Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as … acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.
Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.
All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?
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cosy-mystery, Canada, amateur-sleuth, small-business, women-sleuths, murder, whodunit
When your ex husband is also your former business partner and you live in a small town, things can get really messy when he is the prime suspect in the murder of the man who deserted his family many years ago. Add in an insatiable curiosity, an iffy reputation for being around murders, friends of all sorts, interesting finds in antiques, and more twists and red herrings than there are RCMP and you have a book that is too hard to put down. The publisher’s blurb gives some good hints, and no spoilers here. ENJOY!
Kelli Lindsay is a great narrator who adds good things to an already fine bit of sleuthing.
I requested and received a free audio copy from the author courtesy of AudioBookBOOM.
A good who done it mystery
Started off a little slow with lots of information about golf, but picked up speed and had a couple great twists! I binge read the last half! Great, realistic characters.
Writing coaches always tell you to write what you know. It helps to ensure your stories are plausible, gives you the confidence to explore the inner depths of your characters (because you don’t have to keep consulting the internet or your experts for basic details) and usually means a reader won’t toss the book aside because it’s just not believable. Sometimes, particularly when it comes to a story’s geography, it can also provide the reader with a very pleasurable walk down memory lane.
Judy Penz Sheluk sets many of her stories in a territory she obviously knows well, the bedroom communities along the 400 corridor from North York to Lake Simcoe. In A Hole In One, she’s tossed in a trip to cottage country west o Barrie along the bottom of Georgian Bay. Having spent nearly 20 years of my life in that area, this story was a pleasurable trip to earlier times that would have sold me on the book, even if it hadn’t been such a great murder mystery.
Fortunately for those of you who aren’t looking for a chance to vicariously experience Simcoe/Huronia’s many pleasures, this book is also a thoroughly enjoyable double murder mystery with a whole lot of interesting characters – some virtuous but a significant number of rogues and scallywags.
Arabella, the boutique owner and amateur sleuth who takes the staring role is charming, smart and empathetic … and it’s really not her fault that she’s not very good at men. For that matter, nobody in this one is particularly good at relationships which makes the potential list of murder suspects a long one. In spite of the long list, Arabella does eventually put all the pieces together, exposing thieves, murderers, blackmailers and conmen and leaving the reader satisfied with a well spun tale.
Even if you’re not from “north of Toronto the Good” , there’s lots to love about this one.
This review is for the audio book.
This is the second book in the series and I can say I enjoyed both books and for different reasons. I think I liked this book better, book one was setting up the characters and with this one it felt like Emily had found her calling promoting the antique shop rather than as reporter. I don’t think you need to have read or listened to the first one to enjoy it, as it works well as a stand alone.The story is told by both Emily and Arabella as they investigate and I think this works very well for the story, keeping it moving. The mystery was good with plenty of goings on.
Emily and Arabella agree to sponsor a hole in the local golf competition at a charity golf tournament by giving Which ever gets a hole in one winning a jet ski. A dead body on the course soon brings the tournament to a grinding halt and gets worse for Arabella when the dead man turns out to be the long lost father of her ex husbands, a man he denials have seen since the man walked out on him and his mother when he was just a lad. The police soon find a witness to rebuff the claim and he becomes the number on suspect. Arabella doesn’t know much about her ex husbands family he always refused to talk about it but she knows on thing he is not a killer. Can she and Emily prove the gun that was used to killed him was stolen before the murder and someone other than her ex husband had a reason to kill him? What about the other members of his group FYSST? Do they or his past have a connection to what happened to him now?
I liked the narrator and thought she did a good job with the voices.
I really enjoyed this book. This is a great sequel. The mystery was well crafted. The characters are relatable and likable. I liked how things took a turn in Emily’s plans. I think this book the chemistry between the characters is much better. The plot was well developed and moves at a great pace with well place clues and red herrings. I look forward to the next in the series.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator does a great job of bringing the story and characters to life. She brings each character’s personality off the page. I had no problems following which character was speaking.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
Another great mystery by Judy Penz Sheluk. Emily and Arabella are in the middle of it again when the charity golf tournament hosts a murder. The people of Lount’s Landing are relatable and fun. Lots of emotion in this one…good and bad. Grab a tissue and hold on tight. Looking forward to what comes next for Emily and Arabella.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Changing the Leopard’s Spots
Many times in a cozy mystery I have no difficulty sussing out the suspect; this time I was as hornswoggled as the the book’s cast to learn Whodunit. Very clever interleafing of disparate individuals whose lives have intersected in ways hidden from view. As our heroines unravel the linking threads a few relationships have their own knots to untie. A well-balanced tale with tragedy, comedy, and justice. BONUS: Excellent vocalization by narrator Kelli Lindsay.
Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland are once again involved in a murder case. This is book two in the “Glass Dolphin Mystery series”. I have listened to book one but by no means do you need to. This book can be a stand alone story. Kelli Lindsay is the narrator for this book and she does a good job but I really enjoyed Suzanne T. Fortin who narrated the first book in the series. The murder takes place on the golf course but you don’t need to like golf to read this book. I really enjoyed the insight into antiques. I understand the Judy Sheluk is an antique expert and she uses this in a wonderful way in her writing of this book. Loved the details on some of the antique items and how a small antique shop is run. I was gifted this audiobook with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
This was a nice cozy mystery with good characters and plot. There were some minor twists towards the end. A little bit of antiques, golf, Elvis and more all tied up in the story. Past relationships and present relationships merge in the story. Enjoyable story.
I really enjoyed reading this who done it, and it kept me guessing right to the end, and then there were more surprises.
While this is the second book in this series and my first read, you won’t be left in the dark, all is caught up for you, and more.
The author gives us a bit of romance, mystery, stalking, and bodies do seem to pile up. We are also collecting some wonderful antiques, and that is the catalyst to pull a lot of the characters together.
If you enjoy a really good mystery this one will keep you page turning right to the end, and then you will want more.
I received this book through Great Escapes Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
Does getting divorced mean you don’t like each other? It surely means you don’t want to get back together, right? On the other hand, it surely means you’d help one another out of a little predicament, right? Unless maybe it’s murder.
This is a fun, easy read. There are some very sweet unexpected moments in this book making it have some twists and turns as well as reminding us there are good people in this world too. A nice change. It doesn’t involve much golf if that’s what you’re worried about. The golf and the hole-in-one pertain to a charity to help kids, well…and a big prize for big kids too. Other than being just a really enjoyable read, I liked this book because the main character, Arabella, owns an antique shop called The Glass Dolphin. This was not a book filled with chapters full of tips on antiques but it does touch on them and I enjoyed reading about a few very collectible pieces. This is a community where everyone knows everyone and rumors fly like bats in the night. The characters were likeable while not especially dissimilar from other books of this type. That sounds as if I don’t think the author developed her characters well and that is not my intent. I’m only saying there were the expected characters as there are in many books of this type; your handsome cop, an ex-husband, a business partner, a jealous woman, and your community gossip. Nonetheless, I can tell you I didn’t put it down for a minute til the very end.
This is Volume 2 of a series titled “Glass Dolphin Mysteries” and I see Judy Penz Sheluk has really good ratings on many of her books. Let’s just hope she keeps writing more entertaining ones like this.
**This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
“A Hole in One” earns 5/5 Murderous Back Swings…Clever and Fun!
Emily Garland has landed on her feet after her previous bouts with murder and mayhem, and in the process, she has gained a new friend and partnership in Lount’s Landing’s delightful antique shop. Arabella Carpenter, eager to move on from her life’s left turns, opened up The Glass Dolphin antique shop, and with her new friend and partner taking on the advertising and promotions, success might be more than just a pipe dream. The ladies are sponsoring the Hole in One prize at the charity golf tournament, but instead they get involved in another murder mystery. The victim is Arabella’s ex-husband’s estranged father, having been out of the picture for twenty-five years, and when motive, means, and opportunity seem established, he becomes a serious “person of interest.” From there I couldn’t put the book down…
Judy Penz Sheluk has penned an excellent follow up to her first Glass Dolphin Mystery, and although you can start here, I highly recommend you not forget book one, “The Hanged Man’s Noose.” As a beginning or as a prequel, it is excellent, too. In “A Hole in One,” Emily and Arabella once again join together to solve a well-written mystery riddled with secrets, lies, and conspiracies. Each chapter added another layer to the mystery or revealed another clue, another possible suspect, or just provided an entertaining “Wow” moment. It wasn’t easy to pause. Her characters are engaging, not relying on stereotypes, with realistic strengths and weaknesses that go beyond the common cozy mystery genre. There are admirable characters to a few snarky ones you only hope get a bite from karma. Arabella takes the lead in this story trying to clear her ex’s name, but we are also treated to her knowledge of antiques sending me to google images. An excellent read!