The Mint Julep Murder by CC Dragon
Southern Belle Cozy Mysteries #1
Publisher: Totally Entwined
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (205 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by AstilbeAh, sweet home Tennessee, with the Music City, Dollywood and Murder…
Annabelle ‘Belle’ Baxter returns home to her small southern town after studying catering and hotel management, to help her Gran, the only real family she has. Determined to make their preserves shop a success, Belle expands the menu and boosts business—until the pompous sheriff drops dead, poisoned, after trying one of her signature smoothies.
People looking down on Belle is nothing new, but this time they’re quick to point a finger as well. Now it’s not just her high school rival or the perfect church ladies—the bumbling deputies want to pin it on her too, leaving her no choice but to find the murderer herself. If the preserves shop goes under, she and her gran are ruined.
But it’s scary how many suspects her poking around turns up—the sheriff’s jealous deputy, his pissed-off wife, the girlfriend he was about to dump his wife for, or even the handsome new deputy, Gus Haywood, whose city ways riled the stuffy sheriff. Belle can’t let this handsome stranger distract her, not when she has to clear her name and protect the town she loves, despite its people.
Well, maybe he can distract her a little…
Small towns can be quiet, but they’re not always necessarily peaceful.
There was so much care and attention put into the mystery elements of the plot. It was a great deal of fun to try to figure out who killed the sheriff, how they did it, and why they did it. I thought the number of clues was perfect, and I enjoyed the couple of red herrings the author threw in there was well to keep the audience on our toes.
One thing I would have liked to see more time spent on was the character development. Since this is the first instalment in a series, my hope is that the sequels will give the recurring characters a chance to show off sides of their personalities the audience hasn’t seen yet and grow as individuals as a result of their experiences in life. There is so much room for growth here. It makes me excited to see what comes next!
The world building was well done. Sweet Grove felt like many of the small towns I’ve lived in. It had a strong sense of community that supported every member when they needed it. This was also a place where gossip travelled at the speed of light and where having any semblance of a private life was all but impossible. I enjoyed seeing the characters navigate the benefits and drawbacks of living in a place where everyone knows their neighbors so intimately.
Everyone who enjoys small town mysteries should give The Mint Julep Murder a try.
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