[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Arlo Stanley, book store owner, was getting ready for Sugar Springs’ Tenth Annual All-School Class Reunion. This year they were expecting a lot of visitors because they had a big name guest of honor coming. Wally Harrison had grown up in Silver Springs. He became a writer, and he had recently been at the top of the bestsellers lists. Unfortunately, as Arlo is making her way into work before the big weekend, Wally is lying dead on the sidewalk in front of her store.
Wally was scheduled to do a big signing at the shop. Arlo knew Wally from high school, as did her business partner, Chloe. In fact, Chloe and Wally had a child together, although Wally had signed his rights away before the baby was even born. Neither Chloe, nor Arlo, can see Wally as the type to throw himself from a building, but suicide is the prevailing theory.
Until the coroner’s report comes in. All signs point to murder. The logical suspects would be Wally’s wife or his mistress/assistant, but Chloe and Wally had met that morning to talk about their son. Chloe didn’t want Wally in the boy’s life. And thanks to a hefty inheritance, Chloe is the number one suspect for the murder.
Review
This was fun! I loved the characters. Arlo is great, and her loyalty to Chloe made her even more likable. The elderly ladies in the shop’s book group were a hoot! They were one of my favorite parts of the book. While I generally don’t enjoy love triangles, I am curious to see what happens between Arlo, Mads and Sam as this series goes on, especially as these characters have a history and are now back in the same town for the first time since high school.
The mystery was terrific. The clues stacked against Chloe were no joke. There were a few other suspects to explore, but really only 2 were explored in any depth. I’m curious to see how the mystery in book 2 will play out when the author is doing less “world building,” and has even more page space to dig into a mystery and a group of suspects.
Cozy fans should check this out. It’s a great story with likable characters and a small-town setting. I will definitely be checking out any further books in the Main Street Book Club Mystery series.