Callie finds treble in Keepsake Cove when her ex-boyfriend is framed for murder . . .
Callie Reed is looking forward to her first Keepsake Cove spring festival. But her excitement dims considerably when she learns that her ex-boyfriend, Hank, will be performing with one of the hired country-western bands. Callie vows to keep her distance, but that changes when the band’s manager, Bobby Linville, is found dead, killed with the music box Hank bought at Callie’s shop.
Hank is soon singing a sad tune in a detention center with Callie his only lifeline. Though thoroughly aware of his many faults, she knows violence and murder aren’t in his blood. But that means one of her fellow Keepsake Cove residents must be hiding a dark secret—something Callie desperately needs to uncover.
My Review
Callie Reed lives in the small town of Keepsake Cove, where she owns a music box shop and sometimes helps solve mysteries! When her musician ex-boyfriend Hank comes to town, Callie is not glad to see him reappear. She is even more upset, though, when he is wrongly accused of killing the band's manager. She decides to help clear Hank's name, even though doing so puts her in jeopardy.
A Curio Killing is book 3 of the Keepsake Cove mystery series. I really enjoy this series. I especially love the setting. As described in the book:
"But she still had plenty to do just readying her music box shop for the influx of new customers expected to flood the streets of the Cove during the spring festival. But that, of course, was the whole point of it— bringing people to the area, some of whom might not yet have discovered Keepsake Cove and its bevy of specialty shops, each featuring a unique type of collectible item. Delia’s Shake It Up! offered a huge variety of collectible salt and pepper shakers. On the other side of Callie’s shop, Karl Eggers’s Carlectibles carried classic and collectible model cars. Then there were Bill and Laurie Hart’s Kids at Heart vintage toy shop, Orlena Martin’s Treasured Boxes, and many, many more. The Cove was a section of the town of Mapleton, which featured the more routine though essential kind of places, such as grocery stores and banks. But Keepsake Cove was a collector’s dream, and more than one shopper had been hooked after a single visit to the area." (Kindle location 67)
The mystery in this novel was interesting. I liked the glimpses it gave us into Callie's life before Keepsake Cove, and I appreciated her loyalty to her ex-boyfriend Hank, and her determination to clear his name. There were a number of plausible suspects and the mystery kept me guessing until the end.
Callie took a couple of big risks that had me saying "no!!!" to the book, but I think it is part of her character to leap before thinking at times.
I liked Callie's relationship with Brian (would actually like to read more about their romance) and her friendships with Delia and Lyssa and the other shop owners.
This novel has a leisurely pace that suits the charming small town setting. It was not a fast read but it is one that I really enjoyed. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and recommend A Curio Killing (and this entire series) to cozy mystery readers, and especially to anyone who enjoys picturesque small town settings.
Mary Ellen Hughes is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries, the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. The Keepsake Cove series begins with A Fatal Collection and continues with A VINTAGE DEATH and A CURIO KILLING.
Author Links
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Purchase Links – Amazon B&N Midnight Ink Mystery Love Company Booksellers BAM IndieBound
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