Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Murder by the Sea is the third installment in the A By the Sea Mystery series set on the Florida island of Melbourne Beach and featuring author Liz Holt. Settling in to life at her family's Indialantic Hotel, Liz is looking forward to attending the New Year's Eve Literary Ball with her great aunt Amelia, her father and the other permanent hotel guests.
Everyone is having fun dressed as literary characters and Liz is very much looking forward to kissing her beau Ryan at midnight. Liz is distraught when she realizes that her abusive ex boyfriend Travis Osterman has appeared at the ball accompanied by members of his publicity team. It's really no surprise to Liz that he's still the same threatening, manipulating person and she feels no real remorse when he's found shot to death the next morning. The problem is that Liz was witnessed by none other than the local reporter having a verbal altercation with Travis that could very well have been his last.
Determined to clear her name, Liz sets out with the help of her family and friends to track down a killer. Her investigation uncovers an even deeper layer of deceptive behavior and the suspect list continues to grow.
This was the first installment in the series that I have read and I will go back to start from the beginning. The author does a good job with back history and character description which enables the book to read as a stand alone. In addition to the humans, a great cast of animals including the delightful parrot, Barnacle Bob and a collection of tasty recipes round out a fast paced plot.
Everyone is having fun dressed as literary characters and Liz is very much looking forward to kissing her beau Ryan at midnight. Liz is distraught when she realizes that her abusive ex boyfriend Travis Osterman has appeared at the ball accompanied by members of his publicity team. It's really no surprise to Liz that he's still the same threatening, manipulating person and she feels no real remorse when he's found shot to death the next morning. The problem is that Liz was witnessed by none other than the local reporter having a verbal altercation with Travis that could very well have been his last.
Determined to clear her name, Liz sets out with the help of her family and friends to track down a killer. Her investigation uncovers an even deeper layer of deceptive behavior and the suspect list continues to grow.
This was the first installment in the series that I have read and I will go back to start from the beginning. The author does a good job with back history and character description which enables the book to read as a stand alone. In addition to the humans, a great cast of animals including the delightful parrot, Barnacle Bob and a collection of tasty recipes round out a fast paced plot.
