REVIEW: Hospitality and Homicide

Hospitality and Homicide
Author: Lynn Cahoon

Because I love Lynn Cahoon's Cat Latimer cozy series, when I saw Hospitality and Homicide available for review, I jumped right on it. The book is #8 in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series, but as with most cozy series a reader can usually jump in mid-stream and still enjoy the story. I'm so glad I read this book! I just started a very challenging new job, and I'm really feeling the pressure. Today was my day off....I curled up on the couch with some awesome coffee and devoured this book from cover to cover!

Delightful!!!

I am definitely going to read the rest of this series!

The basics: Jill Garner runs her own business, Coffee, Books and More, in South Cove, CA. She is dating local hunky cop, Greg, and has many friends and associates around town. Mystery writer, Nathan Pike, is in town to do some signing events, research at the local police department (much to Greg's chagrin) and write. Things heat up in South Cove when a local B&B owner is found murdered in a gruesome way that mirrors a scene from Nathan's new book. As in most cozy mysteries, Jill decides to put her amateur sleuthing skills to the test and ferret out the murderer. Again, much to Cop boyfriend Greg's chagrin.

The plotline is pretty much standard cozy mystery. Shocking murder. Main character starts investigating for clues, even after multiple cautionary statements from local police. Trouble ensues. Killer discovered. Kiss Kiss. The end. :)

It wasn't the plot that made me like this book so much. I love the characters! Jill is independent, intelligent, and feisty. Her aunt is controlling, yet endearing. The employees at the coffee house are a bit stereotypical, but very likable. And the cop boyfriend isn't controlling or condescending....he's patient, intelligent and good at his job. Cahoon did not paint local law enforcement as bumbling idiots who needed assistance from a local businesswoman to solve a crime....but rather as hard-working cops trying to solve a case. Jill was providing extra information that she gleaned through talking to people, listening to gossip and being a bit sneaky. All in all, the characters, the setting, and the smooth flowing plot made this an excellent book to lose myself in on my day off.

I'm going to backtrack and read the first 7 books in this series. That should tide me over until Lynn Cahoon finishes another book. :) Book 3 in the Cat Latimer Series, Of Murder and Men,  comes out this November. And book 9 in the Tourist Trap series, Killer Party, will be available this July!