Helpful Score: 1
Killer Party by Lynn Cahoon is the ninth book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series. Jill Gardner is packing for a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, Greg King and his friends. Greg's childhood friend, Levi Walker is getting married, and he is holding a stag party weekend in South Cove at The Castle. Jill is looking forward to enjoying the spa services and escaping Aunt Jackie's wedding planning while Greg reconnects with his friends. On Saturday, the men go on a boat excursion to âfishâ (ingest alcohol) while Jill shows the ladies around South Cove (it seems that Greg âvolunteeredâ Jill for the task). It gives Jill an opportunity to introduce herself to newcomer, Vladimir Petrov who opened a Russian collectibles shop. Early the next morning (around 4 a.m.), Greg and Jill are awakened by Brenda Morgan, manager of The Castle. A dead man has been found in the pool. Greg runs downstairs and discovers it is his friend, Levi. Because of Greg's close connection with the victim, he is not allowed to investigate the crime. Mayor Baylor asks Bakerstown PD to step in. This does not stop Greg and Jill from conducting their own inquiry into Levi's murder especially when the detectives focus on Greg. Could one of Greg's friends committed this homicide? Tag along with Jill on her latest adventure in Killer Party.
Killer Party is easy to read, has good writing and has a nice steady pace. Each book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series builds upon the previous (they are not stand alone books). We get to know a little more about the characters and see them change/grow. Killer Party focuses more on the cozy element (food galore, Jill adjusting to living with Greg, Jill out jogging, Emma, shopping, Toby getting over Sasha, Aunt Jackie planning her wedding, Aunt Jackie annoying the employees of the coffee shop, Jill spends a lot of time reading, Jill getting ready for a new class at college, and Aunt Jackie going to the doctor). It is an easy, breezy type of book that is perfect to read while lounging by the pool or at the beach. My rating for Killer Party is 3.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery is made to seem complex. Unfortunately, I identified the killer before Levi (I just knew he would end up belly up) turned up dead in the pool. There are a limited number of suspects (one really stands out). The characters in Killer Party seemed grumpy (especially Aunt Jackie). I liked how Lynn Cahoon found a way to work Cat Latimer into the story (from Ms. Cahoon's A Cat Latimer Mystery series). I believe, though, that Greg and Jill may be moving too fast. There are still many details they do not know about each other (they really need to talk more). Killer Party ends with a cliffhanger. Readers will have to wait until the next A Tourist Trap Mystery to find out what is going on with Aunt Jackie.
Killer Party is easy to read, has good writing and has a nice steady pace. Each book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series builds upon the previous (they are not stand alone books). We get to know a little more about the characters and see them change/grow. Killer Party focuses more on the cozy element (food galore, Jill adjusting to living with Greg, Jill out jogging, Emma, shopping, Toby getting over Sasha, Aunt Jackie planning her wedding, Aunt Jackie annoying the employees of the coffee shop, Jill spends a lot of time reading, Jill getting ready for a new class at college, and Aunt Jackie going to the doctor). It is an easy, breezy type of book that is perfect to read while lounging by the pool or at the beach. My rating for Killer Party is 3.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery is made to seem complex. Unfortunately, I identified the killer before Levi (I just knew he would end up belly up) turned up dead in the pool. There are a limited number of suspects (one really stands out). The characters in Killer Party seemed grumpy (especially Aunt Jackie). I liked how Lynn Cahoon found a way to work Cat Latimer into the story (from Ms. Cahoon's A Cat Latimer Mystery series). I believe, though, that Greg and Jill may be moving too fast. There are still many details they do not know about each other (they really need to talk more). Killer Party ends with a cliffhanger. Readers will have to wait until the next A Tourist Trap Mystery to find out what is going on with Aunt Jackie.
