A Poisonous Page
It’s summer festival time in Confection, Oregon, and that means a barrage of tourists making cash registers ring at Sweet Fiction Bookshop. But what should be bookseller Lexi’s most lucrative time of year turns disturbing when a member of the chamber of commerce suddenly dies of a heart attack. Not entirely unexpected, considering her family history, but it’s a different story when another chamber member dies just one week later, also, presumably, of natural causes. The Macaroons and Lexi jump in, feet first to find a killer.
Something about this doesn’t read right to Lexi. And it gets more unfathomable when her friend Dash, who dated both women, stands accused of murder! With Cookie, her lovable border collie mix, at her side and countless volumes of inspiration on her shelves, Lexi opens the book on another perplexing case. Who could have murdered two prominent townspeople without leaving even a hint of evidence on the scene? And why is an irksome-but-intriguing detective always seeming to catch her and Cookie working the case?
Lexi’s Confection Rose-colored glasses come off when she learns of thorny discussions among the chamber council members involving a string of secretive real estate transactions. Enlisting her faithful fellow members of the Macaroon Book Club, Lexi sets out to bind the clues together and clear Dash’s name. But if she can’t devise a clever trap for the real killer, she may soon end up with a very unhappily ever after of her own.
The Details
Series: A Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery – Book #2
Author: Kitt Crowe
Genre/Category: Cozy – Bookshop/Pet
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 164385920X
Page Count: 320
Rating: 
The Review
I did not read the first book in the “A Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery” series, but I had no problem following the story and the characters. A Poisonous Page can stand on its own. Chamber of Commerce members are dropping like flies during the summer festival, and Lexi’s book club, the Macaroons, jump at the chance to solve another mystery. Is someone killing off the chamber members because of politics, or is it more personal? No matter what the answer is, Lexi is going to find out!
The characters in this series are easy to like; even the chamber members are memorable. When two members die unexpectedly, there is little doubt that it is murder. The real question is, what’s the motive, and did one of Lexi’s employees, or even one of the Macaroons, kill two people? Is it just a coincidence that Dash, Lexi’s employee, dated both victims, or is he a killer? Lexi investigates and discovers secrets and lies, jealousy and greed, and a sinister plot that she finds hard to accept. The suspects are everywhere, from friends to business owners, to family. It seems that many people had a reason to want the chamber members dead. The killer, once revealed, is obvious but was not easy to uncover.
The motives are reasonable, the suspects have good motives, and all had the means and opportunity. There are plenty of red herrings to send readers on a wild goose chase but not enough to send them over the edge. The investigation is developed quickly, and the Macaroons play a large part in solving the murder of two chamber members, but in the end, it comes down to Lexi, and she does not disappoint. A Poisonous Page is a delightful read with wonderful characters and enough action to keep readers happy. I look forward to the next book in the series.
The Author
Kitt is the pseudonym of a NYT and USA Today bestselling author who’s turned her sights on crime, canines, felines, and neighbors up to no good. The more baffling the mystery, the better!
Kitt Crowe lives for books. Fueled by caffeine, she shares her living space with two teenagers, a zany dog, a murderous kitten, and a cat who thinks he’s in charge. But she manages the chaos enough to write about those sleuths who solve crimes and the dastardly who commit them. There’s never a dull moment with Kitt at the keyboard.
Readers may also enjoy similar books, such as Lynn Cahoon’s first book in her newest series, “A Survivor’s Book Club Mystery” Tuesday Night Survivor’s Club or Mary Angela’s series “A Happy Camper Mystery” and the latest installment, Mining For Murder,
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