by Cynthia Chow

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

Since Jill Gardner was just getting used to both having and living with a boyfriend, a couples’ weekend getaway with Greg and his childhood friends did nothing to ease her anxiety over commitment. However, an all-expense paid stay at the luxury hotel The Castle for a bachelor party is not something Jill can say no to, especially when it reunites Greg with his best friend from seventh grade. Tech-millionaire Levi Walker is marrying the undeniably attractive but equally standoffish Jessica Cole, and he has invited his oldest group of friends to celebrate. Jill is leery of the weekend full of couples who have been friends for decades, but what really has her questioning her future are divisions between the “girls” and “boys.” Being a lady-in-waiting for her man was not something Jill ever wanted to sign up for, yet that looks to be what’s in store for her at the Castle. Indeed, the ostentatious museum/hotel seems a world away from their tourist-destination town of South Cove, despite it being only ten miles away.

While the women seem to side against Jessica and are dubious about the future of the pair, no one expected Levi to be found dead floating in the Castle pool. With Greg sidelined as a police detective and reluctant to question his friends, Jill once again takes it upon herself to help and discover the killer. Saying no has never come naturally to Jill, which also explains how she finds herself completely enmeshed in her aunt’s own upcoming wedding ceremony. Aunt Jackie has always been demanding and something of a control freak, but something is making her even more irritable and snappish than usual. Discovering why will become as much a priority for Jill as investigating a murder, especially considering that both involve the people she loves the most.

Although each of the nine books of this Tourist Trap Mystery series can be read on its own, they are best read as one long serial. Characters transform and develop throughout the novels, becoming familiar to readers as neighbors and friends. Coffee, Books, and More bookstore owner Jill is a strong and caring heroine, and it’s easy to sympathize with her hesitation over a relationship after the end of her first marriage. Yet Jill is never more delightful than when she escapes into her books, as more than one reader should relate to the “book hangover” that results from a night spent reading until the final page. Readers may wish to resist that temptation here, as the conclusion will leave them satisfied, but anxious to start the next in the series as soon as possible.

To enter to win an EBOOK copy of Killer Party, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “party,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 5, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section.

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

Killer Party

You can also use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

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.