[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Elliott Lisbon enjoys life on Sea Pine Island, South Carolina. She’s the director for the Ballantyne Foundation which means, for the latest Foundation event, she’s only in charge of set up and centerpieces while the board handles the rest of the details.
Elli has contracted with Juliette Pete of Cake & Shake for 25 cake centerpieces for the Ballantyne Beach BBQ. The BBQ honors families who have helped the homeless community in the area while also raising funds for a new shelter.
After a few local mysteries, Elli is also working on her South Carolina PI licence. That comes in handy when Juliette’s maid of honor, Daphne, goes missing. Daphne’s gone off grid before, but the timing – with the wedding days away – is odd. Surely Daphne wouldn’t disappear when her best friend is counting on her.
Elli’s connections at the police station – her supervisor, Captain Sullivan, and her neighbor/boyfriend Lieutenant Nick Ransom – can’t do much about Daphne. She’s only been missing for a few hours, and she doesn’t live in their jurisdiction. But they’re working with the right authorities, and Elli gets the materials she needs to launch her first missing persons case.
As Elli starts investigating, the stories about Daphne don’t line up. She finds out Juliette and Daphne were on the same dating show – and Juliette won the fella. While Juliette believes she and Daphne are best friends and work partners, Daphne’s mom and boyfriend insist there’s more to the story. But with no word from Daphne, and hours ticking by, even those who at first figured she left town to avoid the wedding and her “broken heart,” are starting to look worried.
Review
This is book 5 in the Elliott Lisbon Mystery series, but the first book that I have read, and it was great! I’ll definitely be going back to check out the previous books.
There’s a HUGE cast of characters in this. I don’t know if it’s just all the folks from the previous books (so regular readers would already know everyone) or if it’s just for this case. It was hard to keep track of folks at times. Otherwise, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Elli is a terrific protagonist. She’s actively working to become a PI, and works somewhat cooperatively with local law enforcement. That gives this a different feel from most of the cozies I usually read.
I didn’t get a great feel for the Foundation work Elli does and the other “home base” pieces of the series, but I know I can go back to the previous books for that. And the mystery in this was so well written, I definitely want to go back and check those out. The case was perfectly paced and there were plenty of questions and twists to work through. Mystery fans should be sure to check this one – and the rest of the series – out! (Language, TW for the ending)
