Cat Latimer’s Colorado bed-and-breakfast plays host to writers from all over. But murder is distinctly unwelcome . . .To kick off a winter writing retreat, Cat and her handyman boyfriend, Seth, escort the aspiring authors to a nearby ski resort, hoping some fresh cold air will wake up their creative muses. But instead of hitting the slopes, they hit the bar—and before long, a tipsy romance … a tipsy romance novelist named Christina is keeping herself warm with a local ski bum who might have neglected to tell her about his upcoming wedding.
Next thing Cat knows, her uncle, the town sheriff, informs her that the young man’s been found dead in a hot tub—and Christina shows up crying and covered in blood. Now, between a murder mystery, the theft of a rare Hemingway edition, and the arrival of a black-clad stranger in snowy Aspen Hills, Cat’s afraid everything’s going downhill . . .
Praise for Lynn Cahoon
“Murder, intrigue, and a really hot handyman.” —Laura Bradford, author of the Amish Mysteries
“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.” —Fresh Fiction
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Fatality by Firelight is the second book in the Cat Latimer mystery series written by Lynn Cahoon. It was published in 2017 and takes place in a small town a few hours outside Denver, Colorado. The series focuses on Cat, a late-20s former English professor who’s ex-husband, Michael, passed away (probably murdered) and left her his house and a few secrets to unravel. She’s turned the charming Victorian into a writer’s retreat to help aspiring and struggling authors finish their books, but somehow something dastardly always ends up happening. In this caper, one of the writers is flirting with a local at a nearby inn even though he’s engaged. Although she rejects him when he wants to take the evening a bit further, the police still suspect her when the guy turns up dead overnight — killed by a knife while sipping on champagne near a fire. Whodunit?
Cat and her friends are relatable characters. Shauna runs the daily operations of the inn and Seth is Cat’s part-time boyfriend, part-time repairman / chauffeur. She’s not completely ready to date after Michael died, especially now that his journals are revealing new information she hadn’t been aware of. When Dante, a sexy mob-connected man enters her life, she’s thrown even more. Is she attracted to him or afraid of him? Or possibly both! While she helps try to clear her young writer from being jailed for the murder, Cat realizes the victim has ties to Dante, who might have been the one to order his death. Something’s not quite right and Cat’s determined to figure it out alongside her uncle, the chief of police. Throw in fun cooking recipes and excerpts from the author’s books and you’ve got lots of side stories to enjoy, too.
Cahoon’s books are a good example of a cozy mystery. They have a bit of an edge to them given there are mob connections (like my own cozy mystery series!) and writers coming in from all over the country (maybe world one day?) to demonstrate variety. They’re easy to read in 3 to 4 hours depending on your reading speed and style. The theme and characters stay with you from book to book. I enjoy diving back into this world and have completed 3 of the 4 published. I plan to read the next one in February (maybe sooner) and then I’ll be ready for the 5th one when it’s published later this year. The author also has another series which might be something to consider reading, too, once I’m caught up here.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Cat Latimer is excited for her 2nd writer’s retreat since she has returned to Colorado and turned the home she and her now deceased ex-husband used to share into a B&B. Her best friend Shauna is by her side as the chef for the retreats and as the person who keeps everything organized so Cat still has time to work on her own writing. Cat has also reunited with her high school boyfriend, Seth, handyman, and chauffeur extraordinaire for the B&B and the retreats. Her Uncle Pete just happens to be the sheriff which comes in handy because trouble seems to follow Cat on a regular basis.
This round of authors is an eclectic group. The romance author, Christina, seems to have forgotten what the retreat is about and hooks up with a local guy she met at the nearby ski resort. The problem, he is engaged to another woman and he is now dead. The evidence points right at Christina but she swears she didn’t do it. There’s also a new guy in town who would like to get to now Cat better but she thinks he knew her ex-husband and may know why he died. Her uncle is also hot on the case of a very valuable book stolen from the library. Things seem to be snowballing out of control in Aspen Hills, can Cat rein them in and solve all the mysteries with just a little help from her friends?
I am really kicking myself for getting behind on this series because I love these characters, I love the theme, and who wouldn’t love the Colorado setting.
Ms. Cahoon’s characters are so well developed, their dialogues flow so easily. They are realistic, engaging and funny at all right times. Cat, Shauna, and Seth make a fantastic team. Uncle Pete is positively priceless.
I like that Cat and Seth appear to be a perfect match but that Cat realizes she needs to work out a few things about her ex before she can truly move on. The subplot dealing with Micheal’s demise and what he was involved in prior to his death continues from one book to the next. More clues are revealed in this installment that makes it clear his death what not how it appeared. I enjoy that this string connecting each story.
The author does a terrific job of drawing the reader in. The mysteries are intricately woven together in an exciting way. I found the story to be complex and very hard to put down. Learning that “the mob” has a connection to the town that Cat didn’t realize gave the story a very different insight. The excitement ramped up at several places in the book and the ending was really intense. I loved it.
The only good thing about being behind on this series is that the next book, Of Murder and Men is already on my To-Be-Read shelf and I can’t wait to start reading it!
It’s a winter writing retreat so to kick it off, Cat and her boyfriend, Seth, are taking the writers to the ski lodge. However, the budding authors spend their time drinking and one of them, a girl named Christina, winds up with a local who neglected to share the news that he’s engaged. When the young man’s body is later found, Cat sets out to prove Christina’s innocence in the murder.
This is the second book in the series and I really enjoyed it. The book’s well-written with some wonderful characters although there are some you won’t like much. I read this book in one sitting, not wanting to put it down. It’s a great addition to the series and it pulled me in from the beginning. I’m very eager for the next book and highly recommend this one. I do recommend that you read the two books in order for the most enjoyment and benefit from the series.
When Cat came back to Colorado to open her writers retreat she had no idea she was in the middle of a mob town. The new round of writers checking in are more interested in getting drunk then writing and one is hiding from a stalker. Of course there is a murder, attempted kidnapping and I’m really thinking a spy for the mob. Will Cat ever finish her book and will there ever be closure from Michael’s death? Probably not
Cat is hosting her second author’s writing retreat at her B&B in Colorado. While on a ski outing one of her guests meets a local at the bar and before long she finds herself embroiled in a crime wave. Cat is worried that the girl is going to be charged with murder. Against her uncle’s wishes, Cat begins an investigation of her own hoping to find a killer.
I forgot how much I liked the first book in this series until I picked this book up to read. The characters are well written. The murder of Cat’s ex-husband continues to be an interesting sub-plot. This story moved at a good pace. I love the setting. Winter in a small mountain town sounds great to me. I am looking forward to reading the next book.