Author: Nancy Coco
Expected Publication: April 28th 2015 by Kensington
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
Series: Candy Coated #3
There is way too much repetition in this book and I am not sure if it is poor writing or the fact that on a small island stories seem to be repeated too often. Either way, it became very annoying and had me rushing through the chapters so I did not have to hear the same story repeated to the next person entering the room.
Mackinac Island is known for its fudge and small tourist hotels. Allie McMurphy is now the manager and chief fudge maker for her family’s establishment. With her dog Mal (who seems to have her name mentioned way too often – by Kindle’s count over 300 times) they tend to find their way into too many sticky (see what I did there) situations.
This time there is an arsonist and bomb maker on this tiny turtle shaped island and as Allie is scrambling to get the fourth of July fireworks situated. One fire after another seems to pop up and it is the heroic puppy that always seems to save the day.
After ignoring a couple of phone calls from the pyro technician, Allie rushes out to the warehouse where the fireworks are being kept to see what all the commotion is about. As she see what she believes to be the dead body of Rodney Rivers, fireworks start going off in the building and she gets out just before the explosion takes place. This is only the first in a long line of increasingly dangerous arson incidents around the island and Allie and her band of hapless cohorts take on the search for the culprit or culprits. They have narrowed it down to ten suspects and now someone is on to their investigation and the attack has hit too close to home.
As far as cozies go, this is a humdrum series. The writing is too simplified. There is too much reiteration without moving the story forward and the characters all blur together. Situations are too inane (do authors not think about the names they give characters, finger printing a message board, bringing a cat in a carrier to a fireworks display) and I truly wonder how a series can be so wrapped around a small dog that appears smarter than the adults around her. To narrow it all down, Allie, who is the mastermind behind finding the perpetrator; literally caught him red handed in the middle of the book and did not put it all together. Too many hints were dropped and by the time I reached the end of the book, it was a relief that it was over
Why do I continue with this series – your guess is as good as mine.
Mackinac Island is known for its fudge and small tourist hotels. Allie McMurphy is now the manager and chief fudge maker for her family’s establishment. With her dog Mal (who seems to have her name mentioned way too often – by Kindle’s count over 300 times) they tend to find their way into too many sticky (see what I did there) situations.
This time there is an arsonist and bomb maker on this tiny turtle shaped island and as Allie is scrambling to get the fourth of July fireworks situated. One fire after another seems to pop up and it is the heroic puppy that always seems to save the day.
After ignoring a couple of phone calls from the pyro technician, Allie rushes out to the warehouse where the fireworks are being kept to see what all the commotion is about. As she see what she believes to be the dead body of Rodney Rivers, fireworks start going off in the building and she gets out just before the explosion takes place. This is only the first in a long line of increasingly dangerous arson incidents around the island and Allie and her band of hapless cohorts take on the search for the culprit or culprits. They have narrowed it down to ten suspects and now someone is on to their investigation and the attack has hit too close to home.
As far as cozies go, this is a humdrum series. The writing is too simplified. There is too much reiteration without moving the story forward and the characters all blur together. Situations are too inane (do authors not think about the names they give characters, finger printing a message board, bringing a cat in a carrier to a fireworks display) and I truly wonder how a series can be so wrapped around a small dog that appears smarter than the adults around her. To narrow it all down, Allie, who is the mastermind behind finding the perpetrator; literally caught him red handed in the middle of the book and did not put it all together. Too many hints were dropped and by the time I reached the end of the book, it was a relief that it was over
Why do I continue with this series – your guess is as good as mine.
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