by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Cherry Cake and a Cadaver, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Lily Gayle Lambert is enjoying her afternoon gossiping with Miss Edna. She gets an earful about her great niece Harley Ann, opinions on touristy shop names popping up around town, and learns the new Bed and Breakfast, The Midnight Dragonfly, is opening next weekend. However, the identity of the new B&B owners is a mystery, but Miss Edna surmises it’s “probably some damn Yankees.” Lily Gayle also learns the local bakery owner, Luxen Natolovich, is set to be its pastry chef, but he is not very helpful about providing details about the new B&B, and seems very resistant to help out Harley Ann with her new homemade product line of flavored butters.

Lilly Gayle, with her BFF Dixie Newsom in tow, decides to take a little run up to the Manor and check out the new B&B herself. It was odd that no one was around, but the back door being ajar seems to be just the right invitation for Lily Gayle to snoop around. On the counter is a beautiful cherry laden punch-bowl cake. On the floor is the very dead Luxen Natolovich!

Lily Gayle again is put in the middle of a murder investigation which again irritates her cousin, Ben Collins, county sheriff. Lily Gayle is curious about the new owners of the B&B seeing them at the Grits and Gravy Café: the very aged grandfather, his son, the grandson and his wife, and although their last name of Smythe doesn’t make anyone curious, their accents do.

She uses the local newspaper and library archives to do more investigating into a nearby refugee camp that was set up in the late 40s. But, there’s more to consider when Ben discovers Harley Ann is not being forthright, and an official background check reveals a very interesting and possibly incriminating piece of information…then someone goes missing. What going on here!

This is the second book in the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series, and it was highly entertaining from a clever mystery to some quirky southern characters…I love Miss Edna.

The mystery is very interesting weaving the past with the present and bringing into play the idea that everyone deserves a second chance, whether or nor the past is better left in the past or confront it, own it and move on.

I enjoyed the banter between Lily Gayle and Miss Edna and the ‘Lucy and Ethel’ antics of Lily Gayle and Dixie. Susan also knows what we like in our ‘cozies’ by including recipes for some of the treats mentioned: Grits and Gravy Cafe’s (Death by) Chocolate Gravy, Dixie’s Wicked Chickens Deviled Eggs, Luxen’s Punch-bowl Cherry Cake. Just what you need for any occasion!

Cherry Cake and a Cadaver: earns 5/5 Slices of Luxen’s Punch-bowl Cherry Cake! Yum!

Check out our KRL Review of Book 1, Death of a Wolfman by Susan Boles

Be a Big Fan!
Facebook – Author Susan Boles
Susan Boles Author Website
Susan Boles Author Newsletter & Street Team Sign-up

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Cherry Cake and a Cadaver, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “cadaver,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 8, 2017. U.S. residents only. Make certain that you mention in email or comment whether you prefer print or ebook. 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 & short stories in our mystery section.

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

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. 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.