Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.
Solid Gold Murder: The Golden Motel Mysteries #2
Ellen Byron
Kensington Cozies
There’s gold in them thar hills or at least near the Golden Motel. Dee and Jeff, co-owners of the historic Golden Motel are playing host to eager beaver, would be gold miners, who are panning in the river and taking peeks into the old, condemned mines. A tax accountant who would like to be retired and even a Silicon Valley tech millennial are hoping to cash in on gold rush 2.0.
This is the second book in the Golden Motel Mysteries series book, and it easily takes up where the series starter finished. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the starter because there is plenty of backstory AND the mystery isn’t shared so you can go back and enjoy A Very Woodsy Murder as well. The same unusual characters are back, and they are just as gosh darn entertaining. Whoops, I need to add a quarter to the “old timey word” jar. I especially like the tumultuous back and forth between Dee and Verity “Yes-that-Donner” Gillespie. Imagine sleeping in a tent on the edge of your property just to prove a point to be able to participate in a local vendor event.
As usual, the story has you snorting from Jeff and Dee’s sleuthing shenanigans, not to mention Dee’s sassy but sweet and fun attitude. There are multiple plots that weave in and out of each other to keep you guessing. The misdirection is masterful and I cannot wait to see what Ellen has for us next. While this might not be a culinary cozy, Ellen is kind enough to include a tasty treat recipe, Nutty Almond Date Bars is the bonus recipe included at the conclusion. These bars are both easy to make and consume. I wonder if this can be counted as part of my daily fruit intake.
