Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Bookoutre, via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own
Julia Bird adores a walk on a winter’s day. The crunch of fresh show under your feet and the promise of hot cocoa by a roaring fire afterwards… But she’s not expecting to find a body in the woods!
It’s Christmas in Berrywick, the busiest time of year for dashing taxi driver Lewis. But when he’s killed in a road accident, the entire village is shaken. Julia Bird, recently appointed to the Road Safety Committee, visits the site so that no other villager suffers the same fate. But when she spies a pendant left in the bushes, she feels certain Lewis’s death was no accident…
As the festive lights twinkle in the village square, Julia vows to uncover the truth. She soon learns not everyone found Lewis’s charm appealing. Sweetshop owner Dora says he had an eye for the ladies, much to his wife’s frustration. Lewis recently gave his life savings to a mysterious businessman who proves impossible to track down. But could these be reasons enough to want him dead?
Then, local beekeeper Matthew is struck by a car near the Christmas market. Julia believes the two deaths must be linked, but contrary to Lewis, Matthew was as sweet as the honey he sold. Who could possibly want to hurt Berrywick’s kindest man?
With no obvious leads, Julia stumbles upon an old picture that finally links Lewis and Matthew. Many years ago they were in a band poised for stardom, but when the bubble burst, their chance at fame vanished quicker than a glass of festive egg nogg. Could someone be targeting the band members one by one? And can Julia track them down before the killer strikes again?
Review:
Part of me wonders how the 2 writers work together for this series- do they alternate chapters? Do they start with a central idea, then the flesh it out as they go, or does each get assigned certain parts? Curious minds want to know, because you can't tell that there are two different writers! Once again the book is flawless in the characterization of Julia, with her older relationship, and retired status of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When her neighbor is killed in an accident, after a traffic fatality, no one thinks to link them together. But when Matthew's wife mentions their financial affairs, Julia senses a motive and soon is on the trail to find the link (the band), and how the past may be coming back to claim more lives. A quick read, this one will keep you on your toes!
About the Author:
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Follow us on Twitter @KatieGayleBooks.
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