A Time to Swill
The Blurb
Chloe loves her new life pouring beers and mixing cocktails at the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle town of Emerald Cove. But on the job, the only exercise she gets is walking from one end of the bar to the other, so in the mornings, she loves to run on the beach. On this morning’s foggy run, she spots a sailboat washed up on a sandbar. Hearing a cry, she climbs aboard the beached vessel to investigate and finds not only a mewling kitten but a human skeleton in the cabin.
The skeleton is tied back to Chloe’s friend Ralph, whose wife disappeared on a sailboat with three other people twelve years ago. Believing his wife was lost at sea, Ralph remarried. Now he finds himself a murder suspect. Chloe is determined to find out who’s been up to some skulduggery, but her sleuthing will lead her into some rough waters and some bone-chilling revelations.
The Details
Series: A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery – Book #2
Author: Sherry Harris
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Bar
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 149672304X
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
The Review
In A Time to Swill, Chloe faces several problems, but at least Vivi isn’t one of them. On her first day back and she finds a boat adrift and a skeleton. To top that off, Boone’s father, Steve, has come to town and is claiming the inheritance Boone left for Chloe and Vivi. Slinging cocktails at the Sea Glass Saloon takes a second seat to finding a killer and stopping Steve from getting his greedy hands on the bar and Chloe’s home.
Like all of those in Sherry Harris’ series’, the characters in this story are delightful. They bring fun and excitement to the genre and keep readers coming back again and again. This book is well written, has a fantastic plot, twists that encourage readers to ask questions, even when they know the answers. The Sea Glass Saloon is a typical Floridian-style bar, inviting, filled with characters, with easy access to the beach. The skeleton found on a boat isn’t immediately identified, so the mystery of who and what happened is extended to the end of the book. There is plenty of action, evidence, and suspects with good motives. The killer is identified with help from Chloe and Vivi’s friends, and the motive is neatly wrapped up in a bow. My only complaint about the book is that the question of Steve gaining all of the inheritance belonging to Chloe and Vivi isn’t wrapped up as well as I would have liked.
Readers will have an enjoyable time reading this mystery, figuring out who the culprit is, as well as a pleasant few hours getting to know these characters, solving the murder, and learning how to make the cocktails from the Sea Glass Saloon, even the ones Chloe isn’t good at making. I am thrilled with this new addition to the series and look forward to the next installment. Sherry Harris is at the top of her game, and A Time to Swill is proof positive that she is a master storyteller.
The Author
Agatha award-nominated author, Sherry Harris, started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.
Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next. Sherry loves books, beaches, bars, and Westies — not necessarily in that order. She is a patent-holding inventor.
Readers will also enjoy the first book in the “A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery,” From Beer to Eternity, or one of her other series such as, “A Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery,” The Gun Also Rises.
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