Slay Bells Ring

Caprice De Luca has wrapped up her holiday-themed staging gig at a stunning historic home in downtown Kismit, Pennsylvania. Homeowners Chris and Sara Merriweather, have it all. A beautiful home, great kids, and a wonderful marriage, or do they?

Chris, a Vietnam vet who plays Santa every year at the community park, has been displaying strange behavior after his annual trip to Washington, D.C. His wife has no idea of what is disturbing him. The joy of the season vanishes when Chris is found murdered. Caprice uncovers secrets as she searches for Chris’ killer. It’s a race to locate the murderer before Caprice becomes the next victim.

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Series: A Caprice De Luca Mystery – Book #7
Author: Karen Rose Smith
Genre: Career/Mystery Cozy
Publisher: Kensington Books

Rating:

Slay Bells Ring is a tremendous addition to Karen Rose Smith’s “A Caprice De Luca Mystery” series. In this holiday-themed book, Caprice has her hands full. Her business is booming, and her love life is heating up with an upcoming wedding. Her family brings her comfort and joy year-round, especially during the holidays. Her appreciation for her family becomes fully focused when a family friend is murdered while playing Santa Claus.

The characters that Ms. Smith created in this series are fully developed, interesting, and memorable. Caprice is a woman on a mission. She is determined to make her business, and her relationship with Grant work, even if she has to give up the home she loves. Her dedication to making certain that Grant is happy is commendable and unselfish. This describes her character completely.

Grant is equally determined to make certain that Caprice is happy. His past makes him sad but doesn’t hinder his relationship with Caprice. If anything, it makes their future brighter on the crucial levels of a relationship. Grant is very likable without being over the top. He is also intelligent. He knows Caprice will get involved with the investigation, and he knows he can’t prevent her from doing it. All he can do is support her and watch her back to make certain she doesn’t get hurt.

The remaining characters are well rounded and enjoyable. All of them add flavor and intrigue to the plot. Caprices parents are truly lovable and remarkable in a way that parents should be. They are supportive of their daughter as well as her siblings.

The setting in a small Pennsylvania town is picture-perfect. Kismet may be fictional, but the real countryside in Pennsylvania is everything the author describes and more. The shops and homes are wonderfully descriptive and make the reader want to explore, as well as savor the sights, sounds, and smells of the area.

The pace of this book is a bit slower than most. The action is mainly based on family interactions. This is not a non-stop action-filled romp; readers will need to think through the evidence. It is a steady paced mystery with clues that if the reader misses them will make it difficult for them to figure out who the killer is. There are plenty of hints to the murderer’s identity if the reader takes the time to put them all together.

Slay Bells Ring is highly recommended along with the other books in this series. However, I would caution the reader to start at the beginning of the series with book one. There is a need for more information on the background and memories of the characters discussed throughout the book to enhance the enjoyment of the reader.