[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Hallmark Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Carson has won the privilege of hosting the area Art in the Park Festival for this year. As an artist and art teacher, it makes sense for Savanna to be on the planning committee.
The first sign of trouble is the damage to a statue at the community park. It’s tagged with “Never Carson,” and the head of town founder, Jessamina Carson, has been severed from the body of the statue.
Then one of the other committee members, local councilman John Bellamy, is killed. When a family friend is arrested, Savanna and her sisters are certain the man could not have committed this heinous crime.
The question is, who did? And why? Is it tied to the art event? Folks from the town that hosted the last three years seem testy about the change of venue. And John did disqualify an entry for the $50,000 scholarship and other prizes. Or maybe it has something to do with Bellamy’s run for mayor. Or could it have been Bellamy’s son, back in town after a falling out with his father years ago?
Savanna and her sisters are fully invested in finding the killer, clearing their friend, and ensuring the festival goes off without a hitch.
Review
This was fun! I love Savanna and her sisters. It’s not often that I read a cozy that uses a team of sleuths, and I really enjoy the change up. Savanna is primary, but she and her sisters work together to bring different skills to the case. Also, the local LEO walks the fine line between cautioning the sisters and embracing their input and insights. I love it. And I thoroughly enjoyed the developments in Savanna and Aidan’s relationship. There are several fun developments on the personal side for all three sisters.
The mystery was great and had me guessing all the way to the end. The escalation was nicely paced. I could absolutely see this story play out on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on TV.
Book one in the series is Out of the Picture (♥♥♥♥½). I really enjoyed both books. And I hope there are going to be more. This is the style of cozy I love – great characters and community balanced with a well-plotted and engaging mystery. Do not miss this series. Other mysteries from Hallmark Publishing so far are Dead-End Detective and The Game Changer.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read.