A Fatal Collection
Callie Reed is visiting her aunt, Melodie at her cottage in picturesque Keepsake Cove. Home to a bevy of collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The morning after her first night with her aunt, Callie discovers Melodie’s body on the floor of the music box shop. Grief-stricken, Callie doesn’t believe that Melodie’s death was accidental, but she’s not sure why. It just doesn’t make sense. How could her robust and healthy aunt take a fatal fall? Why was she even in the shop in the middle of the night?
Callie searches for the truth after finding out that her aunt left everything, the house, the shop, even the cat to her. Callie finally has a new life, away from her lackluster life thanks to her aunt. She is determined to find out the truth about Melodie’s death, and her aunt seems to be helping her from the grave, sending signs through an old family music box.
Series: A Keepsake Cove Mystery – Book #1
Author: Mary Ellen Hughes
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Business/Career
Publisher: Midnight Ink Books
Rating:
A Fatal Collection is a beautiful start to a new series by Mary Ellen Hughes. It combines mystery, intrigue, and a slight touch of the paranormal without overwhelming the reader. Ms. Huges’ writing is fluid, transitioning from one chapter or character to another without missing a beat or bogging down the plot. The characters are interesting, and even though this is the first book in a new series, the characters have established backgrounds and characteristics that make them believable and memorable.
Callie is a perplexed woman who has drifted from one thing to another most of her life. No real career or ambition. Her boyfriend is a country singer whom she has spent years trying to please and making herself miserable in the process. With the death of her aunt, she realizes that her life needs to change, including her boyfriend. She decides to stay in Keepsake Cove and run her aunt’s shop. She also decides it’s time to ditch her useless boyfriend. This is probably the smartest thing she has ever done.
The character of Callie is very much in tune with today’s world. A young woman who doesn’t know what to do with her life. It is easy for the reader to connect with Callie and her circumstances. Many young people in today’s world have no direction and no idea of what they should do for the rest of their lives. Many people dream of being able to start life over, with a new profession, home, town, and most of all, new relationships. Callie is perfectly written to encompass all of these things.
Other characters in this book are a study of small-town life, and jobs that are dependent on the tourist trade. Delia and Brian are fantastic supporting characters who give a level of realism to situations that can sometimes be unimaginable. However, most of the situations in the story are very believable and not in any way outrageous for even the most grounded reader.
The town of Keepsake Cove would be a lovely place to visit with its old-time collectible shops. It has everything from children’s toys to glass ornaments, jewelry and music boxes, items from a bygone era. It has the feel of a small town where a person can spend endless days exploring and finding treasures at every turn. The author’s description of the stores and restaurants is detailed without being flowery and at times, is mouthwatering.
Readers will be entertained throughout the story from start to finish. A Fatal Collection is a fast-paced page-turning read that leaves the reader with a smile on their face. This book is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys small-town politics and business-based cozies, as well as characters that will evolve with the series into family and friends who are always there to help when Callie needs them.
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