Cynthia Hickey

This was a delightful, fun read and I'm looking forward to others in the series!

Our main characters, Shelby, Heath, and Ida, Shelby's grandmother, are great! I love each of them. Shelby's a little impulsive, but while she doesn't listen to the police and stay out of the investigation, she doesn't seem to be too impulsive and get herself into danger. Yes, things happen to her and her friends. Yes, she ends up almost being smoked and burned alive, but she takes precautions where she can. I much prefer her type of heroine than the ones that go off and deliberately ignore the danger they're putting themselves in.

The only thing was that the characters didn't seem that well-rounded and developed. I'm hoping that's something that will be fixed as the series goes on.

The setting descriptions were great. I can be a hard nut to please in this area. There's a fine line between too much description and not enough. Thankfully, Ms. Hickey gracefully balances on that line. I was able to imagine Shady Acres vividly but I liked that not every detail was filled in for me. I like being able to use my imagination when reading.

The plot line moved along mostly at a steady pace. There were a couple of spots in the middle where it seemed to bog down a little bit, but not so badly that I resorted to skimming instead of reading.

All in all, I'd say this is a good start to the series. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!… (mere)

This was a delightful, fun read and I'm looking forward to others in the series!

Our main characters, Shelby, Heath, and Ida, Shelby's grandmother, are great! I love each of them. Shelby's a little impulsive, but while she doesn't listen to the police and stay out of the investigation, she doesn't seem to be too impulsive and get herself into danger. Yes, things happen to her and her friends. Yes, she ends up almost being smoked and burned alive, but she takes precautions where she can. I much prefer her type of heroine than the ones that go off and deliberately ignore the danger they're putting themselves in.

The only thing was that the characters didn't seem that well-rounded and developed. I'm hoping that's something that will be fixed as the series goes on.

The setting descriptions were great. I can be a hard nut to please in this area. There's a fine line between too much description and not enough. Thankfully, Ms. Hickey gracefully balances on that line. I was able to imagine Shady Acres vividly but I liked that not every detail was filled in for me. I like being able to use my imagination when reading.

The plot line moved along mostly at a steady pace. There were a couple of spots in the middle where it seemed to bog down a little bit, but not so badly that I resorted to skimming instead of reading.

All in all, I'd say this is a good start to the series. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!… (mere)

I LOVED THIS BOOK AND MOSES!! Trinity Ashford cared about her friend, but he was late bringing Moses to her and their having coffee each morning made her think something was wrong when he didn't answer his phone. When she arrived, his apartment was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop. She discovered him in his bed with a knife sticking out of his chest and dialed 911, then she heard footsteps and hid in a closet. I liked Brad Armstrong for making up with his dad who owned the strip mall. Trinity thinks that he's the kilter as the scent was all over his dad's apartment. Now, they must work together to find the killer.… (mere)

Each of these four novellas feature puzzles and murders. The story's all revolve around putting puzzles together, or selling boxes of puzzles, and each is unique, with different characters and culprits, but all keep you guessing, and page turning for answers!

You can sit down and read one, and then save the next, or if you are like me you won't be able to stop at one!

Fun summer reads to enjoy!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.… (mere)