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| GIVEAWAY RANDOM RETRO READ DAY |
LIVE AND LET CHAI
The first book in a delightful new beachside cozy mystery series!\
Trouble is brewing in Everly's new caf'. Can she bag the cuplrit?
Life hasn't been so sweet for Everly Swan over the past couple of years, but now that she is back in her seaside hometown and the proud owner of a little iced tea shop and caf' right on the beach, things are finally starting to look up -- until a curmudgeonly customer turns up dead on the boardwalk. With one of her hallmark glass tea jars lying right next to him and an autopsy that reports poison in his system, it doesn't look good for Everly or her brand new business.
As the townspeople of Charm, formerly so welcoming and homey, turn their back on Everly, she fights to dig up clues about ho could have had it in for the former town councilman. With a maddeningly handsome detective discouraging her from uncovering leads and a series of anonymous attacks on Everly and her business, it will take everything she's got to keep this mystery from boiling over.
My Review:
published in 2018
Eeeeppp!!! Eeeeppppppp!!!! Eeeeeeeeppppppp!!!! I am in an ecstatic dither of fangirling over this (new to me) cozy mystery series. Especially when the writing is paired with the incredible narration performed by Therese Plummer. And I do mean performance. She brings Everly and all the characters in this seaside town to life in such an amazing way.
In fact, the narrator is the reason I discovered this series in the first place. I did an audible search to see what she has narrated and, voila, I discovered one of my fave ever cozy mysteries! Have to say that Bree Baker and Therese Plummer make a lethal combination. Hence my enthusiastic bubbling. I'm such a fan that I listened to the first three books in this series back to back in two days and now I'm bereft because the fourth book doesn't come out until the end of May and I'm not sure when the audible edition will become available after that. :-(
So what has me all in a twitterpated tizzy over Live and Let Chai? Concise answer: absolutely everything! It is cozy personified...and on steroids! Really. From the catchy title and the cute cover to every blessed word within its pages. Baker is an exquisite wordsmith which means she drives home every emotion, every sensation as well as creating the perfect seaside ambiance and small town charm. I swear there was sand in my shoes when I finished this book!
And Everly is the kind of heroine it's easy to connect with. She has insecurities, wrestles with doubts and nerves but she also has an inner strength and go-to spirit that helps sees her through the tought times. She's an extrovert with a big heart.
And, oh my, (cue the fainting couches, smelling salts and fans) Grady Hayes. Ex US Marshal, new-to-town detective. Complex. Steadfast. Focused. And a man of mystery. The meet cute is hysterical! And then Everly discovers a body and Grady goes into cop-mode and all the evidence points to Charm's newest business owner as the likeliest suspect.
So many great secondary characters -- many potential murderers among them! Baker takes time to develop relationships but the pacing never lags. And the mystery is edge-of-your-seat thrilling. And, of course, there's humour and cute animals and the sweet hope of romance. Absolute cozy perfection.
Please note: While this isn't a Christian Fiction selection it is a completely clean read.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Live and Let Chai, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 18 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!
