Capers and Carnage

by Constance Barker

Welcome to The Blue Spruce Coffee Shop Where the Java is Hot and the Murder is Cold Blooded The Purcell women love this time of year in New pumpkins, fallen leaves, and Myrtle Lake’s annual Harvest Festival! They’re busy decorating the coffee shop and whipping up spicy autumn treats as their neighbors trade quips and crack wise. Then Jameson Creel, owner of the village’s sole convenience store, dies in a highly suspicious car crash. Despite the Sheriff’s warning to stay out of official business, Carla, Charlie, and retired detective Saylor Reeves jump into the fray, eager to settle matters before their seasonal shindig hits high gear. They surface suspects like a militant mechanic, a mutinous manager, and a lax lawman, and feel they’re about to close the case in record time. Then law enforcement latches onto village favorite Jarvis the sea captain as prime suspect, and the coffee shop crew surges into overdrive. As they fight frantically to untangle the clues in time to save their friend, news comes that the creepy lights in the forest aren’t spectral at all. Folks see human figures laboring in the dark. But who’s out there? And what are they doing under cover of night? Carla and Charlie have a bad feeling about this one. Something stinks in Myrtle Lake, and it's not just the bird turds found in the wrecked muscle car. Only the Myrtle Lake crew can root out the rot.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2022

About the author

Constance Barker lives in the Midwest with her husband and two Akitas where she can look out from her screened porch onto a wooded area brimming with activity. Since she was a young girl she read mysteries, often given to her by her grandmother. She loved figuring out who the culprit was and sometimes she was right and other times startled at who the author picked as the assailant. Now she enjoys writing mysteries herself. When she isn't writing stories, she can be found in her favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas or shopping for bargains.

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turkeys, turkeys, and still more turkeys!!! Don’t go there if you don’t have a large dog who isn’t afraid of turkeys!!! I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 and it was great! I love learning more about the usual characters in the book and the murder mystery is always well done. The mynah bird still cracks me up all the time!



Amazon synopsis:
The Purcell women love this time of year in New England: pumpkins, fallen leaves, and Myrtle Lake’s annual Harvest Festival! They’re busy decorating the coffee shop and whipping up spicy autumn treats as their neighbors trade quips and crack wise.

Then Jameson Creel, owner of the village’s sole convenience store, dies in a highly suspicious car crash. Despite the Sheriff’s warning to stay out of official business, Carla, Charlie, and retired detective Saylor Reeves jump into the fray, eager to settle matters before their seasonal shindig hits high gear. They surface suspects like a militant mechanic, a mutinous manager, and a lax lawman, and feel they’re about to close the case in record time.

Then law enforcement latches onto village favorite Jarvis the sea captain as prime suspect, and the coffee shop crew surges into overdrive. As they fight frantically to untangle the clues in time to save their friend, news comes that the creepy lights in the forest aren’t spectral at all. Folks see human figures laboring in the dark.

[Wannee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Enjoyable Cozy Mystery in Myrtle Lake Retirement Village!!!

Capers and Carnage is the third book in a Myrtle Lake Cozy Mystery Series.

People in Myrtle Lake are getting ready for the Annual Harvest Festival then Jameson Creel, owner of the village’s sole convenience store, dies in a highly suspicious car crash. Carla, owner of The Blue Spruce coffee shop, her granddaughter Charlie, and a retired detective Saylor Reeves jump into investigate and find a long list of suspects. When one of their friend becomes a prime suspect, the coffee shop crew need to surges into overdrive to solve the murder ASAP. And what about those creepy lights in the forest that folks see human figures laboring in the dark, what is going on in Myrtle Lake???

I had a great fun reading this book and enjoying it tremendously, it's a quick fast paced cozy mystery full of suspense, action, humor, and romance with wonderful quirky characters, a real page turner with a lot of twists and turns. I highly recommend this book to any cozy mystery fans and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better! I love how all the cafe regulars work together and sleuth on a case. Most of the times, they're in smaller groups like Carla and Saylor pairing off or Cleo going off to the woods with Robbie and his art buyer-who may or may not be another admirer of Miss Cleo. Ok, Robbie boy, you better speak up now, lol.

The case was really weird and the sleuths were scrambling to figure out what bird droppings had to do with a guy fatally wrecking in his car. And how or if were those darn ghost lights involved? Were they finally getting closer to solving the ghost light mystery? You'll need to read and find out!

The showdown was exciting and pretty cool how Carla and Saylor managed to distract the perp for a minute. Just when it was looking bad, the proverbial cavalry arrived in time. The ending was super cute, and now I'm eager to borrow the next book in KU. It's coming out the 22nd, so I only have four days to wait.

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder and mayhem keep things interesting for our elderly crew. Just the sort of thing to get the blood pumping (that and a good dose of caffeine).

This is book three of the series, but each book is written as a standalone, so feel free to start anywhere.

This is a cozy mystery set in a retirement village and there are no witches involved here. The story is well written and easy to read with a fun cast of characters as they are very eclectic and provide plenty of humor. Our characters may be a bit more mature than most, but with age comes wisdom and a healthy dose of stubbornness that can come in handy. This mystery has the usual twists and turns and definitely keeps the reader engaged. Overall, a great continuation series and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whooee... So much happens in Lawson and the retirement village! Another suspicious death and those ghost lights in the woods are the focus of this volume. And Robbie sells some art work for serious money as well. Then love is in the air and... Wait! You need to read this for yourself. It's fun, fast paced, and full of terrific characters.

Anyone who thinks a retirement village equals dull or boring reading, hasn't met Carla, Saylor, Charlie, and the gang. Full of energy and surprises, this entertaining book was over all too soon. I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you have never had the dubious joy of meeting domestic critters gone feral, you might not fully appreciate the colorfully depicted critter encounters in this humorous small town cozy.

the cafe provides s central hub for action- and essential small town gossip, and the through folks connected salon keeps hair and nails stylish, and the latest dish served hot and up to date

fun and country colorful

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saylor Darla and Charlie are out to solve a murder staged as an accident when one of their friends becomes a suspect. Mysterious lights in the woods at night also confound the residents of the town. The characters are quirky, fun and really addictive to read about. The twists and turns, surprises and drama keep you glued to the pages. The storyline is well written with lots of great banter and deducting along the way. Totally enjoyed this story and can not wait to read more of this group.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are getting ready for Halloween and things are about to change when the sole convenient shop owner is killed in a supposed car accident. They believe it was not an accident and against orders, they start to look into what happed. Will they find the killer? Can they keep,safe? What will the killer do if they get too close? Follow them to see if they find the killer

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristi]

Mystery, suspense, mayhem and murder. The ingredients for a perfect cozy mystery that will grab your attention and keep you turning the pages. The characters are fun, engaging and bring a bit of entertainment to the story.

This is book 3 in the series but it can be read as a stand alone book so you won't feel lost if you haven't read the previous books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aimee Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This such a fun story with these characters as they figure to figure out who was behind the murder of Jameson Creel. This story will have some twist and turns, that will have your reading to find out what happens next.

I enjoy all the books this author has written, I enjoyed my time in this world. I recommend reading this book/ series.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ghost lights mystery has been solved! Along with a few other mysteries! I hope Charlie gets over her insecurities and goes out with Simon. I think they would be perfect for each other. I enjoyed getting to know the other characters better in this book. What a fun group of individuals. I enjoyed reading this mystery!

[Angela Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read in this series, I really enjoyed it! We learn about the mystery ghost lights in the forest, which I’ve been waiting for! There is lots more going on too! I love all the characters! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot, poor proofreading

The story is good, but all the word and punctuation mistakes are really quite distracting. A capable proofreader or editor would have caught the mistakes and made this a 5 star read instead of a 3 star.

[JANE VAN HORN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This is the 3rd book in the Myrtle lake series by Constance Barker. I love all of the characters and the setting. 8 can't wait for the next book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable cozy.

[Andrea Latham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story a little better than the first 2 stories in the series but the virtual voice looses a lot of my interest in the story.