Drop Dead Handsome

The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries #2

by M.K. Scott

The Painted Lady Inn is open for business and limping along in the B and B world. A high school reunion package assembles Donna's least desirable classmates, including the backstabbing cheerleader, her narcissistic high school crush, and Arnie, whose cheesy poem had everyone calling her, hot mama. It's all something she liked to forget. These are the normal guests. An octogenarian self-proclaimed sleuth, Father Christmas, a dognapping couple, and a pair who is copying everything in the Inn to set up their own competitive establishment rounds out the group. Maria, the sister-in-law, has a matchmaking agenda for Donna. Daniel, her brother, finds himself serving as a referee with one guest's multiple wives. Detective Mark Taber is on the trail of the murderer, when he isn't interfering in a smitten Arnie's determined bid to woo the no nonsense innkeeper. High school reunions can be murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

ebook

Published June 30, 2016

About the author

M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries, The Talking Dog Detective Agency, which is set In Indianapolis, and The Way Over the Hill Gang series.

Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities.

Morgan’s daughter, who works at a hotel, has contributed a guest horror tale or two to fuel plot lines along with housekeeping details. Overall, the series are a family effort.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Year Later at the Painted Lady Inn

The Painted Lady Inn has opened in Legacy, NC. and Donna has an inn full of guests. Half of them people she went to high school with.
And since she didn't like them in high school she's not to thrilled her sister-in-law booked them into the inn, but money is money.
Of course Donna has her hands full with a battling wedding guest couple who high jack her dog at every turn. Then the odd old lady who is blunt and reminds Donna of someone. And the millionaire pooper scooper who has a crush on Donna.

Donna's old classmate Wyn is found dead and decides this has to be solved without her inn being involved.
After all Wyn checked in with his wife and then slipped out of his room to his old girlfriend's Teri's room and then his real wife shows up.
And since his body was found in the woods maybe she can help solve this without the reporters ever linking the two and she can keep getting positive reviews.
The motive and killer are quite obscure and no clues are ever present which for me kind of takes the fun out yet the personality of the characters, especially Donna who is still the least likely inn keeper makes it a good read.
Still a 3.5. 3 for the killer and motive, 4 for the characters and story line. And at least we know it's in NC for sure, even if on the boarder .

[Julia Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific mystery. Loved the characters. Funny. Good writing. Will read more by the author.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living your dream isn't always what you think it was going to be. Donna's dream was to own and operate a B&B. Well she did it--although she was still working as a nurse! It is a lot more work then she thought it would be! Her sister-in-law and her brother pitch in to help when they can.

Several of the people she graduated high school with decided to have a reunion at her B&B. Unfortunately they were the very people she did not exactly like! There were others there as well--some nice--some--oh well. There was a story about a ghost that haunted the B&B-luckily the ghost didn't show---There was also a rumor about diamonds hidden somewhere from long ago in the house. That brought at least one little old lady--who you are really going to like--she tries to be so helpful until Donna realizes she is trying to get her room at a reduced rate or free!! The others are really unforgettable as well--as is Jasper--Donna's dog!!

Then one of the guests is found dead in the woods. The Sheriff (who was very much in Donna's life)-had to find the killer. Donna had to try and help since having a dead body associated with her B&B would not be good for business.

You will be absolutely surprised at who did it and especially how it came to be that it happened!

This is a clean cozy mystery that will have you groaning and laughing at the antics that go on! There are recipes at the end which are written in a way that I might even be able to follow them-and they do sound delicious!

[Jennifer Holzapfel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Painted Lady Inn is on its second murder since opening, and poor Donna, a hard working RN and inn keeper is at wits end. She does not need more bad publicity, and her inn is beyond capacity due to her 30th high school reunion. The murder victim is Wyn, a womanizing, yet sexy playboy. Donna is in a somewhat relationship with Mark, the local police detective. Will the murderer be found before the same fate happens to someone else, especially when they find a counterfeit five hundred dollar bill. Donna is afraid of losing everything she worked so hard to create, and treasure hunters running through her inn looking for supposed hidden diamonds. All the guests are suspects, and the book is well written so you can't really figure out who done it, until confession time.

[Krystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reunions can be murder

A wonderful read. Max is a talking dog that has been rescued by a school teacher / PI. A call in the night has them rushing to an attempted arson. Who would want to set fire to the rescue kennels? Has someone really been threatening the owner?. A great plot that has been woven with an eye for detail and a great descriptive turn of phrase. The twists and turns will have you scratching your head as to who and why. The characters just get better and better with Max being the absolute star of the book. As to the budding romance - read and find out. Can't wait for the next one!

[Sandy Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read any of The Painted Lady Inn books you are definitely missing out. This book is the second in the series. It's even better than the first! Not only is there a murder mystery to solve but; without spoiling anything, I'll just say there are two mysteries to figure out. Not only does the reader have to be on their toes to figure out the clues but just when you think you have the answers -- look out, major changes prove you wrong and lead you off in another direction entirely. I absolutely LOVED it!

This book can be read as a stand alone or as part of the series. I received a free ARC copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great narrator. I listened to the audio book.

This is the second in the series. Donna has opened The Painted Lady Inn (B & B) in Legacy, NC. Donna has an inn full of guests. Many of them are attending her high school reunion.

Lots of good characters. Loved the pooper scooper, Arnie, who is after Donna. Eunice was a hoot.

Wyn is a sleaze and that is probably why he’s dead. Who did it, Why? Good questions that you won’t know the answer to until the reveal.

Murder, diamond hunting, and running a B&B are just items in a day’s work at the Painted Lady.

Looking forward to reading/listening to another story from M. K. Scott.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna thinks that holding a high school reunion at her B&B will help business along - big mistake! Not only do the guests practically eat her out of house and home, making any profits that she had hoped for disappear, all the high school nightmares return with a vengence. And of course, someone manages to get killed on her watch. Another enjoyable read, but less of Donna in this book. However, it still kept me guessing and I liked that.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high school reunion with the guest staying at the Painted Lady, a BB Inn.
Donna let Marie her sister in law handled the booking, and now wishes she had given her a list, of those that made her life miserable. As of now they have returned once again to make her miserable, even to giving up her room. With murder, people coming in for the treasure of missing diamonds, all in all another mayhem for Donna to contend with. Good cozy mystery, and her life is never dull since she has opened the Inn.

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many women wanted him dead

I felt like I was a guest at the Painted Lady B and B. Donna had to be polite to her high school nemesis while watching her rendezvous with the drop dead handsome lothario. He definitely definitely deserved to die but there are too many women who wanted him dead. It was an intriguing mystery to solve and kept me interested until the very end. I recommend it highly.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna dies it again.

Donna is adjusting quite well with the help of family and friends as she hosts another set of vacationers that are their for Donna's High School Reunion. Then the unforgivable happens. It is very funny and sparky. A laugh a minute, and lets not forget Very Well Written, too.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Suspenseful, intriguing, mysterious, page turner and so much more.
MK Scott pulls the plots and story line like a master. Book is well written.
Highly recommend and will read again.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are hooked as soon as you start reading...Binge-worthy❣️

Very anxious to read more . . .
Next please⁉️ More and more difficult to put down . . .

Excellent story, but needs proofreader / editor corrections

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are fascinating and frustrating but they make the book. The story isn't half bad but it's the humor that carries the day.
The TTS was better than the audiobook narrator.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosy crime

I liked the characters who were a varied bunch. I liked trying to work out who the murderer was. Jasper the dog was cute.

[Nathalie Dearman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Series Not to be Missed!

This was a fascinating book with quirky characters! The story moved right along taking me with it! I can't wait for the next book!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drop Dead Handsome is the first book I’ve read by M.K. Scott although it is the second book in The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries.

Donna Tollhouse runs the Painted Lady Inn, a bed and breakfast, which also happens to host a few people from her high school in town for the 30-year reunion. Unfortunately, a few of Donna’s least desirable classmates have chosen to stay at her establishment, including her narcissistic crush, Wynn, and his then-on-and-off girlfriend, Terri. And then there is Arnie, who wrote her a poem in high school calling her hot mama. There are other guests, too, like the Babbles, a bickering and dognapping couple in town for a wedding; Dean and Marvin, a pair of friends checking out antiques in the area; Eunice, a nosy octogenarian in search of a good mystery and a discount, Jeff Ferguson, Father Christmas come to life; and Lorena Fitzgerald, who’s in town visiting friends.

The rest of the characters who round out this cozy mystery are Maria, Donna’s sister-in-law, Daniel, her brother and Mark Taber, a handsome detective. There’s also Jasper, Donna’s dog who makes his appearance now and then.

There’s a whole lot of cozy in this mystery and there were times that there was just too much information about the inn or the food that I wished the plot got going instead of lingering in all the details. But that’s also from someone who’s gotten used to reading thrillers and it’s been awhile since I’ve read Agatha Christie.

When Drop Dead Handsome aka the dead body finally appears, the plot progresses nicely to reveal its surprise killer. I just wish Donna as the third person limited narrator wasn’t too hung up on inn-keeping duties and worries that she’d actually seen the killer coming. Overall I liked it and will be reading more of Scott’s books, including the first book so I can start the series off nicely. There’s also a hint of the next mystery about to land at the Painted Lady Inn and i’m going to look forward to that.

We also get the recipes of some of the dishes Donna makes, and that was a nice addition to this charming story.

[John Presler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Donna Tollhouse has finally gotten her Bed & Breakfast up and running. Her brother, Daniel suggested hosting a High School Reunion at the inn and it sounded like a pretty good idea. Little did she know that most of the people who planned to attend the reunion were the very people who made her high school years a living nightmare. Also among the guests is Eunice Ledbetter, who describes herself as a sleuth and is obsessed with searching for the legendary Lowery Diamonds. Eunice has a habit of being a nuisance while pretending to be helpful.

The morning after a wine and cheese reception, one of the guests, Wyn Lansing, seems to be missing. It turns out that the woman he came with is not his wife, as he implied and when his real wife shows up looking for her husband, Daniel takes her out to look for him. They find Wyn dead, lying face down in the river quite a ways from the inn.

Wyn was known as a lady's man and was not above using people to get what he wanted. It is apparent that Wyn had no shortage of enemies, but who hated him enough to kill him? Can Donna help Detective Mark Taber find the killer and still keep the Painted Lady's name out of the news?

The book is well written with a steady pace and realistic characters.

[Gina Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donna has a Bead and Breakfast which she recently opened. She decides to host clients in the who are in the area to attend a high school reunion. And what a cast shows up. She ends up hosting her high school nemesis, a high school crush and a gentleman chasing her now. She also has an elderly lady who really tries to make herself at home and fancies herself as a sleuth. When there is a murder, they have to try and figure out what happened along with Donna's detective friend Daniel. A good mystery.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

**SPOILER FREE**


Take yourself back in time... To a younger day... But what you don't expect will all reveal... behind the cover. This book will have you so intrigued with the characters and the story. To me this was a quick, smooth, fast read with some twist that you think you see coming. The author takes you on a journey of days to some may be good but to others... maybe not so much. A book you will enjoy!


*Received for an honest review*

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Painted Lady Inn is beyond capacity as Donna gives up her room for a guest during Reunion weekend. Unfortunately, her B&B website must be a little too good, because she has attracted several classmates she would have rather avoided. There is the former cheerleader Terri, who has hated Donna since she danced one dance with Terri's date when she was in the restroom. Then there is Wyn, Terri's high school dance date, who is here with his wife and hooks up with Terri. Finally, there is Arnie, the one responsible for Donna's high school "nickname" of Hot Mamma. Of those three, it is a tie as to who she would like to avoid the most, but of course as the hostess, she doesn't have that privilege. Other guests include a Santa Claus wanna be, a couple in town for a wedding that kidnap Donna's dog, a gay couple who are scouting around to open a competitive B&B and gathering all Donna's ideas, an old lady intent on finding hidden diamonds that legend says are in the property, and a quiet woman who keeps to herself round out the guestlist.

Donna is having a hard time being congenial when guests invade the kitchen and demand extra drink that is not part of her careful budget. Then under the guise of assisting Donna, that guest bargains for reduced rates since she is "helping" even though it is unwanted! The reunion guests are demanding and unpleasant, except for Arnie who is overly attentive to Donna even though she does her best to fend him off. Meanwhile Donna is being run ragged and reduced to sleeping on a cot in a pantry.

When Wyn's irate wife comes looking for him the next morning, Wyn is nowhere to be found. Donna's brother Daniel takes her for a walk to calm her down, but they find Wyn instead. Face down in a stream in a rather undesirable area. Now Donna must solve the murder without drawing attention to the Inn. The last thing she wants is bad publicity!

The book continues with Donna "helping" the police investigation, much to the chagrin of her detective friend. There are several funny scenes and a couple twists that caught me by surprise. I liked the way the author resolved several situations and how she left others to our imagination. This was an enjoyable book, and not filled with all the usual cozy mystery characters.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Painted Lady Inn is open for business and limping along in the B and B world. A high school reunion package assembles Donna's least desirable classmates, including the backstabbing cheerleader, her narcissistic high school crush, and Arnie, whose cheesy poem had everyone calling her, hot mama. It's all something she liked to forget. These are the normal guests. An octogenarian self-proclaimed sleuth, Father Christmas, a dognapping couple, and a pair who is copying everything in the Inn to set up their own competitive establishment rounds out the group. Maria, the sister-in-law, has a matchmaking agenda for Donna. Daniel, her brother, finds himself serving as a referee with one guest's multiple wives. Detective Mark Taber is on the trail of the murderer, when he isn't interfering in a smitten Arnie's determined bid to woo the no nonsense innkeeper. High school reunions can be murder. Very readable. Holds your interest. Humorous. Great characters. Highly recommend. 4 stars.