REVIEW: A Grave Issue

A Grave Issue
Author: Lillian Bell

After 10 years away, Desiree Turner has returned to her hometown, Verbena, CA, and the family business -- Turner Family Funeral Home. Soon after she returns, a prominent Verbena businessman is murdered...shot through the forehead. The problem all started with feuding neighbors, dogs, a dead emu and a fist fight between two women at a funeral. It's not just small town drama because a man is dead, and a longtime Turner family friend is arrested for his murder. Desiree knows Kyle Hansen didn't kill anyone. But she's going to have to prove it.

I enjoyed this book. It was fun reading about Desiree's return to her hometown....dealing with former boyfriends, rivals, and annoying reporters. The story is a bit of a double mystery....the murder and all the drama surrounding it, plus the disappearance of Desiree's father two years before. The mystery moves along at a nice pace with plenty of suspects, gossip and investigation. Desiree does a good job of juggling funerals and sleuthing. I like her as a main character. She's feisty, but not foolish. Her friend Jasmine is a great sidekick and there are enough small town quirky folks to make the tale interesting. The ending was not a surprise, but there were some nice action packed events leading up to the final arrest. All in all, a nice beginning for a new cozy series!

Lillian Bell also writes the Popcorn Shop cozy series (as Kristin Bell). She also writes as Eileen Rendahl and Eileen Carr. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.eileenrendahl.com/

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**