Battered and Buried, by Lena Gregory

 Publication March 19, 2024

I'm not sure how I've missed this series until now, especially since the idea of an All-Day Breakfast Cafe sounds like a place I'd love in real life. In any case, I'm glad I finally found this series. I have to admit to being a bit taken aback by Gia's rather aggressive questioning but admired the way her whole network of friends stuck together and had each other's backs. As investigators, they obviously bring different strengths to the table, including some master online snooping skills, and it's great to see the togetherness. They're an interesting group with back stories I'm looking forward to catching up on as time permits. In this case, Cole, chef at Gia's cafe, is a prime suspect in a murder where several members of the group stumbled on the victim while hiking. I mean, we go from still relative newbie to Florida Gia agonizing over the proximity to gators and snakes to finding a body. Yikes.

I won't detail the plot other than to say there are many suspects since the victim was guilty of destroying so many lives. You'll dislike him from the very beginning, I'm sure. As for the other characters, well, aside from the eventual killer, you'll find the cast of characters (which the author provides a list of with a brief description at the beginning) quite likable and marvel at how organized they are as they work together to figure out whodunit. Gia and Savannah are definitely a force to be reckoned with, playing good/bad cop together well, maybe having taken a few hints from their romantic partners, Hunt and Leo. No one  seriously believe Cole could have killed anyone, even if his stubborn reluctance to talk to investigators leaves all frustrated. We've even got some romance brewing, so lots going on and past occasionally meets present in this story. 

And, hey, love Thor, Gia's huge Bermese mountain dog. Gia felt very human to me, even to the point of momentarily forgetting all she'd been taught about self-protection at one point, which seems a very real life reaction. Nope, not sharing any more details. You'll just have to read the book and, I'm betting that, just like me, you may find yourself hooked and on the look out for past episodes. Thanks #NetGalley and #BeyondThePagePublishing for introducing me to this series with this sneak peek. I'll definitely be playing catch-up and on the look out for the next installment. Fun read.