by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Something Foul at Sweetwater. We also have a link to order it from Amazon.

Hat designer Missy DuBois should have known it was too good to be true. But ever since she moved to Louisiana 18 months ago, Missy has been enchanted by the elegant, historic antebellum mansions. So when she spotted the flyer listing the Sweetwater mansion for only $250,000, Missy can’t resist hoping that she could make her dreams of having a home and design studio there come true. It seems even closer within her grasp when she meets the realtor, her Vanderbilt sorority sister Mellette Babineaux. Those hopes are dashed when Missy once again has the unfortunate luck to find a dead body, and this time it is that of Mellette’s in the adjoining garden cottage.

It may have been ten years since graduation, but Missy still feels the bonds of her sorority sisterhood and is compelled to discover why Mellette died. Rumors of voodoo ceremonies and hauntings have kept Sweetwater’s asking price low, but that doesn’t seem to bother Herbert Solomon, a billionaire who plans to dismantle the mansion and renovate it into high-end apartments. That he seems to be cozy with both another realtor and the Sweetwater heir infuriates Missy, so if solving Mellette’s murder includes stopping the deal, all the better.

Missy’s investigation into the mystery of Mellette’s death has her once again working with childhood friend Lance LaPorte, a Louisiana State Police officer and whose mother’s restaurant serves up the best fried chicken in the South. It’s not Lance who appears in her dreams and sparks hopes for a future together, though. That honor goes to Ambrose Jackson, Missy’s best friend and an in-demand wedding dress designer. Together with other wedding-themed shops, Bo’s Allure Couture and Missy’s Crowning Glory cater to every desire and whim a bride or groom could imagine. Those demands by spoiled bridezillas are highlights of the series, as are Missy’s responding skilled and creative solutions. The South comes alive in this delightful novel, from the “Bless his heart,” swampland voodoo practitioners, and residual effects of the Civil War. Missy always leads with her heart, and her genuine love for the land and its history will have readers hoping that she and Bo will finally have that perfect first date.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Something Foul at Sweetwater, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “foul,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 7, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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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. 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.