Review: Burglars & Blintzes by Morgan C. Talbot

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Red Adept Publishing

Release Date:
July 10, 2018







Synopsis from Goodreads:

Moorehaven is swarming with guests during summer’s last hurrah, and Pippa has her hands full at the mystery-author B&B. When her gossip-group connections inform her that a local construction project has unearthed a skeleton with a pocketful of Spanish gold, the news spreads, and treasure hunters flood the beaches. But the skeleton has a more recent connection to the area than anyone suspected, unearthing a shameful secret that hits far too close to home.

A marine salvage team rolls into town, seeking the rest of the treasure. When they hire Pippa’s boyfriend, Lake, to be their pilot, the team’s pretty spelunker quickly stakes a claim, rousing Pippa’s jealousy. But Pippa’s been playing tug-of-war over Lake ever since his ex-wife, Mallory Tavish, became the new acting chief of police.

When a killer’s strike brings tragedy to Moorehaven’s door, Pippa must rally her friends, family, and mystery-writing guests to catch the murderer before she loses someone she can’t live without and all the warmth of summer dies with one last gasp.

My Review

It’s summertime on the Oregon Coast and the Moorehaven B&B is busy. Pippa Winterbourne’s B&B caters to mystery authors only and she has quite the guest list this summer. While the authors spend their time creating their own mystery novels, a real life murder mystery is discovered right under their noses. It involves a skeleton and Spanish gold from many years ago.

Pippa and her guests are quite interested in this little mystery and are all prepared to do a bit of sleuthing themselves. When the town begins to fill with treasure seekers and murder strikes close to home, their curiosity increases. It’s up to Pippa to figure out what’s going on before her guests find themselves in danger.

This is the second book in the series and the setting makes for the perfect beach read. I felt as if I was on a staycation at a B&B.  I enjoyed every minute of it :)   I would love to spend a week with mystery authors. That would be so much fun.

The cast of characters are well-developed and quirky. Pippa is an adventuress who puts herself on the line for those she loves. The secondary characters are well-written and interesting in their own right. Not to mention that I’m anxious to see where her relationship with Lake goes. His ex-wife is still in the picture giving Pippa a run for her money. Pippa’s uncle is another character who adds quite a bit to the storyline.

There’s plenty of adventure, mystery and romance to go around. It also includes two mysteries - one from the past and one from the present. The author does not go back and forth in time. The entire story takes place in the present and we get some intriguing tidbits from the past to help us follow along in the investigation of both murders.

This was a page-turner for me and keeps readers guessing. I didn’t figure out “whodunit” in either mystery until Pippa did. You don’t have to read the first book, but as is the case with most cozy mystery series, it’s always fun to start with book #1 to follow the character’s growth.  I’m looking forward to book #3 to see what mystery Pippa becomes involved with next. Morgan C. Talbot does keep readers captivated with her stories.

One warning:  Pippa bakes blintzes...just reading about all the different kinds made my mouth water.  I was starving for blintzes throughout the whole book.  LOL




For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2018
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2018

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.