The cosy mystery is alive and well in South Carolina! Carolina Cousins (aka Nancy Pate and her "one-and-a-half*" first cousins Meg Herndon and Gail Greer have done it again. A light romp through the lowcountry fictitious Indigo Island (which bears a strong resemblance to Edisto). Having just met two of the three authors yesterday when buying the book (yes, I finished it in one day) I had the added fun of putting the personalities I met to the characters in the book. The dialog does indeed come across as if these were things said in real life to friends and family. And having been to some Weddings From Hell (WFH) the whole deal with the gold fish was priceless.

Though the story was fun to read and try and work out, there remains one unsolved mystery. At one point the cousins sit down to try and puzzle out a few problems. Bonnie leans back and tosses 6 "silver bells" (known to the rest of the world as Hershey's Kisses) on the table and they continue their talk, doling out two apiece. The real mystery remains How Did They Do That??? I would have been scarfing down the entire bag with my friends! Two apiece! Are you women flesh and blood????


(BTW, a little bird told me that at least one of the Cousins has joined BookCrossing. Hoping the other two aren't far behind. And hoping that BookCrossers coming to the Charleston Convention can meet these vivacious ladies, who talk over under around and through each other and come out making grand sense. Wouldn't work with my cousins.

*one-and-a-half first cousin (their mamas are sisters and their daddies are first cousins)- I stayed awake last night thinking of how that would work in my family. It would be like if friends Abby and Nancy had married Dave and Wayne. Yikes!

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Spring in the South Carolina Low Country, the azaleas are in full bloom, and the tourists are flocking to Pinckney Plantation.

But so is trouble. Ex-beauty queen and wannabe actress Mary Mar (nee Mary Martha Futch) has returned to Indigo Island to play a starring role in a relative's wedding. But she claims that someone is trying to kill her.

Cousins Lindsey and Margaret Ann don't have time for a diva receiving death threats. After all, Margaret Ann's directing the wedding of the year at Pinckney, where Lindsey's temporarily in charge.

But when a dead body turns up at the Gatortorium, the island's newest attraction, and Mary Mar goes missing, the cousins once again don their sleuthing caps. Margaret Ann's younger sister Bonnie, who is back home for spring break, is also happy to help, as long as she can eat lunch first.

The engaging detective trio returns in another tale of Southern mystery and manners. Secrets from the past compete with present-day perils as the cousins contend with tourists, termites, kidnappers, and killers-as well as another ghost at Pinckney Plantation.

Lending this to Kiptrix

Plan to read this before the start of the BC convention this week.

Goodness! I just noticed that I never wrote a journal entry for this book, which I read back in April. Of course, the reason is that it was just before the BC Convention, and we were a little bit busy around here. Anyhow, I enjoyed this light-hearted mystery, and was delighted with the talk given at the convention by two of the three who make up "Caroline Cousins". And I've purchased the first in the series, and will keep my eyes peeled for the third.

I gave the book back to bookczuk, who no doubt never journaled for the same reason that I haven't until now!

I didn't journal it, because javaczuk snagged the book and it is in his TBR pile! But I shall journal now to let you know it is indeed safe here in czuk-land. : )

Pictured, javaczuk, geecheegirl and kiptrix at our meeting yesterday at Madra Rua.

Clearing our bookshelves. Happy pandemic.
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