Brenda Sheffield is thrilled to host the East Coast Acting Troupe in her inn set above the Atlantic Ocean. Excitement permeates the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast and injects new life in the small town of Sweetfern Harbor. Ellen Teague, the famous actress will be given a large suite on the second floor. From the adjoining room she will have access to her assistant Chester Boyd. Chester caters to her … her every whim. Ellen is demanding and narcissistic. She is liked by very few members of the troupe who are there to perform “The Rich Game.”
After the first performance at Harbor Park, Edward Graham pulls Brenda aside and tells her he has serious business to discuss with her. The lawyer informs her that Ellen Teague states she is the rightful owner of Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, not Brenda. Brenda argues her uncle’s will states she is the heir to his property. Ellen argues she and Randolph Sheffield signed an agreement that the bed and breakfast would be hers.
When Brenda confronts Ellen late at night, a loud argument ensues. Brenda’s raised voice awakens the cast members who were sound asleep. Brenda doesn’t think about this and goes to her apartment seething in anger. The next morning, she becomes fully alert when one of the cast members informs her that Ellen Teague is dead in her bed. As if this discovery isn’t shocking enough, Brenda is dismayed when Detective Mac Rivers narrows her down as his prime suspect and states she has the strongest motive for killing the star who demanded her rights to the bed and breakfast. Brenda and Mac are in love with one another, or at least that is what he told her when he gave her the Promise ring the day before. The estrangement leaves Brenda to solve the murder case as soon as possible or Mac plans to serve the warrant for her arrest.
This will be no easy task since at times all of the actors argued with Ellen. Combined with the fact that none of them cared for her egotistical behavior they also had individual motives for wanting her dead. Brenda knows she is on her own. Will the forty-eight hours the detective gave her be enough to prove who the killer really is? It is the only way Brenda will avoid prison for the rest of her life, and she realizes time is of essence.
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I liked this story much better than the previous one I listened to. Good characters and a good story. Ending was predictable, but still a nice mystery.
This review is for the audio book.
This is a fun quick easy to listen to cozy. This is book two and you don’t need to listen to them in order because they are stand alone books. I think I prefer this book to book one, as there was to many characters introduced in a short space of time but with this book I already knew the characters so it was easier to follow along. It is on the shorter side, great if you only have a few hours to kill and the book was nearly over before the murder occurred but I think it might have been better being a long book because then it could have built up the prospects of others suspects having a better motive as I did know who the killer was and why, so from that point of view it was disappointing but the characters are likeable enough that I will give book three ago.
It is acting week in the town of Sweetfern harbour and Brenda has closed down the bed and breakfast so just the cast can stay there. Including her idol Ellen Teague. The super star is a favourite with the audience for playing sweet innocent characters but the star herself is very different from the characters she plays. She is demanding and disagreeable and no body in the cast seems to like her. But that is no reason for one of them to kill her. Brenda herself had a reason to kill her, as she was contesting the ownership of the b&b and they had a big shouting match the night before she died and Brenda’s own boyfriend, the police detective starts to look at her funny. Can Brenda workout who had the biggest reason to kill the hated star?
The narrator was okay when you speed up the listening speed of the book but that meant the story ended quickly
DEAD IN BED
Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book #2
By Wendy Meadows
Dead in Bed, book 2, by Wendy Meadows, is a quick, easy and fun read. It can be a stand-alone, not dependent on reading the series in order. However, I would suggest reading Dead in Bed as part of the series. Why? By reading it as part of the series you will add to the building blocks of a more holistic experience. Character development and dialogue are on point. As the reader of the series you can begin to see the growth of the characters and relationships come together, and, as a result you become invested in the storyline and the read overall. My RECOMMENDATION is to read the book and enjoy. – Tex.
Brenda and the staff at Sheffield B&B are excited to host the East Coast Acting Troupe. Brenda has been a super fan of the famous actress Ellen Teague and can’t wait to meet her. Unfortunately, Ellen is not the person Brenda was expecting. Instead, she comes face to face with a demanding and narcissistic individual whom the rest of the troupe despise.
Brenda soon finds out that the B&B might not actually hers when Ellen states that Randolph signed an agreement to leave the B&B to her. Brenda confronts Ellen late one evening and a loud argument is heard by all. The next morning, Chester (Ellen’s assistant) discovers Ellen dead in bed and all fingers soon point to Brenda.
Brenda is upset to find out that even detective Mac Rivers finds her as the prime suspect, leaving her to throw his promise ring back at him. Can Brenda discover who the real killer is? Will she and Mac get together or is a warrant in her future?
This is a mystery filled with great storytelling, lots of red herrings, wonderful characters, and many twists and turns. You will find yourself wondering until the very end as to whodunit!
I really enjoyed this book! I also left a review on amazon.