Death By The Finish Line
Overcommitted Abby has once again been drafted to use her organizing superpower, this time for a 5k charity run that’s part of the Founder’s Day Celebration in Snowberry Creek, Washington. At least she has help this time. Albeit from an unlikely source: Gil Pratt, a member of her handsome tenant Tripp Blackston’s veteran’s group and co-owner of a motorcycle repair shop with his brother. Abby and Gil may seem like an odd couple, but they work great together.
The event seems to be running smoothly until city council member James DiSalvo is found murdered in a ravine along the race route. Unfortunately, Gil’s brother Gary had a very public argument with DiSalvo minutes before the race, making him the prime suspect. Now the two race organizers must again team up to prove Gary’s innocence before the real killer makes a run for it. But one wrong step, and Abby may be the next one to come in dead last.
The Details
Series: An Abby Mccree Mystery – Book #5
Author: Alexis Morgan
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Hobby
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 1496731271
Page Count: 336
Rating: 
The Review
Abby can’t stay out of an investigation, no matter how hard she tries. In the latest book in the “An Abby McCree Mystery” series, Death By The Finish Line, Abby is once again thrust into the role of amateur sleuth. Mainly because she puts herself in that position and because she knows the people involved and won’t stand for someone to be accused wrongly. Founder’s Day should be a time of celebration, not murder.
Things aren’t always easy for Abby, she keeps getting roped into helping with one activity after another, but this time she doesn’t mind when her partner turns out to be Gil, a friend of Tripp’s. They work for months to bring the town’s Founder’s Day 5k run to the finish line, and just when they think everything is perfect, a body shows up. Of course, it doesn’t help that Abby, along with most of the participants in the run, witnessed Gil’s brother and the victim arguing just before the race.
The characters in this series are always delightful to spend a few hours with. The setting is picturesque. The 5k run gives the reader a good idea of what the area looks like outside the town itself. The finish line of the run brings everyone at the Founder’s Day celebration to the foreground, making it easy to follow all of the players. There are a good amount of suspects, and the evidence is spread throughout the story. There are enough red herrings to keep readers guessing but not so many to make it confusing. The killer might not jump out at you, but when the reveal is completed, most readers will realize that they knew who it was all along. Of course, Abby can’t do an investigation without putting herself in danger, and this time is no exception.
Death By The Finish Line brings together everything we love about cozy books. Great characters & suspects, motives that we can get behind, descriptive and inspiring settings, and a celebration that makes us want to join in on the Founders Day fun wherever we may live. This is wonderful storytelling by a talented author at its best. I look forward to the next book in this 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: American West historicals (as Pat Pritchard), paranormal and fantasy romances, and contemporary romances.
Readers will enjoy other books from the “An Abby McCree Mystery” series such as Death by Intermission or Death By Auction.
Represented by: 3 Seas Literary Agency
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