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Up In Smoke
Abigail Hart is once again between jobs. She’s also still between boyfriends, which means it’s time for her semi-annual change of scenery. A new job in a new town is Abby’s favorite tactic for finding a fresh path. But when she learns that the uncle who raised her has been found dead, the result of a suspicious fire, Abby’s next path leads home.Abby returns to the small town of Unahu, Tennessee, nestled in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, to bury her uncle and sift through the ashes for answers. Things heat up quickly when she finds herself caught between a deadly firebug and the romantic advances of not one, but two handsome friends from her youth. After another body turns up, though, all of Abby’s longtime friendships and loyalties are called into question as it becomes clear she's next on the killer’s list.
- GenresCozy Mystery
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2016
11 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Chanacee Ruth-Killgore
14 books3 followersChanacee Ruth-Killgore lives in East Tennessee with her husband, Michael, and their two crazy pups, Wrigley and Arkkis Pond. She enjoys spontaneous road trips and has a great passion for books, art and film. She is also fond of collecting the random, curious and whimsical.
For more about Chanacee please visit www.chanacee.com or follow her on Facebook (Chanacee Ruth-Killgore, Writer & Publisher) or Twitter (@ChanaceeRK).
For more about Chanacee please visit www.chanacee.com or follow her on Facebook (Chanacee Ruth-Killgore, Writer & Publisher) or Twitter (@ChanaceeRK).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 13, 2016
Ruth-Killgore’s cozy whodunit takes aim in small-town America where everyone knows everyone’s secrets, until the death of the community-beloved owner of the camp-grounds is discovered to have been a murder.
Abigail Hart returns to bury her Uncle only to find that things are not as they seem. She’s aided by many friends, but not everyone has her best interests at heart.
What worked:
The small-town atmosphere was inhalably realized. The town had its quirky personalities, history, and a great deal of funny stories shared between the characters.
Abigail (Abby) as a protagonist was relatable and easy to get behind.
The prose was smooth and had a great balance between description and narrative. Never once did I get tripped up reading the book.
Important in any whodunit is the list of suspects. Early on in the book, I thought I had pegged the correct killer. I was both pleased and displeased to have gotten it wrong in the end.
What I would’ve liked more:
The pacing felt staggered to me at times. That said, at about the halfway mark, things moved at an energetic and enjoyable pace.
Abby as a protagonist was easy to relate to, but ended up being a little generic. I would’ve liked to see her conflicting with more of the characters in the story to draw out her defined edges a little more.
The list of suspects in whodunits usually stand out clearly since it is usually shown that many different people all had motive (and opportunity) for the crime. This book didn’t follow that genre cliché (whether intentionally or not on the author’s part, I’m not sure) and it left me guessing not only whodunit, but whydunit. Perhaps that was intentional, but it left me feeling a little too much in the dark. Perhaps re-reading the book will prove this point moot, but I can only go with what I’ve done so far.
Final Analysis:
A fun, cozy murder mystery. Well-written with a few pacing hiccups. A whodunit that does set up some good red-herrings (which actually got me), and an unconventional twist on the genre formula (I’ll let you decide how you like that).
4/5 Stars – Recommended for fans of the Genre and non-Genre readers to whom the setting/style appeals.
Abigail Hart returns to bury her Uncle only to find that things are not as they seem. She’s aided by many friends, but not everyone has her best interests at heart.
What worked:
The small-town atmosphere was inhalably realized. The town had its quirky personalities, history, and a great deal of funny stories shared between the characters.
Abigail (Abby) as a protagonist was relatable and easy to get behind.
The prose was smooth and had a great balance between description and narrative. Never once did I get tripped up reading the book.
Important in any whodunit is the list of suspects. Early on in the book, I thought I had pegged the correct killer. I was both pleased and displeased to have gotten it wrong in the end.
What I would’ve liked more:
The pacing felt staggered to me at times. That said, at about the halfway mark, things moved at an energetic and enjoyable pace.
Abby as a protagonist was easy to relate to, but ended up being a little generic. I would’ve liked to see her conflicting with more of the characters in the story to draw out her defined edges a little more.
The list of suspects in whodunits usually stand out clearly since it is usually shown that many different people all had motive (and opportunity) for the crime. This book didn’t follow that genre cliché (whether intentionally or not on the author’s part, I’m not sure) and it left me guessing not only whodunit, but whydunit. Perhaps that was intentional, but it left me feeling a little too much in the dark. Perhaps re-reading the book will prove this point moot, but I can only go with what I’ve done so far.
Final Analysis:
A fun, cozy murder mystery. Well-written with a few pacing hiccups. A whodunit that does set up some good red-herrings (which actually got me), and an unconventional twist on the genre formula (I’ll let you decide how you like that).
4/5 Stars – Recommended for fans of the Genre and non-Genre readers to whom the setting/style appeals.
July 4, 2016
Good read. Good story. Keeps ones interest and suspense. Enjoyed every minute of the read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews