Thank you to the authors, publishers, and/or 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.
Drafted in Deceit
A Cape Fear Bookshop Mystery #2
Simone Stier
What a thoroughly enjoyable stand-alone cozy mystery! I am not sure which I liked better, the characters or the plot. I was fortunate enough to be provided the series starter as well as book #2 to read for review. While I liked being able to read the series from the beginning, I can tell you that each book can stand its own. There is plenty of background and character development that the reader is never out of step with the overall story arc. This series has the usual murder mystery plus there is also the history of what happened before Libby returned home to the town of Southport, North Carolina to open Page's Bookshop & Cafe. Libby was living in New York, working as a copy editor, married to a police detective who died under unusual circumstances leaving behind Libby with questions. Libby has the case files and for the past three years, she has looked through them searching for answers.
From the Big Apple to Southport, which is a perfectly cozy southern Cape Fear River town, with a variety of locals and locales. And let me just say that there are some interesting characters, starting with Libby's employee, Gracie Jean, who is a lady of leisure and a force of nature with hidden talents. Gracie Jean has a way with words and a mind like a steel trap, in fact, one has to wonder, based on Gracie Jean's unique choice of words, if maybe she isn't really just a retired librarian but maybe she was more of an analyst for one of the government's alphabet agencies (CIA/FBI). In addition to opening a bookstore, Libby also starts a book club called The Plot Thickens. The book club ladies make for a great discussion group, giving suggestions as Gracie Jean adds index cards to a "Coincidences That Ain't" murder board. The core members are equally different with a gossipy reporter, an author who likes conspiracy theories, and a sophisticated Southern belle, who have known Libby forever and are a super supportive group. The only person who is more supportive of Libby is her bff and favorite baker, Meredith, who supplies fresh baked goods to the bookstore cafe, not to mention the tantalizing lemon tarts that Meredith keeps Libby supplied with on a daily basis. The last core character I want to mention is Detective Carter McCrae, Libby’s high school sweetheart, who is single, handsome, as well as charming, and willing to share some information when possible.
The mystery itself was good. Sleuth spies dead land developer floating in the river. There are plenty of people who did not want the condos eroding the soil or their picture-perfect views while others were for progress if it could help them. Both the tide and tempers rise as Libby uses her superpower aka disarming awkwardness to help solve crimes. The plot twists are well done, and I quickly found myself at the end of the story craving the next book and a lemon tart. So, I got myself one of each.
