Live and Let Fly

Kite Shop Mystery #2

by Clover Tate

Kite shop owner Emmy Adler becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation that could send her dreams crashing to the ground...

With summer drawing to a close in Rock Point, Oregon, Emmy Adler hopes to beat the seasonal drop in business by winning the annual kite festival. What better way to garner publicity for the handmade kites sold in her shop, Strings Attached? In the days leading up to the festival, Emmy's ambitions are soaring. Even an argument with reality TV star and contest judge Jasmine Normand can't bring her down. But when Jasmine is found dead the morning after their altercation, Emmy's no longer flying high.

When the police open an investigation into Jasmine's death and deem it a murder, Emmy falls under suspicion. With a national tabloid reporter convinced that she is guilty and business at her shop at a standstill, Emmy has to trade kite making for crime solving--or find all of her ambitions blown off course.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

295 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 5, 2017

About the author

As Angela M. Sanders, this author writes the Joanna Hayworth vintage clothing mysteries, the Booster Club capers, and the Witch Way Librarian cozies.

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a kite contest coming to town, and Emmy Adler has pinned her hopes on winning. She thinks that the fame will drive people to her website and help her shop survive the upcoming winter. The judge is, Jasmine Normand, a local who gained fame on a reality show, and Emmy has a run in with her in the weeks leading up to the contest. When Jasmine turns up dead, a tabloid starts insinuating that Emmy had something to do with the death. Can she learn the truth and save her reputation?

Emmy’s town is a wonderful Oregon beach side town, and the atmosphere makes me want to settle in for a vacation. The mystery starts out strong, but loses some steam in the middle before coming back to life for a great climax. Emmy is learning some patience, and it shows in this book. I enjoyed seeing her and the rest of the returning characters again. The new cast of characters are just as strong.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The song from Mary Poppins “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” started playing in my head as soon as I saw this book cover. But kite flying is not all fun and games in Rock Point, Oregon, especially when Emmy is getting ready for the annual kite festival. Her shop’s future could depend on whether she wins or loses. A celebrity has been brought in to judge the event but she and Emmy get off to a terrible start with an argument in front of in front of a bunch of people. When the judge is killed soon after she becomes a prime suspect. She may have information to clear herself but a member of the paparazzi is not letting her off the hook. To save Strings Attached? she is really going to have to fly around to prove her innocence or all her dreams may go “Up, Up, and Away”.

I really enjoyed my literary trip to Rock Point. Kites in the air, waves crashing on the beach, the wind in my hair and murder to solve.

As in Blown Away, the first book in this series, the story starts out at a good clip. Emmy’s sister Sunny drops in for an unexpected and what could be a lengthy visit, and she has not informed her parents where she is. If Emmy keeps Sunny’s whereabouts a secret from her mom she knows it is going to come back and bite her, but she is too stressed out about the kite she is creating to enter in the festival and all the tourists coming to town. I admire Emmy’s patience with her sister. I wanted to jump into the pages more than once and pummel the girl myself.

Avery’s busy too at the Brew House, so Sunny moving in is no big deal for her. Emmy has gotten close to Jack Sullivan, the owner of the other kit store in town. They are competing against each other in the Best Kite division, and she is looking forward to taking him down. 🙂 Other characters from book one have returned, including a certain Australian Shepherd, and we are introduced to a few new ones too, Hollywood types and the entourage that follows them. All were highly entertaining.

Midway through the story, the pace levels out just a bit but then as the clues start to fall into place and the suspect/s start to feel the pressure the pace heats up again. My pages were flying. The plot was well thought through with surprising twists. The subplots were interesting and I am excited about the next book to see some of them continue.

I love that Emmy creates one-of-kind kites. I was really into sewing and quilting before my accident and she uses several techniques I am very familiar with. It is nice to read about something I used to love to do so much. The author described it all so well. I could almost feel like it was my hand pushing the needle through the fabric. The colors described were so bright and appealing too.

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this second book in the series even better than the first one.
Rock Point is a beautiful town that I would love to live in and help Emmy and her friends investigate the murders. A well written mystery and great characters. I like the newly introduced ones just as much as the already familiar ones.
Looking forward to the next installment.

[Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. The writing is very smooth and the plot develops very naturally. The characters are very believable. Live and Let Fly is a relaxing book which kept my attention throughout. I am looking forward to the third installment of this series!

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock Point has a kite contest coming soon that could help Emmy Adler's fledgling kite store survive the winter season. If only the judge hadn't died and Emmy suspected in the murder. Good book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever mystery

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Fun, good mystery, lots of interesting characters.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Live and Let Fly by Clover Tate is the second book in A Kite Shop Mystery series. Emmy Adler owns Strings Attached in Rock Point, Oregon. She is busy preparing her kite for the upcoming kite festival. Emmy needs to win for the publicity to help keep her fledgling shop open over the winter. Emmy is working on her kite when her sister, Sunny arrives unexpectedly and states she is moving in with Emmy. Sunny has quit college and wants to think over her options for her future. While drinking tea, Sunny manages to spill her cup and stain Emmy’s kite. Emmy heads to Brew House and sees Jack Sullivan talking with guest judge, Jasmine Normand. Emmy ends up causing a scene. The next morning, Jasmine Normand is found dead, and Emmy is a person of interest. Business at Strings Attached takes a nosedive, so Emmy sets out to find Jasmine’s killer. When not busy with her investigation, Emmy starts working on a new kite for the competition. Unfortunately, Sunny ends up burning a hole in it. Maybe the third one will be a winner. Can Emmy find the culprit before the competition begins? Does she stand a chance of getting a kite finished in time with Sunny around?

Live and Let Fly is the second installment in A Kite Shop Mystery series, but it can be read alone. I like that Emmy makes unique one-of-a kind kites. Emmy, though, is bland and I did not like her interactions with Jack Sullivan (jealousy and overreacting when Jack wanted to discuss their relationship). Her sister, Sunny, outshines her throughout the story with her clumsiness, financial advice, and gregarious personality. I found the novel to be slow paced and lacking in action. There was a lot of time devoted to walking, eating, and talking. There is a little action towards the very end of the book. I am giving Live and Let Fly 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery has more than one component and is slightly complex. Most armchair sleuths will have no problem figuring out the solution. I was never drawn into Live and Let Fly. It is one of those stories that I read, but my mind was never fully engaged. I felt that the author did not fully develop her world or characters. Cozy mystery readers who enjoy light, humorous stories will enjoy reading Live and Let Fly. There is humor, romance, a mystery and beautiful kites in Live and Let Fly.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked book 1 of this series and book 2, Live and Let Fly is even better. Good mystery, solid writing, characters you'd like to know -- well some of them .... you know, the killer and all. She takes on some issues and gives you a second look. Definitely one to not just add to your TBR but to move to the top and read.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/li...

Live and Let Fly
Kite Shop Mystery, Book #2
By Clover Tate
ISBN13: 9780425283554
Author website: angelamsanders(.)com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt


Synopsis:

Kite shop owner Emmy Adler becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation that could send her dreams crashing to the ground…

With summer drawing to a close in Rock Point, Oregon, Emmy Adler hopes to beat the seasonal drop in business by winning the annual kite festival. What better way to garner publicity for the handmade kites sold in her shop, Strings Attached? In the days leading up to the festival, Emmy’s ambitions are soaring. Even an argument with reality TV star and contest judge Jasmine Normand can’t bring her down. But when Jasmine is found dead the morning after their altercation, Emmy’s no longer flying high.

When the police open an investigation into Jasmine’s death and deem it a murder, Emmy falls under suspicion. With a national tabloid reporter convinced that she is guilty and business at her shop at a standstill, Emmy has to trade kite making for crime solving–or find all of her ambitions blown off course.

Review:

Live and Let Fly is the second installment in author Clover Tate’s “Kite Shop Mystery” series. The characters are more developed than the first one which is usually the case. I already really liked them from reading that one, so now they are becoming more like friends, lol. Strings Attached owner Emmy Adler is feeling more comfortable as her shop has been doing well. Unfortunately summer is almost over and as it goes so do the seasonal customers. She has been trying to figure out a way to make it through the winter months and the annual kite festival of Rock Point, Oregon may just be the ticket. What a way to get an in with the contest when Emmy gets into a verbal fight with the judge. Not a good move for sure.

Reality star Jasmine Normand is the judge of the important kite festival and now Emmy has gotten off on the wrong foot. Just when she thought she had the perfect handmade kite. Well, she did have if it didn’t keep getting ruined by her sister who by the way I would have hurt badly. Unfortunately that silly argument has put Emmy in the crosshairs as the prime suspect. Could she have seen something that could help the police find the real culprit? She will have to work twice as hard to not only get a winning kite made, but also prove her own innocence.

There are several things about this read (and the series) that really appeal to me. One, I love the setting. Rock Point sounds amazing, the author is able to transport me right there with her enjoyable writing style. Also, I enjoy the characters. It is a slower than normal pull for me and maybe that is because I know nothing about kites or sewing. As this installment progresses, however, I was pulled into the characters, their relationships and their lives more and more. I will truly enjoy spending more time with them soon. The mystery is entertaining and mixed with the day to day lives of the characters, it worked for me.

Live and Let Fly was a fun read and a good follow up to the first in this series. I think it can easily be read as a standalone. The characters are developed and I will enjoy seeing their continued growth in the next book. This cozy has a wonderful setting, a good mystery and entertaining characters. Emmy is a intelligent and very human protagonist. She has her problems, her quirks and her issues just like the rest of us. That makes her very likable to me. I really enjoyed this read. Thanks to author Clover Tate’s descriptive writing style I was able to visualize all the art involved in the kite making, the town and the houses. Next time someone tells you to go fly a kite, pick this read up and settle in for some cozy fun.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

[Ami Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmy Adler hopes to beat the seasonal drop in buisness by winning the annual kite festival. In the days leading up the the fest, Emmy's hopes are soaring. Even and argument with the contest judge can't bring her down. But, when the judge is later found dead, Emmy falls under suspition.

This is book 2 in the Kite Shop series. Book 1 suffered from an almost unlikable main Character, Emmy. She was stubborn, childish, and foolish. I was extremely happy to see that in book 2, those qualities of Emmy were dialed back and she was much more likeable. Yay! She was much more level- headed and not only was she more likeable, but it made the book much more fun as well.

The story, along with it's subplots were pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed seeing more the cast of characters from the first book. The story was not too predictable and I was glad to see that the story wasn't bogged down by romantic interests.

I look forward to seeing where this series goes from here.

[Kayt18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another entertaining installment in this cute cozy series. "Live and Let Fly" is the second book in author Clover Tate's "Kite Shop Mystery" series. The characters are enjoyable, the mystery is solid, the writing style is descriptive and entertaining. A wonderful read for any time of year.
I was given a copy by the publisher. The opinion is my own

[Mary Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still have my doubts

Kinda doubt that any town with only seasonal traffic can support two kite shops even if they do focus on different kites. Still, this book made me check Amazon for kites ...

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little cozy that I enjoyed. I like the description of the town. It sounds like somewhere I'd like to visit. The characters are likable. The plot was sufficiently clever enough that I didn't guess the culprit. There's another one in this series, so I think I'll read it next.

[Joellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this one kept it a mystery tell it was in the final pages. woo whoo good stuff.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cozy mystery and a great book 2 to new series.

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

A enjoyable read. Like the characters and the plot.

[ANNE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series to read.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

It's a cozy mystery and does all the cozy mystery things. I can see why the series didn't make it past the third book.

[Diana Rosengard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another clever mystery from Clover Tate!

Great twists, just like the first, and the introduction of Emmy's sister is a welcome expansion of the cast. A fun read.

[Suzanne Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the coziest murder mystery that I’ve read. Still not my fav genre, but the least spooky. Pretty good characters, clean.