by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook or print copy of Murder of the Maestro, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

Georgia…Georgia on my Mind!
Anna Celeste Burke first introduced Georgia Shaw in Murder at Catmmando Mountain (April 2016) treating us to a delightful middle-aged dynamo who is the public relations exec for Catmmando Tom, the cartoon figure and iconic figure at Marvelous Marley World. Through the five books to follow, Georgia has grown as an amateur detective, made official her relationship with real detective Jack Wheeler, and garnered a huge fan following. You shouldn’t pass up this well-written mystery with a plethora of rich, some quirky, characters.

Murder of the Maestro earns 5/5 Catchy Tunes…Melodiously Fun!

It is annoying enough to be woken up by her personal assistant’s ringtone prank, but to hear the frantic ramblings of her boss on the other end is worse. “Mad” Max Marley is distraught that his friend, Dave Rollins, is missing, and the police do not seem adequately alarmed. He wants Georgia and her husband/Detective Jack to check it out. When they arrive at Rollins’s cliff side home, the police have finally arrived on scene, the house has been trashed, and a body is discovered at the bottom of the cliff…Rollins is dead! Persons of interest pop up left and right in front of you, varying from an ex-wife, narcissistic boss, former lover/personal assistant, a “good” agent, and a list of possible women scorned. So much for Georgia and Jack to weed through.

Super entertaining! Again, Anna Celeste Burke has penned an engaging mystery with a nice sprinkling of poignant moments and humor. Fans are thrilled, but newbies can start right here. Although lots of life has happened over the previous five books, there are more than enough references to background and character connections to make it easy to join in. I like the chapter titles, something most books don’t do, but I find it a fun puzzle of sort to try to figure out the connection between it and the action. Anna’s writing style is well-paced and easy-to-read with excellent descriptions of the environment and characters. However, she doesn’t rely on purely the narrative. Her dialogue has clever wit and illustrates well the personalities, connections, and emotions of each character. This is the sixth book in the series, though, and the characters are well developed, but for those readers who like a full journey, enjoy seeing character growth, and learning how all got here from there, I highly recommend reading from the beginning… But, no matter where you start, you will definitely be hooked on Georgia Shaw!

Mix with Murder and Bake!
Two of my favorite words in my cozy mysteries are “Recipes Included,” and Burke does not disappoint. This book has almost an entire cookbook at the end with nine easy-to-follow recipes one can use from first course to dessert. But the fun part is she includes some delightful “Georgia’s Tips” which add insights, background, and encouragement to even the most capable chef. This time we have a big favorite Chicken Marsala, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies, White Bean Soup, Sole Meunière with clarified butter, Roasted Herbed Baby Potatoes, Sautéed Baby Vegetables, Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and another big favorite Shepherd’s Pie with a Pastry Crust. Something for every taste!

Be a Big Fan!
Anna Celeste Burke also pens two other very entertaining series that should not be missed. The Jessica Huntington Mystery, set in the California desert cities, follows Jessica dealing with dysfunction in her life whether with family or her career. But Anna adds a bit of humor in the face of disaster…and murder! In the Corsario Cove, set on the California Coast, we are engaged with Kim and Brien, a younger married couple, who along with surfing find themselves investigating murder. All three series offer different aged characters and different settings, but include the same well-written adventure, humor, and realism. You’ll be hooked, too.

Like, Visit, and Follow, Oh, my!
Facebook – Anna Celeste Burke
Website – Desert Cities Mystery/Anna Celeste Burke
Twitter – aburke59

To enter to win an ebook or print copy of Murder of the Maestro, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “maestro,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May, 2018. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address. BE SURE TO STATE WHETHER YOU WANT EBOOK OR PRINT.

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Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Murder of the Maestro Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #6

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.