When a hang-gliding stranger is found fatally injured in the cliffs above Monterey Bay, the investigation into his death becomes a cluttered mess. Professional organizer Maggie McDonald must sort the clues to catch a coastal killer before her family becomes a target . . . Maggie has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium … the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs.
Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie’s family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit. Her instincts say something’s out of place, but solving a murder won’t be easy. Maggie still needs to manage her business, the pushy press, and unwanted interest from criminal elements. Controlling chaos is her specialty, but with this killer’s crime wave, Maggie may be left hanging . . .
“A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For
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Cliff Hanger is the 5th book in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series written by Mary Feliz and published in 2019. I previously read an earlier book in the series and really enjoyed it. When this one became available through a cozy mystery group I belong to, I decided to pick up the series again and see how a second one turned out. I’m glad I did… between 4 and 4.5 stars for this one.
The series takes place in California, and Maggie is an organizational expert. We have this in common, although for me it’s a hobby and for her it’s a career. This time, she and her teenage boys drive to the coast to help out her best friend’s cousin who needs help organizing a housing complex. Nothing goes right from the moment Maggie arrives. Between a sorta-hang-glider crashing and the cousin being unavailable to deliver on the rental property and other things, Maggie and the boys think about leaving. Then it gets worse. The guy piloting the glider dies from his injuries despite the cops and doctors thinking he’d survive, and the family blames Maggie’s teens for doing something wrong. Unfortunately, as Maggie digs into what happened, she learns it was probably murder.
This is a family mystery, meaning Maggie and the boys do all the sleuthing. I enjoyed that aspect of it, even if i felt at times the boys were put in a bit too much danger, for it being a strange town to them. I also understand that grieving parents might blame anyone for their son’s death, but to take it out on 14-and-16-year-old brothers was definitely too much for me. Both aspects pushed my buttons a bit, but on the flip side, everything else makes you love the family bonding, trust, and intimacy. As a mother, Maggie is pretty cool. As an amateur investigator, she’s very smart.
The format of the books are great. Each chapter has a tip about how to organize your life. Since this book revolves around a vacation, the tips help people figure out how to manage expectations and time while on a trip. The writing is straightforward and clear, no ambiguity or excessive detail. It reads easily and makes for a fun afternoon lounging in a comfy chair. The story focuses on organic farms, drugs, and hang gliders (not exactly gliders but close enough without explaining the differences here). It was interesting and great to learn a lot more about something I don’t have a strong background in. At times, it was a little more than I thought I needed, but then again, it also helped immerse me in the story. After all, who wants a simple tale without enough meat to push our boundaries?
I’m glad I took this one on, as I realized I do enjoy the series a lot. I will be ordering the others next month and getting current on the series by the end of this year. A definite recommend for a well-structured and medium-complex cozy.
I have loved the Maggie McDonald Mystery series from the beginning and Cliff Hanger #5 had reinforced that love. This mystery is one adventure or one challenge after another. It seems that nothing can go right on this working vacation from a gross apartment to threats against the boys. Thank goodness the family has such amazing friends to back them up because distraught parents of a young man who died after a crash discovered by Maggie’s boys, Brian and David, are claiming that the youths are responsible for his death! While Maggie and Max believe that their sons did everything within their limited power to save the ultralight pilot, they fear what the boys will got through until the person responsible is identified, so of course, they set their sights one finding out who might have been behind the problem that caused the craft to crash or proving that it was an accident.
I had only one quibble, the parents allowed Brian and David to spend the night in a bunker they had dug on the beach with the hope of spying drug smugglers. Maggie figured they would fall asleep and miss any action that might occur. The decision didn’t detract from the book but it did give me pause.
I received a copy of Cliff Hanger from author Mary Felix through a contest in another author’s Facebook group that I regularly follow. I am behind on the series, and too many others, so I was really excited to win this book so I could catch up on what Maggie and the crew are up to. No mention was made of reviewing the book, but I am sure Ms. Felix will appreciate the fact that I always review books that I enjoy.
Monterrey Bay, California is where Maggie
McDonald, professional organizational
expert is taking a job at a beach resort so
her boys can spend their summer vacation
with her. Sounds perfect…..until they arrive
and are told no dogs are allowed?? Then
the rental unit…..an absolute mess and the
smell is nauseating. What a mess!!! This
is not the arrangements the person who
hired her had made with her.
The boys go down to the beach where a
ultralight had crashed into the cliff. They
help rescue the pilot and call 911. The pilot
under goes surgery but then succumbs to
his injuries.
The boys find themselves in a lawsuit
because of the pilot’s death. This sets the
McDonald family and good friends into
action to determine what happened to the
ultralight.
Smugglers, drug runners, a mysterious barn
set between two farmers land, fraudulent
grant monies and workers, gang members,
machine shop, ICE agents, plus a cast of
well crafted, artfully drawn up colorful
characters that add to the story makes this
a recommended read.
Bella, the McDonald’s dog and Munchkin,
the veteran dog, top off the cast.
The plot is well written with plenty of twists,
turns and family issues and dramas that
make the book very relatable.
This is book # 5 in the Maggie McDonald
Mysteries series. It can be read as a stand
alone.
I volunteered to read Cliff Hanger. Thanks to
the author via the Cozy Mystery Review Crew.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
Each chapter offers you organizational tips
for taking a beach vacation
It is always a pleasure to read Mary Feliz’s Maggie McDonald Mysteries. Mary easily captures your attention within the first chapter and keeps your interest all the way through. If life wouldn’t get in the way, I would have finished this book in one sitting! She is wonderful at incorporating her knowledge of the Bay Area and the California Coastal Region into her stories.
As a professional organizer, Maggie McDonald, was requested to assist in de-cluttering and organizing an office for the property manager of the Homeowners Association. Maggie thought this would be a prefect summer vacation for her and her boys, David and Brian and their Golden Retriever, Belle. Set on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, with a small stipend and a condo of their own, this seemed to be the perfect summer job. When they were unable to locate the condo manager, Renee Alverez, the security guard Vik, wasn’t going to let them in, especially Belle, Maggie knew this may not be the vacation she imagined it would be. Relenting bit, the guard let her through stating dogs were allowed on the state beach. When the boys find an injured ultralight pilot on the cliff side, this was just the start of problems Maggie would be dealing with!
The organizing tips at the beginning of each chapter are always useful! Mary’s description of the scenery allows you to feel as if you are there in the background, watching the story unfold as a silent observer. Introducing new characters while incorporating friends from her hometown, all help to contribute to solving the mystery. If you are not familiar with the Maggie McDonald series, this could be read as a stand-alone. Although, I encourage you to begin with the first to introduce yourself to the cast of characters we all love. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What an adventure for the McDonald clan! Maggie accepts an organizing job that will have the beach using a beach condo as a perk for the Summer. Things go wrong at the minute of arrival when there is a is a misunderstanding about where they are to stay as well as the dog so the boys go for a walk. What starts as fun ends with a call to 911 when they find someone injured from a crash. It starts innocent enough it when the guys parents start coming after the boys Maggie just had to find out what is going on. Great blend of fun family moments, mystery, a cute dog, and an intriguing story. Perfect for cozy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Synopsis:
When a hang-gliding stranger is found fatally injured in the cliffs above Monterey Bay, the investigation into his death becomes a cluttered mess. Professional organizer Maggie McDonald must sort the clues to catch a coastal killer before her family becomes a target . . .
Maggie has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs.
Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie’s family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit. Her instincts say something’s out of place, but solving a murder won’t be easy. Maggie still needs to manage her business, the pushy press, and unwanted interest from criminal elements. Controlling chaos is her specialty, but with this killer’s crime wave, Maggie may be left hanging . . .
“A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and those descriptions pulled me into the story right away. I loved the descriptions of the Monterey Bay area and I enjoyed reading about all of the marine life that they saw. And I really liked all the tips that the author supplied at the beginning of each chapter, they were varied and useful ideas.
I have read all the books in this series and I have enjoyed them all. I did enjoy this book but it seemed a little unbelievable to me. I found it hard to believe that Maggie’s sons would be held responsible for the man’s death, all they did was call for help and stay with the victim. And the boys were portrayed as much older than they really are (they acted like college kids to me). And the fact that this family has such close ties to law enforcement that any theory they came up with, and there were some outlandish ones, could be checked out by someone the family knew. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me.
I do enjoy the fact that the protagonist has a family, because so many of the cozies I read have single heroines that have friends for support. The family group is refreshing and I really like that. It made it more realistic to me, Maggie having a family and having the responsibilities of all parents.
The mystery was well plotted and complex. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved. There were enough red herrings thrown in and twists and turns that sometimes I felt like I was on a rollercoaster, which is a good thing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I will definitely read the next one in the series when it is released. Whenever I see there is a new book in the series, I know I am in for a treat.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
The relationship between Maggie McDonald and her children was my favorite part of the book. Feliz perfectly captures that dance mothers do with their teenaged sons where one moment they need and appreciate you, but the next, they roll their eyes and think you’re a fool.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series and I thought the author did a good job of summarizing what had happened previously without overdoing it. I was able to pick up the book and follow along without missing anything.
The mystery was very complex and although I had a few guesses for whodunit and why, I didn’t know for sure until the very end.
It seemed like the great way to get a vacation in by taking a working vacation at the beach, but when a dead body falls out of the sky, drug smugglers and the threat of a lawsuit against your children pop up it turns out to be anything but a vacation! Excellent characters that have been very well developed pull you into the story and have you invested in the outcome almost immediately. Add great characters to a well developed plot with twists, curves and pitfalls and you have the perfect answer to an entertaining day! I have really enjoyed the series and now can’t wait for the next book to come out!
Maggie is looking forward to a summer filled with sand, sea and family time. She is excited that she can combine work with an idyllic vacation on Monterey Bay. However, their arrival is marked with tragedy when an ultralight crashes on the cliffs and the pilot is seriously injured. Her boys help rescue the pilot, but the situation changes when he dies and the boys become suspects in his death. Was the pilot murdered and if so why? I couldn’t stop reading Cliff Hanger. I was angry that that Brian and David were blamed. I had to know who really was responsible. I like Maggie, Max and their sons. I wanted them exonerated. This story is well written and kept me in suspense. I enjoy this series and have connected with the characters. The dialogue is realistic which makes it easy to be pulled into the drama. I loved the setting. Since I had vacationed in the area, it made the story relevant for me. I’m looking forward to seeing Maggie soon.
Was the ultralight crash an accident or murder?
Cliff Hanger by Mary Felix is a fast-paced mystery with lots of moving parts. Set in a Monterey Bay resort on the California coast. The mystery, characters, and setting are superb.
The McDonald Family
Maggie and her boys head to the Monterey Bay where they are will be on a working vacation. At first, it seems that the vacation is doomed with one issue after another, but with the help of their friends, they might have a good summer vacation after.
Maggie is a professional organizer. Can you imagine? I think it would be fun, not that I am an organizational whiz; my closet is proof of that. Seriously, Maggie seems really good at her job. My mom should hire to go through our basement.
Mystery
There is a young man killed in an ultralight (it’s like a hang glider with a lawnmower engine but more), and Maggie’s sons find the crash, call 9-1-1 to help the young man. The young man’s family blame the boys and are suing them for negligence. So, Maggie calls in the Calvary, and they figure out what is going on.
Things about the book that I liked:
• There are little things at the beginning of each chapter to keep you organized.
• Included is a recipe to get help get rid of skunk odor. If you have ever had a dog, you understand that tomato juice doesn’t always work.
• I love the way that Maggie and her husband parent their boys.
• Maggie’s boys are exceptionally well behaved and caring individuals.
• The McDonald family helps the police investigate crimes.
5 Stars for Cliff Hanger by Mary Felix
My rating for Cliff Hanger by Mary Felix is five stars. The story, characters, setting, and mystery are well written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fabulous book. If I can fit the previous books into my schedule, I will. I highly recommend this book to all cozy fans.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Cliffhanger by Mary Felix.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Cliff Hanger is the very welcome 5th novel in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series. We see the unique world of ultralights as well as property management and professional organizing. Maggie, as a professional organizer, gives clear and helpful guidance, with each chapter opening with a tip on vacationing on the California coast. Maggie, her family, and friends are a very likeable, close-knit group who help each other even as they enjoy each other’s company. The mystery is very challenging and the setting of Monterrey Bay is absolutely gorgeous!
Maggie’s best friend, Tess, introduces her to her cousin Renee, whose new office is in desperate need of organizing. She is managing a beach resort/ condo group. She is next in a series of managers over a two-year period. This one has been way out-of-hand, with dusty cartons of files everywhere and long-delayed maintenance needed. Maggie will have a condo in this beautiful waterfront complex to live in with her two sons for the summer and her hubby will visit on weekends.
The first condo she is given the key to reeks. It is full of garbage, rotting food, and bugs. While she finds that mess, her sons go exploring and are horrified to see the crash of an ultralight and its pilot, Jake Peterson, a local researcher and grad student. They go up the cliffs to see if they could help and called Maggie to call 911 as Jake is badly hurt. The EMT’s at the scene are very complimentary of Brian and David, her teen-age sons, and how they stay with Jake. They are curious about something Jake said, trying to understand his words about the propeller and a possible name.
The next morning, the boys’ pictures are in the paper as having helped rescue a local hero. Unfortunately, Jake died that morning after what was thought to be successful surgery. They are curious about what caused the crash, as they heard how meticulous Jake was when inspecting his ultralight or any of the planes he worked on. They explore the area and see something that leads them to wonder if Jake saw something he shouldn’t have. It takes them on an adventure that includes the possibility of local drug dealers, the cartel, and farmers who may be hiding more than seeds and berries in their buildings. When Maggie and the boys are threatened, she calls in the troops – their friends at home in Orchard View with excellent police and military experience.
Their friends are good as gold, taking Maggie, husband Max, and the boys seriously. They work well with local law enforcement. Maggie encourages herself through these trying circumstances with such cues as how to stay in the moment. This is the first time I recall reading about ultralights in a cozy mystery.
Plot twists confounded me, and it was hard to know who could be trusted. There are several suspects. There is also concern that Jake’s parents want to take Maggie’s sons to court, as they feel the boys must have injured Jake further when trying to help him and caused his death. While there is humor, there is also serious investigation. This complex cozy includes several surprises, including who the bad guy(s) might be. I highly recommend Cliff Hanger to all who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries, interesting careers, goldens, and good friends.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz is the fifth A Mary McDonald Mystery. Maggie McDonald along with her two boys, Brian and David are heading to Monterey Bay for the summer. Maggie has been hired by the management of the Heron Beach Resort to help the new complex manager, Renee Alvarez organize the office and the payment includes a condo for the summer. David and Brian notice a downed ultralight aircraft pilot and quickly contact emergency services. The distraught family lashes out by filing a lawsuit against the boys and has them the target of an investigation by local law enforcement. The family rallies their resources and begins a deep dive into the victim’s life. After noticing some suspicious activity at night, Maggie believes there is some foul play afoot. I thought Cliff Hanger was nicely written, moves along at a steady rate and is just the right length. While Cliff Hanger is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read alone. The characters are established, and I find them relatable. Maggie has a good relationship with her two kids, and they have gotten the sleuthing bug from her. The complex crime was not what you typically find in a cozy mystery (I do not want to share too much and spoil it for you). It is multifaceted with a handful suspects and misdirection. The family certainly came up with some unique theories regarding the crime. The action kept the story moving forward toward the conclusion. There is a good wrap-up that ties up the loose threads. I enjoyed the authors vivid descriptions especially those of Monterey Bay and the sea life (a blue whale and dolphins). It was interesting to learn about ultralight aircraft and the regulations for them. I enjoyed Maggie’s handy tips at the beginning of reach chapter to help people prepare for trips. I thought they were clever, helpful and easy to implement. Cliff Hanger has an uplifting adventure with two teenage sleuths, stunning sea life, a malodorous condo, disorganized records, and one weary woman.
I won the kindle edition of this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway. While this is the fifth book in the series, it worked as a standalone novel.
Maggie McDonald helps people or offices get organized. She and her two teenage sons head to a condominium complex near Monterrey Bay. In exchange for helping organize the property management office, they get to live rent free in one of the condos. Maggie’s husband will be joining them on the weekends. As they are approaching their destination, they see an ultralight behaving somewhat abnormally. With this start, the story is off and running.
This book covers a lot of topics including death, grief, organization tips, false accusations, amateur sleuthing, supportive friends, organic farming, smuggling, working vacations, immigration policies and so much more. Was the ultralight flier tampered with? Who can be trusted? Will the property management office get organized? How do you keep your leg injury dry when body surfing? Will the McDonald family actually get to have any of the vacation part of a working vacation?
There was a lot going on in this well-written book. The main characters were well-developed and likeable and I was rooting for them throughout the book. I am looking forward to reading more of the books in this cozy mystery series.
I just finished Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz. This is actually the 5th book in a series and I have not read the first four as my library does not have them. It was a fun story with good characters. The plot was intriguing and I couldn’t guess the outcome correctly. Although it was a good standalone book, I am guessing it would be even better had I read the first four. It was great to have a unique murder weapon. I won’t say more – just read it for yourself.
Political Dissertation is Not a Cozy Mystery
This author captured the California mindset perfectly. I grew weary of the continual Grandstanding about the environment, traditional vs organic farming methods and the problems of immigrant farmworkers. I don’t read political dissertations for entertainment. Which is too bad. The plot of the story was very good and so was the rest of the book. But, I had to put it down because half of every chapter was political. I read half of the book. I won’t read any more off this author’s work. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.