Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, excerpt, Giveaway, mystery, Review on February 12, 2022

 

 

 

 

Scones and Scofflaws: Cape May Cozy Mysteries with a Twist
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Cape May, New Jersey
Blue Eagle Press (December 19, 2020)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 278 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When a gorgeous man dressed as Bridgette Bardot buys her a Scofflaw and asks her out on a date, Anna McGregor begins to suspect her murder investigation has taken a wrong turn. Her previous work as a medical anthropologist exposed her to a variety of unexpected situations, but none quite like this.

“The story does a great job of setting up the mystery and then anthropologist turned B&B hostess, Anna McGregor leads us through a merry chase and I thought I had it partially figured out but then realized…red herring. I would suggest you skip to the back of the book to find the scofflaw recipe and make one to enjoy while you armchair sleuth your way through this charming and cozy mystery.” — Tracy’s Tidbits

It all seemed so simple: fix up the Cape May Victorian mansion she’d inherited from Great Aunt Louise and re-open it as the exceptional B&B it used to be. Everything’s going great, until her very first guest turns up dead at the breakfast table, crumbs from Anna’s blueberry scones scattered on the lace tablecloth.

As the town’s gossip mill goes into overdrive, Anna leaps into the fray to save her reputation, her business and Great Aunt Louise’s legacy.

With help from a handsome handyman eager to solve all of Anna’s problems and a young police officer new to murder investigations, Anna does her best to convince the town — and her future guests — that while her scones may be killer, someone else was responsible for this murder.

 

 

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Review

 

This new series is set in picturesque Cape May and Anna has inherited a Victorian home that was used as a B&B run by her aunt. Things are going well until one of her first guests is found dead over breakfast. This is not the way to start a new business! And because it is a small town, the gossip spreads faster than liquified butter.

Anna is a complicated character because while she is smart, she has some issues with what happened with her former relationship and she is lugging that baggage around with her everywhere. This impacts how she reacts to situations that many of us would take with a grain of salt. Despite being

Eoin, Anna’s cousin, is such a sweet kid but I don’t understand why he talks everyone’s ears off except for Anna. Is it because she can’t say his name properly? It is never really explained, but by the end of the book he is opening up more to her. I think he could be a good sidekick while he is visiting her (despite his age of 8) but sometimes I wondered where he was or if someone was watching him because Anna was off doing some investigative work.

While I didn’t solve the murder quickly, there were lots of clues and there were some that I noted that were discarded as not important until later in the book. There are several potential characters that could be the murderer but would their alibis hold? It doesn’t help that one of the suspects was a fixture in this small community and because gossip spreads quickly, this character and several others were miffed at the accusations of their character. But isn’t that how a murderer would act?

I enjoyed this new series and will check out the second book to see what else is in store for Anna. Probably another dead body but maybe a love interest too? And perhaps, she and Sammy will have some wild escapades about the town.

We give this book 4 paws up and don’t miss the drink recipe at the end.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Up early after her restless night, Anna faced the prospect of dealing with the mess in her kitchen. She was in the middle of scrubbing down her counters, a fresh pot of coffee brewing, when the bell over the door jingled. She didn’t go immediately, taking a minute to remove her kitchen gloves and wipe her hands. As she stepped toward the kitchen door, Patrolman Burley stuck his head through it.

“Good morning, thought I might find you in here.”

“Oh, Patrolman Burley. Hi. I mean, um, good morning. I’m just…” she lifted her arms then let them fall in a gesture of despair. “I’m not sure what I’m doing.”

“Seems like you’ve got quite a mess on your hands.” He glanced around the kitchen. “Sorry about that.”

“I am allowed to be cleaning up in here, aren’t I?”

He smiled. “Yes, you are. And please, call me Evan.”

She felt the tension in her shoulders relax, the edges of her mouth turn up. “Evan, of course.”

The deep brown of his eyes reminded her of the Scottish hero she’d been reading about yesterday. It would be nice not to have to go chasing around the dark house in the middle of the night with a field hockey stick.

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this. I have a few minutes, I could help.” Something in her expression caused him to take a step back. “Or not, if you prefer to do it yourself.”

“Why did you tear apart my kitchen like this?”

“It wasn’t just me. We had a team going through the whole house.”

“I noticed that,” she responded, feeling her cheeks grow hot.

“The thing is, Anna — may I sit?” He gestured toward the marble-topped bar that ran opposite the sink.

“Of course. Sure. Would you like some coffee?”

He waited until she’d poured his cup, then continued. “The thing is, Anna, one of your guests died in unusual circumstances and we need to find out what happened to him.”

“Wait. What do you mean, what happened to him?”

“I mean, we need to know what killed him.” Evan said, still looking directly at her. “Or who.”

Anna gulped and looked down at the coffee pot still in her hands. She turned her back on Evan to replace it on the burner and realized her hands were shaking. She took a few breaths.

“So you think he was murdered?” she asked once she felt sure her voice would sound normal.

Evan shook his head, taking another sip of his coffee. “Well, this is a police investigation. But it’s too soon to say if it was an accidental death or intentional. We still need to determine the exact cause of death. That’s why we searched the house. We were looking for anything that might have been used.”

Anna dropped onto the stool next to Evan. “Murdered. I mean, murder. That can’t be a common thing in Cape May.”

“It’s not. Detective Walsh is running the investigation for now, but it won’t be long before this attracts attention from the higher-ups. We need to get to the truth, and fast. Walsh has some experience with this sort of thing, so…” He toyed with his mug and Anna realized there was more. The worst was yet to come.

“So?”

“So we have to consider the possibility that you may have been responsible.”

“Me?” Anna heard the shriek in her voice and shut her lips tight.

Evan seemed focused on his coffee, giving Anna the time she needed to take a few breaths.

She tried again. “Me? Why would I kill my own guests?”

Evan raised his hands in what was probably meant to be a calming gesture. “Not on purpose, I’m sure. But we don’t yet know what killed him. We need to consider all options.”

“I see. So I’m a suspect. In a murder investigation.”

“Don’t overreact. Suspect is too strong a word. What if something in this house killed him — either an allergy, or something poisonous you didn’t realize he might encounter.”

Anna shook her head, flabbergasted. “I’m a trained scientist. I know what’s poisonous and what’s not. There’s nothing here that could—”

“Okay, okay. Look, you’re simply a person of interest at this point, that’s all.”

Anna’s brain spun through possibilities. “Who else is a ‘person of interest?’” Her voice betrayed her skepticism of the term.

 

 

About the Author

 

Formerly an anthropologist, then a diplomat, then a park ranger, Jane Gorman now writes murder mysteries. Building on her knowledge of Philadelphia (her home for many years) and her varied experiences, her Adam Kaminski mystery series features a Philly cop who manages to solve complicated murders in far-flung locales, both in the U.S. and overseas. Her Cape May cozy mysteries paint a light-hearted, fun picture of the Cape May life of a former anthropologist who just happens to be good at solving murders – and trying out new cocktails!

 

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