I’m a fan of amateur sleuths in small-town mysteries. Start with a death initially dismissed as an unfortunate accident, mix in an assortment of characters with dark secrets of their own, and add an adorable Welsh Corgi named Moon Pie. I’m hooked!
From award-winning author Marlene M. Bell comes a captivating tale set against the backdrop of an East Texas landscape. Rich in descriptive detail, the story is a multi-layered plot; from the start, family serves as the linchpin connecting blood relations, friends, and adversaries alike.
Secret alliances and emotional ties form a complex framework to the story. The author weaves history and interpersonal relationships—past, present, and hoped-for liaisons—throughout the story, creating a tangled web of doubt and deceit that obscures the truth of what really happened to Hattie Stenburg, the wealthy philanthropist, long-time friend, and mentor of celebrated pastry chef Laura Harris.
Laura’s work as a chef and soon-to-be-published cookbook author requires a keen attention to detail. That trait serves her well as she juggles personal and professional responsibilities with the role of amateur sleuth to uncover the truth of Hattie’s death despite detectives’ disapproval of her attempts to investigate. She’s stunned as their disapproval turns to suspicion when she discovers she’s the sole beneficiary to the Stenburg fortune. And when DNA evidence implicating Laura is found at the scene of the crime, Laura finds herself the primary suspect in Hattie’s murder.
Problems mount as her efforts are hindered by anonymous threats and warnings to abandon her investigation. With her own life at risk, she’ll need all her skills to track down the real killer and save herself and those she loves.
If you enjoy mysteries with intricate relationships, real-life problems, and shocking revelations, add this one to your bookshelf!
Synopsis:
THE VISIT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. Celebrity chef Laura Harris dwells on the horror of finding her mentor’s body in the groundskeeper’s disheveled bed—pillow and bedding half covering her open eyes—purple bruising around her mouth. A grisly snapshot in time revealing the Texas woman’s last moments during her attack. The elderly matriarch from the small town of Stenburg has left the physical world, and Laura is shattered. She is catapulted headlong into the pursuit of a casual executioner, one bold enough to come and go from the crime scene with ease, dropping bizarre crumb trails designed to mock the deceased. But Laura herself doesn’t go unnoticed. As she digs deeper, she is followed and bombarded by warnings to leave the state. When the victim’s attorney informs Laura that she’s to inherit the entire Stenburg fortune, the last act of kindness has made Laura the main person of interest in the investigation. Message by message, Laura is methodically taunted by someone so deranged and driven they’ll do whatever it takes to dislodge Laura from Texas – permanently.
Book Details:
Genre: Amateur Sleuth/Mystery/Cozy Mystery Published by: Ewephoric Publishing Publication Date: October 1, 2024 Number of Pages: 368 ISBN: 979-8-9863409-6-8 Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Author Bio:
Marlene M. Bell has never met a sheep she didn’t like. As a personal touch for her readers, they often find these wooly creatures visiting her international romantic mysteries and children’s books as characters or subject matter. Marlene is an accomplished artist and photographer who takes pride in entertaining fans on multiple levels of her creativity. Marlene’s award-winning Annalisse series boasts Best Mystery honors for all installments including these: IP Best Regional Australia/New Zealand, Global Award Best Mystery, and Chanticleer’s International Mystery and Mayhem shortlist for Copper Waters, the fourth mystery in the series. She offers her children’s picture book, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! written primarily for younger kids based on true events from the Bell’s East Texas sheep ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of belonging and unconditional love between a little girl and her lamb.
Catch Up With Marlene M. Bell:
www.MarleneMBell.com
Goodreads – @dorsetghal BookBub – @dorsetgalwrites
Instagram – @marlenemysteries Twitter/X – @ewephoric
Facebook Facebook – @marlenembell Amazon Author Page
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My thanks to Partners in Crime for the opportunity to review this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you for joining the tour and the awesome review! So glad you enjoyed A Hush at Midnight!
Having previously reviewed your book Copper Waters, I was excited to read this new book of yours! Looking forward to reading more of your work. ~Susan
Nice review. Sounds like a wonderful book. 🙂