Smugglers and Scones by Morgan C Talbot
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (222 pgs)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by SnowdropPippa Winterbourne runs Moorehaven, the Oregon Coast’s quirkiest bed-and-breakfast and former home of world-famous mystery writer A. Raymond Moore. Guests come there to write their own crime novels. When a real-life murder takes a local’s life and washes a handsome boat pilot into her arms, Pippa is yanked into a deadly plot of her own. A tangle of secrets crashes past into present, and Pippa must uncover clues dating back to Seacrest’s Prohibition days, including a secret Moore himself hid from the world. Juggling her book-writing guests, small-town intrigues, secret club agendas, and a possibly fatal attraction, Pippa must sort fact from fiction to know who to trust before a desperate killer claims a final revenge nearly a century in the making.
Such a fun book. This is Book 1 of a series titled “Moorehaven Mysteries”. A totally different take on mysteries and books. A B&B for authors only. Can you imagine inheriting an old Victorian previously owned by a famous author? A place full of mysteries and research sources for writers to use. It would be like being in reading heaven. I wanted to go there before I had read a third of the book. Plus, it has very interesting characters, people you’d like to meet. Each with his or her own distinct personality.
Can you tell I enjoyed this book thoroughly? I really did. It was light, easy to read, and yet definitely kept my attention. An original storyline with all the parts of a cozy added in; even a secret group called Glaze and Gossip. If you are wondering if this somehow involves donuts or possibly scones, you are correct. Maybe that’s why I liked this book so much…the food. But seriously even though every breakfast at the Moorehaven B&B made me hungry, I enjoyed this book because it was a page turner and well-written. It had depth and feeling.
As you can see, I loved every bit of the parts about authors and books and it all made me want for another book. Years ago, when I directed a choir I would always tell the singers that the secret to a good performance was to get off the stage with the audience still hoping they’d get to hear more. The same is true here, write a book where the reader can’t wait for another one. Morgan Talbot sure achieved this.
I noticed Book 2 is out and I’m going for it as soon as I can. I also noticed that she has another fiction series that must come from a hobby of hers, geocaching. The series is titled “Caching Out”. Better check on it too.
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