Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed on 1/11/2020 + 157 more book reviews

It's fun to pick up a book that draws you back into a setting and characters that you already know and feel comfortable with, as is the case with A Curio Killing, book #3 in the Keepsake Cove series. Mary Ellen Hughes delivers a well-crafted traditional cozy mystery that is sure to delight readers who enjoy this genre. If you're new to this series, it works well as a standalone.

The fictional Maryland village of Keepsake Cove, with its quaint stores and kind people, is a collector's dream. The shops are so enticing! Shops like Callie's House of Melody (music boxes), Delia's Shake It Up! (collectible salt & pepper shakers), Karl Egger's Carlectibles (classic model cars), Bill & Laurie Hart's Kids at Heart (vintage toy shop), and Pearl Poepelman's Pearl's Bangles and Beads.

With its quaint shops and seasonal festivals, Keepsake Cove is easy to visualize. Callie is a likeable lead character, easy to connect with. A Curio Killing is a seamless blend of setting, characters, and mystery. As the spring festival is about to begin, Hank, Callie's ex, unexpectedly bursts on the scene and soon finds himself arrested for murder. In spite of all the grief Hank brought into Callie's life in the past, the Hank she knew would never be guilty of murder and she feels obliged to prove his innocence.

Strong secondary characters add richness to the story â such as Callie's suspense author friend, Lyssa, store clerk Tabitha, and romantic interest, Brian â with Delia's reaching out to help her photographer friend, Jill, being one of my favorite parts. And, of course, there's Grandpa Reed's music box that starts playing at crucial times in Callie's life.

I greatly enjoyed the previous two books in this series. But while A Curio Killing is well written and I loved spending time with these characters, I didn't enjoy this story quite as much. This is purely personal, but I think it was because I didn't care for Hank and felt that Callie defending him put her relationship with Brian at risk. Also, Tabitha's quirky dress ensembles, where everyone tried to guess what famous or historical character she emulated each day, didn't play as prominent a role in this story and I missed that. A Curio Killing is still a good read overall and I look forward to further stories in this series.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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