Published: October 26, 2015
Number of pages: 260
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Canterville Book Shop Mystery #1
Synopsis:
Christmas at Canterville! Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are surprised to find a dead man on their roof in the midst of rushing to open the Canterville Book Shop in time for the holidays. And not just any dead man – Ebenezer Hart – the man who opposed the book shop opening in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia.
What might be more surprising is when Daniel Fairhaven – Lisa’s ex – turns up at the door of the three-story Victorian house to head the police investigation. She hasn’t seen him in years but the sparks start to fly as soon as they are in the same room together.
Simon and Lisa are obviously the best suspects for the murder. Each of them had something to gain by Hart’s death. Then an attempt on Simon’s life throws that theory into a tailspin.
But the biggest surprise yet comes when the ghost of Charles Dickens turns up to help Lisa with the murder investigation – and writing the mystery novel she has been working on for years.
Without a doubt, Daniel and Dickens in Lisa’s life means trouble. And there’s still the matter of trying to get the book shop open with a killer on their heels.
What did I think of this book:
This new series has me hooked. There are so many things about this book that I like: a bookshop, ghosts and murder. Poor Lisa had so much going on - a murder, her partner being poisoned, a ghost talking to her and scaring her and then her ex-husband is the detective. I thought Simon (Lisa's partner in the bookshop) was a cute old man and felt bad when he was poisoned. I also liked how Lisa and Daniel (Lisa's ex-husband) played off of each other and am hoping we see their relationship blossom in the upcoming books. I did not like Ashcroft I thought he was an ungrateful son. Also I do not like The Admiral or Mrs. Tappen, I think they are rude and uppity. It was funny to watch how Dickens would come around and talk to Lisa. I can't wait to see what other "ghosts/authors" appear in future books as well as what kind of trouble Lisa can get herself into.
About the author:
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery and urban fantasy fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. Their first mystery novel, Last Dance, won the Master's Choice Award for best first mystery novel in 1999. Their romance, Flowers in the Night, was nominated for the Frankfurt Book Award in 2000.They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Penguin, Amazon, and Simon and Schuster that are sold worldwide. They have also published hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in Midland, North Carolina with their family and their rescue pets--Rudi, Stan Lee, and Quincy.
Visit them at:
Author Website
Amazon
Thank you for posting this review. It was awesome.
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