Cozy Mystery: In the Event of Murder

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 Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Tours for a chance to read this mystery.

 

 

In the Event of Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Colorado
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (August 20, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639100709
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639100705
Digital https://amzn.to/3xRh1X8

It’s the star-studded event of the season in Silvercrest, Colorado—but some of the guests might not make it to the last dance alive in the second charming installment of the Starlit Bookshop mysteries from Agatha Award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn.

Nestled on the banks of a breathtaking Rocky Mountain river and dotted with delightful boutiques and galleries, Silvercrest, Colorado, is a book lover’s paradise. Bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is looking forward to attending the annual Silvercrest Library Gala, a glamorous evening with celebrities including the legendary Whitney Willton, currently on the hit crime show Chasers, and her niece, party-planner-to-the-stars Lyra Willton. Gala Week is full of exciting activities honoring both page and screen, and library board president Tabitha Baxter is basking in the glow of her successful launch—until Lyra is found dead.

With the gala only days away, the board asks Emma for help, despite Tabitha—her longstanding nemesis—bristling over the choice. Emma agrees, even though she is already in charge of a classic mystery panel at her family’s bookstore, Starlit Books, which turns out to have its own challenges. Meanwhile, Whitney, who is aware of Emma’s sleuthing skills, begs her to find the killer. The case grows more complex with the disappearance of several priceless objects, an attack on one of the attending celebrities, and other predicaments. Emma searches for clues while handling every unexpected twist and turn leading up to the extravagant affair. But when the guests step onto the red carpet, a killer still lurks in the shadows—and murder just might become the main event.

 My Review:

In the Event of Murder is an enjoyable cozy mystery read, with a great small-town setting and characters who are definitely distinctive! From the opening, we are swept into the events of the Library Gala, and Emma's efforts to remain on the outskirts are of course doomed to failure, as she finds herself the event manager coping with ever-accumulating disasters.

If I have a criticism of the story, it's that Emma is too good at fixing the problems, and Tabitha is just too, too horrible. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite that catty, but maybe I'm just oblivious. In a way, her dreadfulness reminded me of the unabashedly absurd characters Charlotte MacLeod (dubbed by one critic "the queen of the whimsical whodunnit) created in her classics of the cozy mystery genre, so I didn't mind.

The mystery is well-plotted, with lots of great pointers directing me to all the wrong people (though it is pretty clear which set of people are the most likely suspects). I found the pacing about perfect, with something happening all the time, but not at a pace or level of danger to cause tension and anxiety in the reader. In other words, it does exactly what a cozy mystery ought to do. Oh, and I love that all this fund-raising to-do is for the benefit of the library!

 

About Cynthia Kuhn

Cynthia Kuhn writes the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries, which focus on a bookseller solving crimes in an artistic mountain community, and the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries, featuring a professor-turned-amateur-sleuth. Her work has also appeared in Mystery Most Diabolical, Mystery Most Edible, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD, and other publications. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

Author Links 

Website: https://cynthiakuhn.net

Blog: http://chicksonthecase.com

Twitter/X: http://www.twitter.com/cynthiakuhn

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N  – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse 

 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 20 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT  

August 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

August 21 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 21 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 26 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW

August 26 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 27 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

August 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

August 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

August 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 29 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 30 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW  

August 31 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 2 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW


 

Comments

  1. Cynthia KuhnAugust 28, 2024 at 2:33 PM

    Hi Rebecca: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Loved your take on In the Event of Murder--very thoughtful. Much appreciation for hosting today. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rebecca M. DouglassAugust 31, 2024 at 3:05 PM

      My pleasure! (Though I did end up being an absent host, having gone to the mountains).

      Delete
  2. H. R. SinclairAugust 29, 2024 at 10:12 AM

    Congratulations to Cynthia!

    ReplyDelete

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