Balmy Darlings and Deaths

Raina Sun Mystery #4

by Anne R. Tan

Raina Sun is cashing in a gift certificate for a free hairstyle from the town’s premier beauty salon and day spa. No more walking dandelion head, thank you very much. Life is on the up-and-up—until she finds an attacker holding her best friend in a headlock outside the treatment rooms.

She never thought she would spend her birthday pinned against a sweaty armpit, gagging on a mouthful of seaweed, with the attacker plucking at her best friend’s weave like a farmwife de-feathering a chicken.

When the attacker ends up six feet under, her best friend becomes the prime suspect. Raina summons her sleuthing skills to jump full-tilt into this murder investigation to clear her best friend’s name. With her stink-bomb-toting grandma and the geriatric posse, she soon discovers death is easy, and it’s the living that kills to protect the dead.

For readers who like fun cozy mysteries, quirky characters, and a dash of humor.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

189 pages, ebook

First published June 18, 2016

About the author

Anne R. Tan is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Raina Sun Mystery series, the Lucy Fong Mystery series, and the Cedar Woods Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders. Her books feature diverse characters and relationships because everyone deserves to be an armchair detective.

A Note from Anne:

My books are my legacy to my children. Unfortunately, they would not grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area like I did. Without a cultural hub to keep the language and philosophies alive, our family would lose this part of our heritage in one generation. My children are visitors to this rich culture, just like my readers. At its core, I always felt Chinese culture is about family and community. I hope you’ll enjoy your time with Raina Sun, Lucy Fong, and their large dynamic family.

Thank you for supporting my art,

Anne R. Tan

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the car smashed through the beauty salon's windows, Raina Sun, along with others, rushed to help. But while everyone was diverted by the accident, someone murdered one of the salon's guests. Raina decided to investigate, especially as it seemed her BFF, Eden, was up the top of the suspect list. Raina's grandmother, Po Po, was a feisty senior, always up to helping Raina, so the pair of them worked out the suspects. But when another body was discovered, the suspect list lessened. Raina had two people on her list - could she identify the murderer before the police arrested the wrong person?

Balmy Darlings and Deaths is the 4th in the Raina Sun Mystery series by Anne R. Tan (I mistakenly thought it was the first!) and I quite enjoyed it. A bit of fun, a bit of entertainment, lots of angst and a result! I'll be checking out the earlier books in the series. Recommended.

[Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As if I couldn’t love Po Po more, this book comes along. The only reason it’s not the full 5 is some editing errors down the stretch pulled me out of the story and had me questioning what I just read, but story and character-wise, this was a fun read.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 5 out of 5]

PoPo is the star of the book and I love her posse. I laughed and really enjoyed this story.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

BALMY DARLINGS & DEATHS is another entertaining, stand-alone cozy mystery starring Raina Sun and Po Po. On to the next in series!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, suspenseful, and satisfying. Po Po is always a wonderfully lively and humorous. Great mystery, I didn't see that murderer coming until very late in the book.

[Joyce927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story from Anne Tan. Not only does she write a great mystery, she also includes fascinating facts about Chinese culture. In this story Raina received a gift certificate from a day spa where she's trying to get something done to manage her hair. (Who knew Chinese could have curly hair?) Before the beauty treatment can even begin someone is killed.

As Raina begins to sift through the suspects, of which there are several to choose from, she is helped along by the hilarious escapades of PoPo, her grandmother. Another murder occurs before they are able to finally figure out who the actual killer is.

Each book is a stand alone mystery, but it helps to know the recurring characters if read in order. There is a deep family mystery interwoven through the stories of a secret life lead by Raina's late grandfather.

I highly recommend Anne Tan's books for anyone who loves cozy mysteries. They are well written with genuinely drawn characters. Another thing I love about this series is the humor shown throughout. There is also romance that is not the over-the-top predictably sappy type, but a natural relationship struggling to survive. All in all, it's a series you won't want to miss!

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balmy Darlings and Deaths by Anne R. Tan is a fun cozy mystery. This novel has plenty of action to keep readers intrigued. I enjoyed following Raina as she worked as a sleuth to solve the mystery. Imagine going into a hair salon only for an elderly lady to hit the salon, a jealous woman to attack a worker of the salon, and for the jealous attacker to be found dead. So many things happen and it's only time to find out if Raina's best friend is a murderer or not. Raina has a lot on her sleeve. A crazy grandmother, an ex, and a best friend who isn't acting like a friend at all. Emotionally troubling...and full of drama. The elderly ladies make this tale sweet and hilarious. Balmy Darlings and Deaths is one adventure after another. A murderer is on the loose and situations keep getting more intense...Anne R. Tan has woven an entertaining tale. I recommend it to all. (I received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.)

[Ying_ko]

Another fun entry into the series. Another wonderful entry in the series, the main story involves the murder of a family friend. Raina and her grandmother must navigate the mystery through the waters of family involvement; in addition, there are connections to her grandfather's secret and the Triad (Chinese mob) that make the case even more dangerous. One of the things I love about the series is that it includes little cultural touches of the Chinese-American community. The story is fun, informative, and well worth reading.

[Hsu Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time Eden is the murder suspect.
She is accused of killing her boyfriend ex-girlfriend. ( The mother of Eden's boyfriend child )
Eden is using her status of "murder suspect" to increase the sales of the newspaper.
Eden interviewed herself + she is the front page article as well.
I always love reading about Po Po. She is just hilarious.
Raina follows to clue to try to prove Eden's innocence.
Once again, once the actual murder was revealed, I was surprised.
Great ending!

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Raina is involved with solving murder. She just happened to be a the beauty spa when one happened! It happened whilst most people were outside seeing who had crashed a car into the spa! It happened to be Raina’s “other” grandmother! There are quite a few suspects but once again she solves the case.

[Linda Cathorall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little mystery

The Rain a Sun series of books contains complex, well-developed characters and interesting plots to make for enjoyable reading. Very little violence and no sex. I just wish they, like all eBooks were longer. The price is a bit of a ripoff.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received ebook (not Kindle version) from Author. Book#4 - I enjoyed. I like seeing PoPo have a bigger role helping Raina solve the murders.

[Linda Rae Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but...

So, great story. Interesting characters Small town setting. Desperately needs editing. Wrong words, wrong usage. Just needs editing really badly

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy Rainy and her Po Po! Another fun mystery!

[Donna Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Raina Sun.

Another fun adventure with Raina Sun and her ever spunky PoPo. Murders with complex family dynamics and less than stellar police Detective.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still enjoying the Raina Sun mystery series. in this one, there's a murder in a spa.
I love that all the main characters are POC!

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy books by Annie R Tan. There always great characters and great plots.

Fun books

[Della North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Beth Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was full of action and adventure. This book kept me guessing until the very end. I love this town and the characters.

[gowri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm digging the evolution of some of these previously established relationships 👀

[John Presler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review

Raina Sun is a hard-working, family loving young lady. She left a good paying job with an engineering firm a few years ago to take care of her dying grandfather. Now she is working various part-time jobs until she can decide what kind of work she wants to do for the rest of her life. This allows her the freedom to continue her education and earn a post-graduate degree.

Raina's BFF, Eden gave her a birthday gift certificate to Inner Beauty Day Spa. When she arrives at the spa to use the gift certificate and get a haircut, the receptionist is unable find the reservation; nor could he verify the certificate number. After Eden clears the misunderstanding, Raina is asked to step to the back and await the stylist. Suddenly, there is a big bang that sounds almost like a bomb! Instead of a bomb, it is Po Po’s car slamming into the side of the building and Raina recognizes the driver.

While everybody is distracted by the accident, one of the Spa's customers is murdered. Then, when Eden is fired from the Spa, Raina takes her place, seeing is as an opportunity to more closely investigate the murder. Upon learning that the victim owned and operated an unlicensed hair salon, Raina was more curious than scared.

Will Raina find the murderer before the murderer finds her? Why was the receptionist so rude and how did he keep his job? Will the detectives be able to sort through all the clues and find the murderer before someone else is killed? Will Po Po ever learn that a disguise is for “blending in” and can she manage to stay out of trouble this time?

Anne Tan’s book is fast moving with lots of action and plenty of red herrings.

Her characters are likeable and believable, they are so well developed you can imagine seeing them in your neighborhood.

[Natalie Bachiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina does it again. She is the thread that holds the whole family together. Raina has to deal with a murder charge for her best friend and clear her name. She also has do deal with day-to-day contact with her old boyfriend and taking care of her feisty grandmother. I love everyone of the Raina Sun Mystery books and can't for the next one. I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author. I enjoyed the story and the subtle nods to other author's characters. Interesting to read about a Chinese American character and some of their cultural beliefs. The grandmother and her cronies are a riot! Very entertaining read.


I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another murder investigation with Raina, her grandmother, and the senior citizen posse! Lots of situational humor, scary stuff, plot twists, and all kinds of mischief make this book and series great. The suspense keeps the reader guessing, and most of the characters really are. The publisher's blurb gives hints, and this one can stand alone if necessary. Definitely a must read!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When does a gift certificate end in murder? For that matter, when does a beauty salon and day spa lead to murder? AND then there is the red Miata… I enjoyed the story even as I felt sorry for the girls loosing their jobs. I did enjoy the twists and turns and Po Po and recommend this book.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story!

I really loved this book! The characters are relatable and it definitely captures the small town dynamic. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

[dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read in the Raina Sun Series

This series has been great fun, I can't stop reading once I start and then I can't wait for the next one.

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mystery

The book starts almost right in with the mystery, I like that. No prolonged introduction. The characters and events were interesting, and there were a couple of side plots that kept the book at a fast pace. Very enjoyable read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balmy Darlings And Deaths (A Chinese Cozy Mystery-A Raina Sun Mystery) is all things cozy, except a cat. There's the crazy grandma, and the on-again, off-again relationship with the love of her life, the best friend, and a very interesting background story. One of the many fun things is the multi-racial storyline with multiple races represented without the reader realizing it until a chance remark!

Raina is in a beauty salon trying to make an appointment when someone crashes a car through the wall. You guessed it: Po Po's car with Mathew's grandmother at the wheel. While Raina takes Louie Po to the hospital, someone murders a customer at the salon: LaShawna. Among the goings on is that Eden, Raina's best friend, and the victim had just had a fight over a man, Eden's current and LaShawna's ex. Since this man was the brother of the salon's owner, Myra Jo, Eden was fired. Had Eden lost it and killed LaShawna?

As usual there is an interesting cast if characters including Walt, the gay, pot-dealing receptionist at the salon; Mrs. Tally, Walt's grandmother and Po Po's nemesis at the Senior Center; Brenda, Raina's friend and co-owner of the Venus Cafe; Detective Sokol, new father of twin boys who enlists Raina's help in catching the murderer; the list goes on and on. In the end, as always, the murderer us caught and life goes on.

I like Rain Sun. She is an interesting young woman who loves her grandmother and tries to do the right thing. She gets herself in fixes but she doesn't stumble into them. They are almost legit. The books are a pretty easy read. They can get a little complicated because of the large cast of characters, but many of them are in multiple books so that helps. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a "light" murder mystery!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Anne R. Tan! This book will test friendships and will they survive or not. Not just female friends but males as well. Po Po is getting creative in her disguises. I think she is going through a second life and Raina is her assistant, lol! Enjoy!