Death by Arts and Crafts
As the newest member of the Snowberry Creek City Council, perpetually overextended Abby McCree is picked to liaise between the council and the new planning committee for the town’s first-ever arts and crafts fair. As far as gigs go, it’s a fun one; Abby’s spending the weekend tooling around Washington State, checking out similar fairs with her two besties, coffee shop owner Bridey Roker and ceramic artisan Dayna Fisk.
As Abby spreads the word about Snowberry Creek’s fair, recruiting the industry’s biggest movers and makers, the trip feels like a glittering success. But then, someone is found murdered at one of the events, and vendors begin disappearing amid suspicious circumstances. Abby’s determined to keep her hands clean until Dayna finds herself stuck at the top of the suspect list. Now, Abby must weave the clues together and clear her friend’s name before the killer claims another victim, maybe even Abby herself.
The Details
Series: An Abbey McCree Mystery – Book #6
Author: Alexis Morgan
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Woman Sleuth
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 149673968X
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
The Review
A lot is going on in Death by Arts and Crafts, the latest installment in the “Abby McCree Mystery” series. An art fair has everyone excited, and as the newest member of the city council, Abby takes on more and more projects. But this time, the project is a fun one. Her job, check in with the vendors for the upcoming Snowberry Creek fair, shop, and spend the weekend with her BFFs. Almost everyone’s idea of heaven, except one of the vendors, is murdered, and one of Abby’s BFFs is the prime suspect.
The suspects in this book are intriguing, and there are plenty of red herrings and twists to make readers happy. The victim isn’t anyone readers will care about. However, this story makes readers wonder where the author is headed with the main character. The art fair and the city council tie-ins gave the plot a nice focus, but… I couldn’t get into the story. The killer, I thought, was easy to spot, and the motive was unoriginal. I adore Abby, but I did not like the premise of the slight personality change that seemed to overwhelm the storyline and the character.
Overall, I found it difficult to get excited about this murder and this book. I would like to have seen less of Abby’s fearful side and more of the strong Abby we know and love. Her vulnerability was fine, but I think it just carried on too long in this story. I did not feel that the connection between Dayna and the victim was explained well enough, and there was a severe lack of motive on her part to commit murder. The art fair would have been more interesting if Abby and the others had spent more than just a couple of minutes looking at everything. The buildup to the killer’s reveal was slow, and to know one’s surprise, put Abby in danger. The constant city council projects are getting old. This was an okay read, but not my favorite in the series.
The Author
Alexis Morgan graduated from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, with a B.A. in English. She has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of over forty-five novels, novellas, and short stories that span a variety of genres. Contact Alexis on her website or social media.
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