A Vacation to Die For by Lynn Cahoon is the fourteenth A Tourist Trap Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. If you read the series in order, it will allow you to get to know the characters and the town. Lynn Cahoon has a conversational writing style that makes her stories easy to read. Jill and Greg are engaged and living together in Jill's charming seaside home. They are getting ready to take a long weekend to a nearby oceanside town. Jill is glad to getaway because a hotel developer has been bothering her. Max Winter wants to put a hotel on her property and has offered her a sizable amount of money. Jill has no intention of selling her beloved home. Jill and Greg are enjoying their holiday until Greg gets called back to South Cove when a man walks into the police station with a knife sticking out of his stomach. Jill enjoys the rest of her vacation with her bestie, Amy. When Jill returns to town, Greg refuses to give her any details on the case. She does know that they victim has yet to be identified. Jill cannot help it if she happens upon helpful information on Greg's case. Evie, one of Jill's employees, is having trouble with her ex-husband and ex-sister-in-law. They want a clock that was given to her by her deceased father-in-law, and they are do not take no for an answer. The mystery was on the light side. I kept waiting for something (anything) to happen. It all comes together at the end with the reveal. I wanted more mystery and less of Jill jogging with Emma, eating, and reading. I am not a fan of how Greg treats Jill at times. He tells her not to job on the beach because a killer is on the loose or tells her not to investigate (I am not sure why Jill puts up with it). Jill and Greg are working on their wedding plans. They are picking the date and venue. Jill is nervous because they have yet had a discussion regarding their finances. Readers who prefer the cozy over the mystery will enjoy this story. A Vacation to Die For is a sweet story, but I felt it needed some action (a little oomph) and definitely more investigating. I did find one thing a little odd. Jill sat writing out checks to pay her personal bills and then was mailing them out. This is a digital age where everything can be taken care of online. Another item that bugged me is all the ârulesâ Aunt Jackie has put in place regarding Jill's business. If Jill finds them annoying or unnecessary, I do not know why she does not say something. A Vacation to Die For is a charming cozy with a troublesome ex-relative, a weekend away, a determined developer, an importunate mayor, tasty sweets, a mysterious victim, a curious clock, timely repasts, and premarital planning.

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