Celeste Cabot has a flair for painting—and a touch of paranormal talent too. She’s just arrived to sell her artwork at a big craft fair in North Carolina, complete with rides, games, and deep-fried everything. But the sunny landscape takes on a darker hue when her Chihuahua, Van Gogh, leads her to the riverbank—and to a body that was definitely not part of her design.
With help from a handsome fellow artist, Celeste sets out to draw the brazen killer onto her canvas. She’ll need to balance the victim’s past, a suspected love triangle, and a long-ago accident—and also consult with a medium and a spirit—to try to paint a murderous fiend into a corner . . .[summary via Amazon]
Last year, I picked up the first book in the Haunted Craft Fair Mysteries, Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece, and I was completely in love with the characters and setting, and couldn't wait for another adventure.
Celeste Cabot and her adorable Chihuahua "Van" Gogh are back at another craft fair. And, because it is Celeste we know there is mystery and mayhem around the corner! After setting up at the craft fair, Celeste stumbles across the body of a stranger by the river. Celeste, being her nosy self, can't resist investigating the crime. Even though she has two capable police officers on hand, in the case of Caleb and Pierce, Celeste, with the help of a wandering ghost, throws herself headlong into the mystery.
I love the concept of the Haunted Craft Fair Mysteries. Celeste is an artist, that sells her paintings at craft fairs. Each mystery is a new location, albeit close to home, so that her quirky family make an appearance. I like the concept of a new location each time, as we're not stumbling across the same characters all the time. While some familiar characters remain (remember her quirky family) we get introduced to new characters, and have to learn about suspects and decipher clues, which is my favourite part!
There was a lot at play in this mystery. The victim seemed like she was super nice, and no-one would want to hurt her, but there are a lot of creepy and mysterious people at the fair. Celeste certainly has more than a few suspects to choose from. It was difficult for me to figure out who the killer was, and I didn't manage it before Celeste did.
This is a fun, intelligent series. I really enjoy the romance and mystery angles, but it's Celeste's family that is the most intriguing. Her brothers are always causing some kind of trouble, including lighting things on fire in the front yard, and I find the connection between Celeste and her father really interesting. I'm looking forward to discovering more in later books!!
If you enjoy ghosts popping in, an interesting mystery, with a strong romance aspect I strongly recommend this series. Murder Can Confuse Your Chihuahua is a great second mystery in this series, and I can't wait for the next book.
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