Meet Mallory Hemingway, reporter—er, receptionist—for the Harmony Times. Distant cousin to the famous Ernest Hemingway.She’s got a stuffy, snob of a fiancé, a stubborn mother, and a boss who thinks she’s best left to answering the phones at the paper.But a hot tip comes in about a strange crop circle at the Farmer’s Farm down the road and Mallory decides to investigate. When she arrives at the … decides to investigate. When she arrives at the scene, she finds a dead body and now she’s neck deep in a mystery.
As Mallory’s investigation leads her from the farm next door to the giants of the agricultural industry, a dramatic tale of intrigue and blackmail begin to appear, but is she getting too close to the truth?
The farther down the rabbit hole she goes, the more she fears for her own life. She promises herself if she solves this case—or even makes it out alive—she’s taking that caretaker job at the Hemingway House down in Key West and starting a new life.
A clean cozy mystery. No graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
Lots of mystery, a touch of suspense, and just the right amount of humor, Mallory Hemingway is the girl you will want to be friends with and hear what her next chapter holds.
more
Southern chauvinism has met its match!
What a wonderful beginning to a series. The main character, Mallory Hemingway (yes, a distant relative of that Hemingway), is a genuine Southern debutante with aspirations of becoming a novelist. She currently works at a small newspaper as the receptionist but she holds out hope for the opportunity to utilize her hard-earned degree from one of the most prestigious journalism universities in the country to begin her writing career. Frustratingly, only her father seems to understand her goals and support her dreams. Her employer, her boyfriend, and even her mother discourage her at every opportunity. I do not know how she tolerated some of their comments. They believe she is best suited for a life of high society events, charitable organizations, and being the dutiful wife and perfect mother. Mallory has other ideas. One day, she answers a call at the newspaper in which a local landowner requests a reporter come out and investigate the sudden appearance of some crop circles. Mallory takes the initiative and follows up on that herself, thinking she can write a brief human interest or soft news story to get her boss to recognize her journalistic skills. She stumbles on something much more complicated than a few pranksters creating crop circles. Finding herself in the middle of a murder investigation, she is determined to solve the case and she lets no one dissuade her despite the danger involved. I love how Mallory comes into her own and develops the confidence to finally stand up for herself and defend her right to live her life on her own terms. This story is a spellbinding whodunit mystery with wonderful and intriguing characters. I can’t wait to follow Mallory on her next adventure because, in her, Southern chauvinism has met its match.
I was provided with a free copy of this book but I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
Received a free copy from author for a review. Couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. Great story!
MC Mallory Hemingway is a journalist with a local paper in Key West, Florida, where her famous (distant) cousin Ernest ‘Papa’ H once held court.She also works as a receptionist at Papa’s former home, now a museum, to supplement her income.
Mallory’s family are unsupportive and her editor treats her as worth no more than to be his gofer and write the odd low-interest article for the inside pages from time to time, such as one about crop circles – which suddenly turns into a murder enquiry, after Mallory discovers a corpse!
More skulduggery is afoot and things get more ‘interesting’ as the trail leads to corruption at the farm’s suppliers. Is Mallory in danger? Who is the killer?
Read this exciting prequel, Book 0 in The Southernmost Mystery series by David Berens and Kimberly Griggs to discover the outcome of A Death In The Afternoon – you’ll never guess!
A great thrilling and scary murder mystery. Love the characters. I could not put this one down. What an exciting and thrilling series we have to look forward too . Fantastic writing.