issues and her friend Lucy’s caregiving ones. Surely there can’t be another crime in this sleepy, seaside community, especially not with Valentine’s Day coming up? But on Sophia Island, you never can tell. The season of love might get steamy . . . or it might be downright dangerous.
“A new voice in Southern Fiction” is how a recent reviewer labels Kay Dew Shostak’s debut novel, "Next Stop, Chancey".
After being raised in a small-town in Tennessee, Kay lived around the country in a variety of settings. Taking a look at the familiar and loved from new perspectives led Kay to see, and then write about, the absurd, the beautiful, and the funny in her South.
After publishing several stories in compilation books and spending a few years in journalism, Kay wandered into writing fiction and found it hard to leave. She currently is working on the fourth book in the Chancey series and living in Fernandina Beach, Florida with her husband.
This series will always be a comfort read for me. I purposely saved this one to read in February since the setting would match. I think I prefer previous books to this one, but I still enjoyed my time with all the characters and being on Sophia Island. I personally felt pulled between too many things in this one. There's the death/murder, then also Craig discovering his family's past and then a focus on Annie. Not my favorite, but still a fun read.
I just Kay Dew Shostak, her stories move along quick , her characters are all characters and the stories are always twisty and fun. I have read all her books and I love every one of them; can't wait for the next book to come out. Fast read, perfect way to spend a rainy day.
Ms. Shostak’s Southern Beach Mysteries just keep on getting better and better. The last one, “The Pelican Did It”, was a fabulous book and the ending caught me totally by surprise. A must read.
Oh my goodness!! Kay Dew Shostak does it again. Just when I think she can’t come up with another great plot of another great mystery…she totally surprises me. A page turner to the very end. I can’t wait for the next one!! Great read!
Number 7 was not what I was expecting, but that’s a GOOD thing! I love the group of sleuthy ladies and their shenanigans that they get up to! The ending-Kay Dew Shostak get to writing #8! Please!!!
Not going to lie… this was a little hard to follow with all the people in Craig’s family, that’s why I gave it 3 stars . It focused more on his history than the murder itself. I did however like the ending…. Total cliffhanger. I do look forward to the next book in this series. Happy Reading:)
Love love love this series and this book was so full of information on the background of the Mantelle family, the owner of the mansion behind the whole series! Such a worthwhile read!