Dead Men Don't Play Fetch: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (An Andy Carpenter Novel, 33), by David Rosenfelt

 

Publication July 7, 2026

Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter never lets me down. Always well written with not just great characters and frequently laugh out loud humor, but dogs. Andy has been trying to retire as a lawyer for about as long as I've been reading this series but never quite manages. This time he's roped into a seemingly impossible case with all the evidence seeming to point at his client. Why would any self-respecting lawyer, especially one wanting to retire, take on such a case?  There's a dog involved. For long time fans, that will come as no surprise as Andy is all about dogs and started the Tara Foundation. The Tara Foundation is real, btw, and headed by Rosenfelt. If you're new to his work, make sure you find the non-fiction story of his cross-country move with, well, lots of dogs. 

In any case, back to this book. I won't detail the plot as the book's blurb does an excellent job doing that. Instead, I'll simply say you will enjoy a mystery with lots of twists and turns, legal wrangling, a well-fleshed out regular cast, and humor. And, did I mention, dogs? You'll enjoy Andy's one-sided chats with Tara during their walks, I'm sure. As for the human characters, Andy's investigative team, headed by Laurie, his ex-cop wife, is top notch and, did I mention, includes a K-9 member? Have fun getting to know them all. His newspaper editor and police chief friends are also fun, albeit I'm sure even Andy has lost track of the tab they're run up on him at their favorite meeting place. You'll even meet a few less savory types, hopefully when Marcus is around to keep Andy from getting himself killed. He does seem to have the knack of annoying some organized crime figures. His lawyer opponent in the courtroom is an old nemesis, so it's fun to see them spar, too, although I'm sure just about any judge would prefer Andy be a bit less snarky and more by the book. 

Bottom line, I  recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humor and is curious about how a lawyer might go about collecting evidence via investigating.  His easy relationship with his wife and the team members is a plus and you'll feel like you're among friends as you listen to their plans and shared info. And, of course, there are the dogs. The client's dog, Hope, is a huge part of why Andy finds himself back in the courtroom despite all his best(?) efforts to avoid taking cases, of course. Andy's sarcasm is nicely fine-tuned but so is his legal mind, one lucky enough to have a fantastic team behind him. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me this early peek into Andy's latest courtroom drama and all the humor, snark, and dogs that surround him. Something tells me Laurie won't allow his brain to atrophy too long before the next case even if Tara continues to remain mum on her opinion. 

The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair: The Detection Club, Book 4, by Kelly Oliver

 Publication June 2, 2026

I'm usually drawn to this series for the history mixed with the story but this time the focus seemed to be, while drawn from a real event, more of an ominous good story than history. Don't get me wrong. I fell into the ooze of the story immediately and I use the word "ooze" deliberately. While we don't get much history here, we do get a grand overview of the moody isle of Sky. That's where Agatha Christie married her archeologist beau Max Mallowen in reality. The tone is essentially set from the first page when Christie associate Eliza Baker's beagle Queenie is being tossed about on on the decks of the ferry taking Eliza and her associate and potential romantic partner Theo to the ceremony to meet up with others. The party had expected to be the only ones at the lodge but discover they're sharing the premises with a hunting party put together by a rather haughty Lord Blackwood. His wife is with him but, well, rather obviously not happy to be there. You'll find out why as you read. Let's just cut to the chase and  say the hunting party of four goes hunting and only three of them return. They all had good reasons to be glad he didn't. 

The author does an excellent job describing the wild, seemingly largely uninhabited area with its many potential dangers. And, what's that talk from lodge hostess, young Maisie, about ghosts? Why is she so nervous? The hunting party just laughs off Lord Blackwood's failure to return, saying it's not out of the usual for him. His wife adds that he has done this before, simply going off to the local village for awhile. Eliza isn't so sure but, well, her Scotland Yard training has her "something isn't right" nerves on edge. As for Theo, he has her back but is more of a dreamy poet type, one fonder of fiction as opposed to Eliza's "just the facts" sensibilities. Hard to believe they've danced around a relationship so far but it's obvious Theo is thoroughly smitten while, shh, as reluctant as her heart is to admit it, Eliza has grown fonder and fonder of him. You'll get the background for her reticence when it comes to being involved as the story goes along. Theo, who is the son of an Earl, came from a much more privileged background than Eliza but has been a disappointment to his father the Earl. Agatha Christie is focused on her upcoming marriage, of course, but one has to believe that both she and friend Dorothy Sayers are taking notes for future books. We meet the groom to be late in the book but also Agatha's daughter, While I probably did know about her, I had long forgotten, so that was a bit of new info to me.

In any case, lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing as you try to nail whodunit before Eliza and Theo. There are some rather spooky scenes. I mean, how does a dead body get out of its grave? Who kidnaps both Agatha's daughter and young Callum, part of the lodge managers' family? For whom or what does the bell toll? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Would you go merrily traipsing off onto the moors alone with a murderer about? Yep, you guessed it. Eliza does. She also is rather rash in her questioning, in my mind making herself a target. You'll also get to know both Eliza and Theo better as you're given insight into their mind set on their budding romance. And....oh, plenty more, including climbing towering bell towers, wandering through a graveyard, and daring to follow a potential killer into dangerous, seemingly uncharted caves. And, oh, yes, the missing children. 

But, enough teasers. While I was disappointed not to get my usual history lesson this go-round, the odd mix of budding romance and the ominous, spooky mood, and, shiver, some of the events definitely kept me reading. I actually figured out a plot twist fairly early on, yea, me, but still didn't manage to put it all together until the rather unexpected big reveal. I definitely liked seeing Queenie being a real part of the plot rather than just an accessory, too. Virtual treats for Queenie. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for introducing me to this intriguing set of characters and letting me time travel back (September 1930) for an early peek at how life is treating the curious and oh, so, determined Eliza and her back-up and wannabe more than friends friend Theo. That ending definitely has me ready for the next book!

 

Probable Caws: A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries #39), by Donna Andrews

 

Publication August , 2026

First, a brief digression. When I sat down, I realized I had three reviews to do and was reaching for one when I happened to notice that this would be my 1000th review for the NetGalley review program. I immediately began to debate which review to give that distinction (which no one but me cares about, most likely) to and ultimately opted for "Probably Caws" by Donna Andrews. Andrews was one of the cozy mystery authors who hooked me on the genre and, if push came to shove, would be one of the handful of names I'd give as all-time favorite authors. Not to digress any longer, this book was certainly no exception to my enjoyment of this series. Picking up a Meg Langslow mystery is sort of like spending time with now old friends and enjoying the quirky but "got your back" town of Caerphilly, VA. People there pull together when the going gets tough for one of them and, oh, by, the arrival of some 50 rescued horses in various conditions with multiple needs at Ragnar's Gothic themed estate, and it really is an estate, seems to pull in everyone from school kids and neighbors to the police. Well, as it happens, the police aren't there just to help. Seems Meg, while checking on the horses in the midst of a thunderous rainstorm, finds another body. Nope, not pleasant but not a new thing for Meg, either. And, the investigation is off, albeit Meg is more in the right place at the right time than actually doing any serious investigating. One of the things I've always admired about Meg is that while she all too frequently finds herself in danger, she doesn't tend to go out of her way to dash into such circumstances. 

I'm not going to go into plot details but will note that there are several new to me at least new characters this go-round, primarily those involved in the horse rescue operation. A nasty dispute between brothers Abel and George and potential danger to the horses should they not be moved, has lead to a mass exodus to Ragnar's. And, oh, I'd so love to see some visuals of the settings Andrews describes. While I'm not big on his color scheme and "artistic touches" that seem like they'd suite Dracula's Castle, he's a kind, welcoming and even gentle man contrary to his appearance and the setting. He's also an avid animal lover, hence no hesitation at opening his property to the initial chaos...and some nasty souls who'd like nothing better than to create trouble, the eventual victim one of them. Alibis and evidence kept back from even Meg add to the mystery. And, oh, what happened to that deadly looking knife?

No more plot hints, so on to the characters. As noted, I've come to fully enjoy this cast, even when Meg's grandfather goes into one of his spiels telling us more than we could ever want to know about, uh, animal body functions, for example. That isn't to say we don't learn quite a bit about animals in the process. Being a horse loving kid, I did know much of the info shared about horses but still found it interesting to learn about their potential senses of smell as well as that, hope I'm remembering this right, only 20% of yellow cats are female? We also get info on the idea that the zebra's stripes are biting insect repellents, so to speak, and watch a fun scene of Meg's sons being enlisted to.... well, I won't tell but it's a fun scene. Another absolutely vivid scene involves swans, swans that are not happy to have their turf being invaded by humans. Let's just say the rescue scene involves everything from brooms and rakes to a make-shift....oh, again, I should leave that one for you to discover and chuckle over yourself. There are always such humorous scenes involved in this series and that was one of the big hooks for me. 

Rose Noire gets the spotlight a few times, her soothing manner and knowledge being helpful in many ways. She even manages to make one of the older, once neglected horses far more comfortable by the end. Do be aware, some of the descriptions of the horses and their probably past lives are at the very least mildly disturbing for not just animal lovers but horse lovers. Seeing not just Meg but her family (Mother and Grandmother are away this trip but do check in regularly via the internet) grow to care about these animals is heartwarming and, not really a spoiler, you'll like the ending. Kevin the computer wiz pops in an out albeit largely only at the other end of Meg's phone. Let's just say, while Meg wasn't a real horse person, Kevin is even less so. Fortunately Meg's boys are into horses and already have some background via working with Ragnar's horses. Husband Michael is in and out as he has a day (and, I guess, occasionally night) job, as is the police chief and his extended family and police force. 

And....oh, enough rambling. I obviously thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes well rounded/fleshed out characters and more that a touch of humor and family. In the process, you'll learn quite a bit about various animals and a bit of science. Horse fans may know much of the info shared on horses and will probably nod their heads knowingly at Trouble's not-to-be-desired skill with his nimble lips. Yep, been there. Know that. My thanks to #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for feeding my Meg fix early periodically. I loved the intriguing ending and was delighted to see Tomas's unexpected new friend. Nope, not telling, readers. Read the book. Grin. 

The Windsor Affair, by Melanie Benjamin

 

Publication June 2, 2026

There are countless detailed reviews out there, so I'm going to focus on my own reactions to the book and characters. I liked the book and, much to my only casual interest in the royals, found it fascinating in spots. What can I say? I'm a history buff and it was intriguing to ponder how one woman's actions, Wallis, may have changed history, not to mention how the others responded similarly themselves. 

I found myself understanding Wallis Simpson a bit better perhaps, learning of her background and determination not to be put in the position of ever having to beg for the, let's say, perks of being rich ever again. Despite this, I simply couldn't find much sympathy for her. She was vain, self-centered, and manipulative, determined to have more, more, more. Her mean streak was a mile wide, too, as she seemed to take such pleasure in stabbing her potential and eventual sister-on-law Elizabeth in the back. Actually, many of her nasty digs were barely disguised even in Elizabeth's presence. Don't get me wrong. According to this book, Elizabeth was no saint, either. She was focused on more of the whole picture, however, and not just her own sense of well-being, making her more likable. That said, she was devious at times. 

As for the men, David was well liked and popular with the public, able to engage in idle chatter with strangers easily. Bertie? Not so much. As the "spare" heir, he was never expected to be king and it appeared to be fortunate. Shy and seemingly uncomfortable around crowds, he was seen as, let's say, rather hapless at times, preferring to be among close friends and family. Heck, he even had to propose to Elizabeth three times before she finally accepted. Talk about something that would have definitely changed history had he given up. Overshadowed by his personable older brother, he seemed headed to lots of secondary royal duties and, quite frankly, both Elizabeth and he probably would have preferred it stay that way had Wallis not come along and threatened the monarchy. I came away thinking I would have quite liked him and his attentions to his daughters, one of whom grew up to be rather memorable herself. Grin. Bertie definitely seemed to come into his own as WWII progressed and David and Wallis seemed to fall under the spell of Germany. Did Germany really promise David he'd be returned to the throne if Germany won?

Queen Mary, David and Bertie's mother, injects a few times, adding some background and weight to the circumstances of what was going on. It's difficult to view the royals as "real people" at times, people who have the same hopes, fears, strengths and weaknesses we all do, so this added a fuller picture of the people involved. And, there were lots of them. Some assistants, aides, other family members, advisors, politicians, and, well, the like. The palace walls seemed to hold few secrets thanks to this mix and rumors and possible repercussions probably reverberated off the tapestry at times. Many of the names are will known, of course, such as Winston Churchill, while others remain in the shadows. Actually, I loved the few moments the author allowed the royal daughter so emerge from the shadows for a bit, including some tidbits about the romance between young Elizabeth and her Prince. Again, this gives you a more personal view of the participants as you learn all that David's vow to give up the throne if he wasn't able to marry Wallis would mean. I could go on and on, of course, but will simply say thank you #Ballantine - #DelacortePress for this sort of time machine early peek back at a time that was before me but still makes headlines in ways today. I've never been a huge royal watcher but it gives me more respect for the Royal Families as they make their way through what must seem like a minefield of publicity with eyes watching them every second of every day. 

The Book Club Murders, by Maggie Allswell , AUDIO BOOK Narrated by Jilly Bond

 

Available May 23, 2026   Both Audio and print/ebook

I fully expected to like this book. I mean, a small town book club focused on murder mysteries, quirky characters of a range of ages, and some budding romance. What's not to like? Much to my surprise, while I certainly didn't dislike the book, I never fully got into it, either. In other words, I didn't much care whodunit. Don't let that reaction detour you from it, however, as there's every chance you'll fully enjoy it. For me, I have decided that I need to be more careful about requesting books with a hoard of characters to keep track of as I had trouble sorting out who was who and how they were all connected. The main characters, Judy and daughter Sarah, of course, were easy, albeit maybe that Sarah has a dog named Gordon had something to do with that. She's also suffered loss, a recurring theme, and Judy worries about her. Sarah created an online site for those who've lost a spouse. Judy, on the other hand, is co-owner/operator of a funeral parlor, not the usual job for even the quirkiest amateur sleuth, I'd say.  In any case, aside from Jack, who I kept wishing someone would put a sock in his mouth given his tendency to complicate questioning by his habit of blurting out things better left unsaid, the others sorta drifted in and out of my mind with me having to refresh my memory of who they were. They were all generally likable, even Jack, but would have liked more character development. 

The mystery was fine, albeit it sorta faded into the background when potential issues with Sarah's new beau popped up. Too good to be true? Maybe, but back to the murder. Who killed seemingly harmless librarian Wendy? Judy is convinced it was murder although the police are calling it suicide. It was fun to read the text chain the book club members utilized, particularly Judy's frequently almost nonsensical texts. Spell check seems to have had no chance with her. That said, her skills in seeing things others miss or misunderstand are excellent. Even though she wouldn't have considered Wendy among her close friends, her observations of the death scene prove helpful. Despite this, her skills and those of the rest of the book club are, at best, feeble. Obviously, reading about solving a case and actually doing so are two very, very different things. 

Bottom line, without revealing much more of the plot, there are several suspects. These range from a mysterious possible romantic interest to others who've had disagreements with her, however minor. Judy is a bit distracted by Sarah's romance, not sure of the prospective son-in-law. There are reasons, as you'll discover as you read. As for the murder, convincing the police that there is evidence that suggest murder, not suicide, might be the first step, though the club members ineptness doesn't help move that along much. I had both the ebook and audio for this, btw, and give kudos to narrator Jilly Bond for her ability to differentiate the multiple characters as well as capture the humor or drama of the moments. Since the plot evolves primarily around the dialogue, even the seemingly mundane, unrelated chatter, having a good narrator was a perk. The audio flowed along nicely and was easy to listen to and, in fact, may have helped me differentiate characters better than the text. Toss in a bit of a twisty ending and while I was never quite fully drawn in, it was still an enjoyable read/listen. Thanks #Bookouture for making this available to me for an early read. Given that ending, I'm leaning toward thinking I'll be ready to give the next book another chance, too. 

Murder at the Country Fair (Flora Steele, #14), by Merryn Allingham

 Review to come later

America's Founding Myths...And What REALLY Happened, by Christy Mihaly, Marta Sevilla (Illustrator)

 

Publication May 26, 2026

This would make a great addition to just about any classroom, especially history classrooms. The set up is simple, a brief intro to the usual history we're taught. In other words, the myth. Then comes the fun sections. Where did this myth come from? I mean, given the danger and stealth needed, does anyone really believe Paul Revere went racing through the night on a borrowed horse shouting "The British are coming!" at the top of his lungs? The authors explain he various myths, in other words, and how/why they came into the world as supposed common knowledge. Then, we get the true story.

I would wish for a bit more whimsy, ie humor, but the book meets its goals, nevertheless. The illustrations are bright and colorful, see cover, and lots of color info boxes, speech bubbles, activities and such throughout the book to help capture and keep a child's attention. I particularly liked the introduction that explains in simple terms where we get historic stories from. Make sure you read it. The contents are in a fun way, each given a colorful box with a snippet of what's within to capture attention. Each is illustrated. I'll also note that space is given to a discussion of not just Native American's roles and treatment but slavery and the role of blacks in such events as the Revolution are covered. Kudos for that inclusion. Finally, at the end, comes a section on how to determine truth from fiction or simply a made up tale because it served a purpose at the time or simply was entertaining. You can also learn a bit about the authors and how the information was researched as well as some of the experts consulted. There's also a table of contents and for those still curious, a QR code and URL are included for more. 

Bottom line, definitely a quick, handy reference that can help students decipher fact from fiction. Thanks #PublisherSpotlight and #BarefootBooks for allowing this former history major and teacher an early peek into one of her favorite topics, American history. I'd recommend it to teachers or just anyone who wants to learn more about some major events of American history as well as where, how, and even how these stories originated. 

 

 

Road Trip, by Mary Kay Andrews

 

Publication June 2, 2026

If I had to summarize this book in one sentence, I'd say it's a book about connections, both with family and others. Maeve and Therese Dunigan may be sisters but they're nothing alike. Or, are they? Brought together again after their mother's death, they squabble but agree to their mother's last request, that they travel to Ireland to investigate their family heritage. There's also the question of an old, maybe valuable, maybe not, portrait of their supposed grandmother. One of the background stories involves their mother having squandered their inheritance, basically, to take out a second mortgage on their family home, the money going to a fast talking televangelist who solicited money constantly. There's also a sexy distiller at Tarrymore Mansion, which was their mother's childhood home until she mysteriously sailed to America. And, well, more, but those are the highlights of the sister's journey with them, first, learning to tolerate each other than, gradually, connect in more ways than they'd ever thought possible. 

I liked both sisters, to be honest, though probably related more to cautious, do-the-right-thing Maeve more than Theresa, the wild child of the two. A wannabe actress, she's rarely settled in one spot for long and lived, let's call it, life in the fast lane. Liam, the Irish romantic interest of Maeve, is substitute tour guide the day Maeve and Therese arrive and Maeve feels an immediate attraction, so you know this will be part of the big story. Even some of the characters that initially appear a bit, well, off-putting, turn out to be simply quirky and are ultimately relatively likable....sorta. Not saying more about that as you'll see how it plays into the plot. The plot flows fairly well, with interesting side trips to share the countryside with us or even offer a bit of insight into not just the current day but flashbacks to not just the sisters' mother's Irish life but her arrival at Ellis Island and how those coming through the island as immigrants were treated and the uncertainty of what lay before them. The former history major in me was intrigued, particularly knowing some of my own ancestors surely traveled those same walkways. Just as the two sisters are learning and reflecting on past events while trying to sort out their futures, readers may find such pertinent personal moments to also reflect upon. Oh, and there's a dog, too. Grin. 

Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The sisters, while connected by blood didn't feel close but found out they had more in common than they knew. The bits of mystery connected to the portrait and what really happened to make their mother leave Ireland so suddenly were an intriguing part of the story, as were the point of view from their mother of her early days in America. It was fun to see both Maeve and Therese not just come together as sisters but find romance, too, Maeve, with her long tendency to play things safe, after a shove from Therese. Thanks #StMartin'sPress for introducing me to them and giving me an early peek into their lives via a fun, virtual trip to Ireland. Some of those pubs are wild! 

Gingerbread, Garlands, & Gunshots / AUDIO VERSION (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 42), by Tonya Kappes

 

Available May 26, 202    AUDIO VERSION    4H 40M

It's been quite awhile since I've popped into Normal to catch up with Mae West, now married to Hank, so I was delighted to stumble across this audio version. Narrator Johanna Parker does an excellent job creating different voices for the various characters that help capture their personalities well. I definitely loved her Dottie voice, direct, no holds barred, and to the point. The chapters are simply announced and then the story moves along. The pace is relatively quick but author Kappes still makes time to set the scene for us. And a lovely sounding Christmas snow globe setting Normal sounds like. Unfortunately, the mood of some of the characters isn't as, uh, "peace on earth" sounding. Harper Stewart, chair of the town's Gingerbread Gala has pretty much managed to aggravate just about everyone. It didn't come as a shock that she was the murder victim.

I won't go into the plot further other than to say that we learn quite a bit about Hank's family this go round, including his strained relationship with Bev, his mother. She and Mae have never quite come to a calm, accepting relationship but, well, even Mae is finding it difficult to believe Bev might be the killer. Let's just say, there's a backstory there that you'll discover. The suspects are neatly laid out, so to speak, and Mae, usually with Dottie, tackles each. Her tendency to want to be in the middle of investigations hasn't changed in the time I've been awol, I noted, nor has her tendency to wind up putting herself in danger. Mae and the Laundry Ladies have their work cut out for them as the suspects are friends and seem unlikely, albeit Harper did push them to the edge repeatedly. The fun is largely from Dottie's zings and one-liners, albeit picturing the holiday decor is fun, too. Kappes knows how to showcase a great setting and the Southern charm and holiday spirit shines through.

Bottom line, while I still cringed at Mae's tendency to lose control of her mouth at the worst possible times, translate that to "at the most dangerous moments", I fully enjoyed the read/listen and like the characters. Watching the Laundry Ladies, whose story goes back to book one, come together to support Mae and Harper's family provides a nice, warm, cozy feel. The customs of the Southern town of Normal are nicely shown and even discussed, to add to the feel. Small town, Southern charm, quirky and fun characters, and a mystery to solve add up to a fun read. Thanks #TantorMedia for allowing me this early listen. I'm delighted to learn the series is being developed as a potential Hallmark Channel Original Series. It's easy to almost visualize the events and character interactions as the plot moves along, so that could be a fun show. 

The Book Club Murders, by Maggie Allswell

 

I fully expected to like this book. I mean, a small town book club focused on murder mysteries, quirky characters of a range of ages, and some budding romance. What's not to like? Much to my surprise, while I certainly didn't dislike the book, I never fully got into it, either. In other words, I didn't much care whodunit. Don't let that reaction detour you from it, however, as there's every chance you'll fully enjoy it. For me, I have decided that I need to be more careful about requesting books with a hoard of characters to keep track of as I had trouble sorting out who was who and how they were all connected. The main characters, Judy and daughter Sarah, of course, were easy, albeit maybe that Sarah has a dog named Gordon had something to do with that. She's also suffered loss, a recurring theme, and Judy worries about her. Sarah created an online site for those who've lost a spouse. Judy, on the other hand, is co-owner/operator of a funeral parlor, not the usual job for even the quirkiest amateur sleuth, I'd say.  In any case, aside from Jack, who I kept wishing someone would put a sock in his mouth given his tendency to complicate questioning by his habit of blurting out things better left unsaid, the others sorta drifted in and out of my mind with me having to refresh my memory of who they were. They were all generally likable, even Jack, but would have liked more character development. 

The mystery was fine, albeit it sorta faded into the background when potential issues with Sarah's new beau popped up. Too good to be true? Maybe, but back to the murder. Who killed seemingly harmless librarian Wendy? Judy is convinced it was murder although the police are calling it suicide. It was fun to read the text chain the book club members utilized, particularly Judy's frequently almost nonsensical texts. Spell check seems to have had no chance with her. That said, her skills in seeing things others miss or misunderstand are excellent. Even though she wouldn't have considered Wendy among her close friends, her observations of the death scene prove helpful. Despite this, her skills and those of the rest of the book club are, at best, feeble. Obviously, reading about solving a case and actually doing so are two very, very different things. 

Bottom line, without revealing much more of the plot, there are several suspects. These range from a mysterious possible romantic interest to others who've had disagreements with her, however minor. Judy is a bit distracted by Sarah's romance, not sure of the prospective son-in-law. There are reasons, as you'll discover as you read. As for the murder, convincing the police that there is evidence that suggest murder, not suicide, might be the first step, though the club members ineptness doesn't help move that along much. I had both the ebook and audio for this, btw, and give kudos to narrator Jilly Bond for her ability to differentiate the multiple characters as well as capture the humor or drama of the moments. Since the plot evolves primarily around the dialogue, even the seemingly mundane, unrelated chatter, having a good narrator was a perk. The audio flowed along nicely and was easy to listen to and, in fact, may have helped me differentiate characters better than the text. Toss in a bit of a twisty ending and while I was never quite fully drawn in, it was still an enjoyable read/listen. Thanks #Bookouture for making this available to me for an early read. Given that ending, I'm leaning toward thinking I'll be ready to give the next book another chance, too.