Sconed to Death

May 1, 2019

Just when Cat Latimer is ready to welcome a group of cozy writers to the Warm Springs Writers' Retreat in Aspen Hills, CO, the health inspector shows up. Shauna, the retreat "house mother," is the cook and baker, and Dee Dee Meyer, owner of the local bakery, made a false report because she's convinced Shauna stole one of her recipes. Cat hopes to clear the air by talking with Dee Dee, but her plans are shut down by murder: a celebrity chef is found dead in Dee Dee's kitchen. While Cat juggles her work with the authors and her own writing goals, she can't resist investigating the latest murder. The case takes her to the local library; to the university, where she has a curious encounter with a former coworker; and, into Denver. Cat's methods are somewhat scattershot in this cozy follow-up to Slay in Character. VERDICT The most intriguing aspect of this story is the writers' retreat itself. Although the writers themselves are not suspect, they add freshness and new relationships to the series. Fans of Lucy Arlington's "Novel Idea" mysteries may want to enter the writing world from another angle.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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