It's Christmastime in Charm, North Carolina, and while Everly Swan would prefer to focus on decorating her iced tea shop and café for its first holiday season, Great-Aunt Fran has decided to run for mayor against her long-time nemesis. But when the other candidate turns up dead just before the first scheduled debate, all eyes turn to Fran as the suspect with the most obvious motive.
As a rare blizzard threatens to bury all evidence, small-town holiday cheer turns to suspicion. and the tension between Everly and the handsome Detective Grady Hays builds. Everly knows her sweet, elderly Aunt Fran couldn't have murdered anyone, but as she struggles to find the real killer, it begins to seem like this may be the last happy holiday her family will ever have. Can she tie this Christmas mystery up in a bow before it's too late? This next book in Bree Baker's cozy mysteries will keep you guessing right up to the end![summary via Amazon]
I'm so hooked on the Seaside Cafe Mysteries that I accidentally bought book 4, A Call for Kelp, and I had to wait for my local bookstore to order in the third book, Tide and Punishment. Well guess what? It was completely worth the wait!!
It's Christmas in Charm and the little seaside village is covered in snow! Snow being something of a novelty has caused all the mishaps that snow will cause. However, what Everly Swan is not expecting is to be in the middle of another murder investigation. This is what happens when the Mayor is found dead outside her cafe, and the police have her Aunt Fran fingered for the crime. Everly must solve the murder and save Christmas!!
Love, love, love, love!!! I know readers must be sick of me saying this about every series I read. The truth is I'm lucky to pick up tremendously readable books, and I love shouting from the rooftop how much I love them!
I love every visit to Charm, and its almost becoming a virtual holiday destination. I can't wait to see what Everly's aunts are up to when I visit Blessed Bee. What Amelia has going on at the cozy, cute bookstore, and of course what Everly is serving at her cafe! It really is like visiting old friends. That is, if old friends got themselves in the middle of a murder investigation.
I enjoyed the mystery element. I did manage to guess the killer's identity early on, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Bree Baker delivers such a great story, that if you manage to guess the murderer, you still want to read on and see how it all unravels.
Tide and Punishment was a home-run for me! It had all the elements I love... mystery, a little romance, and that cozy feeling of being in a small town where [almost] everyone cares about each other. It wrapped me up in that cozy feeling of Christmas hope, and I'm so glad I picked it up as a "Christmas in July" read.
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