Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
S'More Murders is the fifth installment in the A Five-Ingredient Mystery series featuring Cool Down Cafe owner, Val Deniston and set in the Chesapeake Bay town of Bayport. The house she shares with her grandfather, Don, has some serious termite damage and the repairs will be costly, so when Val is approached by the wealthy Otto Warbeck to cater a dinner aboard his yacht she can hardly turn down the additional income.
Otto is an avid collector of Titanic memorabilia, and he wants to host a ten course dinner party for eight people on the eve of the historic sinking of the massive ocean liner. Val, Don and her best friend Bethany climb aboard the luxurius, Abyss and begin the dinner preparations. An eclectic bunch, the guests include Otto's much younger wife Cheyenne, his ex wife Stacy Turnstone and step son Trey, Louisa and Damian Brown, lobbyists for the poultry industry and Homer Huxby a local antiques dealer.
Otto decides that the guests will play a mystery game during dinner that will revolve around the death of a Titanic passenger. One of the dinner guests will be the murder according to the pre-written scripts that Otto passes out to each person. Things take an even stranger turn when suddenly the yacht is caught up in a violent storm, the boat's captain is discovered drugged on the bridge and Otto has gone missing.
Despite warnings from her boyfriend Gunnar and Chief Earl Yardley to stay out of the investigation, Val can't help but find herself caught up in the hunt for a killer. With Bethany by her side, Val soon discovers that each of the dinner guests had a secret they'd prefer to keep hidden and Otto knew them all.
A fast moving plot somewhat similar to the famous And Then There Were None. With only a handful of possible suspects that were aboard the yacht when Otto went missing, the character pool is limited. I really do not like one of the main characters of this series and am hoping that with this addition this will be the last we see of them.
Otto is an avid collector of Titanic memorabilia, and he wants to host a ten course dinner party for eight people on the eve of the historic sinking of the massive ocean liner. Val, Don and her best friend Bethany climb aboard the luxurius, Abyss and begin the dinner preparations. An eclectic bunch, the guests include Otto's much younger wife Cheyenne, his ex wife Stacy Turnstone and step son Trey, Louisa and Damian Brown, lobbyists for the poultry industry and Homer Huxby a local antiques dealer.
Otto decides that the guests will play a mystery game during dinner that will revolve around the death of a Titanic passenger. One of the dinner guests will be the murder according to the pre-written scripts that Otto passes out to each person. Things take an even stranger turn when suddenly the yacht is caught up in a violent storm, the boat's captain is discovered drugged on the bridge and Otto has gone missing.
Despite warnings from her boyfriend Gunnar and Chief Earl Yardley to stay out of the investigation, Val can't help but find herself caught up in the hunt for a killer. With Bethany by her side, Val soon discovers that each of the dinner guests had a secret they'd prefer to keep hidden and Otto knew them all.
A fast moving plot somewhat similar to the famous And Then There Were None. With only a handful of possible suspects that were aboard the yacht when Otto went missing, the character pool is limited. I really do not like one of the main characters of this series and am hoping that with this addition this will be the last we see of them.
S'more Murders by Maya Corrigan is the fifth novel in A Five-Ingredient Mystery series. Val Dennison has been hired to cater a special dinner hosted by Otto Warbeck who is a collector of Titanic memorabilia. He wants Val to recreate the last dinner served on the Titanic on his yacht, Abyss. It is a ten-course meal for eight guests and he insists it be held in a few days on Saturday, April 14 (the anniversary of the Titanic's sinking). Val is reluctant to take this particular job, but the money she will earn will pay for the repairs needed to Granddad's home (those blasted termites). On Saturday Val, Bethany and Granddad board the Abyss and begin their dinner preparations while the yacht heads out into open water. Bethany oversees the s'more appetizers requested by Otto's wife, Cheyenne. After they sit down for dinner, Otto announces he has created a mystery game for them to play while they eat (he even has scripts). The water becomes choppy due to a storm, the pilot of the yacht is in distress and Otto cannot be found. Val, with the help of her friends, dives into the case. There are eight suspects with motive to harm the victim. Val wades through the clues with the hopes of spearing a killer.
S'more Murders is nicely written, and it has some interesting characters. I find that Grandad (Don Myer) steals the show from Val. He is an eccentric and gregarious older gentleman with a zest for life. Val came across as bland and I am not a fan of her boyfriend, Gunnar. Gunnar is an amateur actor who wishes to expand his skills. He is contemplating a change and Val wonders how she will fit in with his plans. Personally, I would wish Gunnar good luck on his new venture and look for a boyfriend who is more compatible. I would like to see the author flesh out Val's character and have her grow as a person. The mystery was intriguing with multiple suspects and misdirection. I think that many readers will be surprised when the full solution is revealed. I could have done with less speculation and rehashing of the clues (it gets old). I did find the pace to be a little slow, and I had trouble staying invested in the story (my attention wandered). Val whips up some delectable foods in the story and the descriptions will have your mouth watering (and your stomach growling). I like how friends and family come together to help and care for each other. S'more Murders can be read alone if you are new to the series. Welcome aboard Val's high seas adventure in S'more Murders.
S'more Murders is nicely written, and it has some interesting characters. I find that Grandad (Don Myer) steals the show from Val. He is an eccentric and gregarious older gentleman with a zest for life. Val came across as bland and I am not a fan of her boyfriend, Gunnar. Gunnar is an amateur actor who wishes to expand his skills. He is contemplating a change and Val wonders how she will fit in with his plans. Personally, I would wish Gunnar good luck on his new venture and look for a boyfriend who is more compatible. I would like to see the author flesh out Val's character and have her grow as a person. The mystery was intriguing with multiple suspects and misdirection. I think that many readers will be surprised when the full solution is revealed. I could have done with less speculation and rehashing of the clues (it gets old). I did find the pace to be a little slow, and I had trouble staying invested in the story (my attention wandered). Val whips up some delectable foods in the story and the descriptions will have your mouth watering (and your stomach growling). I like how friends and family come together to help and care for each other. S'more Murders can be read alone if you are new to the series. Welcome aboard Val's high seas adventure in S'more Murders.
