Cozy Mystery Review: Shooting By the Sea

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Title: Shooting By the Sea (A Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery)
Author: Ellen Jacobson
Publication Info: 2020 by Ellen Jacobson.
Source: Purchased
 

Publisher’s Blurb:

When Mollie McGhie attends the grand opening of her friend’s nail salon, she’s looking forward to getting a manicure and sipping on champagne. The event is going great until Mollie discovers a dead body nearby and her friend’s brother is arrested for murder.

Mollie agrees to help clear his name. During the course of her investigation, she has to do some crazy things including auditioning for a game show, giving a pedicure to the local chief of police, and teaching her cat how to play the ukulele.

Can Mollie get to the truth and find out who the real murderer is?

Shooting by the Sea is the fifth book in the light, humorous, and original Mollie McGhie cozy sailing mystery series. If you like kooky characters, adorable cats, and plenty of chocolate, you’ll love this cozy mystery. Grab Shooting by the Sea today and laugh out loud from the first page to the last.

Spoiler Alert: You’ll be humming Elvis tunes to yourself after reading this book.

My Review:

In the interests of full disclosure: Ellen Jacobson is a writing associate, and I have read draft versions of other of novels. Nonetheless, I purchased this book of my own will and consider this to be an honest review.

The Mollie McGhie series is, as advertised, a light-hearted mystery series featuring pretty much zero gore and a lot of humor. Sometimes the books verge on the absurd--in a totally good way! I enjoy the characters and their interactions, and the strongly portrayed community of Coconut Cove, which could almost make me think Florida would be a nice place to live (Ms. Jacobson doesn't seem to have noticed the humidity...).

This story is a well-assembled mystery, with plenty of clues pointing both at and away from the culprit. While I had a pretty clear idea what had gone on, it was great to see the way Mollie uncovered the evidence. The characters of Mollie and her husband, Scooter, have been nicely developed and moved out of the realm of cartoons to become humorous, but real people, a development it has been fun to watch over the course of the series.

My Recommendation:

I think the Mollie McGhie series is great beach reading, and this one is a good addition to the collection. It makes no great demands on the reader, but offers some laughs and good entertainment.

FTC Disclosure: I purchased a copy of Shooting By the Sea of my own volition and chose freely to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

 

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