It’s bad enough when the owner of the new bistro in town drops dead at the Independence Day celebration, but when Noley, Lilly’s best friend, is charged with the murder, things start to heat up.And speaking of heat, there’s a firebug on the loose in Juniper Junction. Houses in town are going up in smoke and when the fires hit a little too close to home, Lilly is pulled into the investigation to … investigation to uncover the identity of the arsonist.
Can Lilly clear Noley’s name and figure out who’s starting the fires before she becomes a victim herself?
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire in this cozy holiday mystery perfect for fans of Gayle Leeson and Karen MacInerney. Find out if Lilly gets burned as she deals with murder, mayhem, her mother’s dementia, and a coming-of-age issue under her own roof.
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Dead, White, and Blue is the perfect cozy mystery and you get two mysteries in one – a murder mystery and an arson mystery.
Jewelry-store owner, Lilly has her hands full this summer, with her son getting into a little trouble and comes under suspicious of arson, her boyfriend’s father is in town searching for a house, her ex shows up, her mom is losing her memory, and her best friend is accused of murder.
But Lilly keeps it together and deals with each issue in its own time. She is the perfect friend when she goes on the hunt for the real killer, while handling everything else in her life. I think I would have lost it long ago, but not our heroine! She is one tough cookie!
I loved how the author depicted Lilly in a real light with real problems, but very strong in how she deals with them. Lilly loves those in her life and it shows in her actions. She takes care of everyone around her and I really connected to her. And it was spot on with her mom’s memory issues, as someone in my own life was dealing with the exact same issue while I was reading this story.
This was the first book I’ve read from this author and I will definitely be back for more! I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries with real-life issues and relatable characters.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Juniper Junction goes all out for the 4th of July Holiday complete with a celebration and a reenactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The shopkeepers decorate their stores in banners of Red, White, and Blue, and dress in costumes of the period. This year Lily’s best friend Noley has been awarded the contract to provide all the food for the event but the owners of a new bistro in town want to provide food too. An agreement is made that the bistro will provide an ice cream sundae bar adjacent to Noley’s food tent. Noley has run herself ragged making sure everything is just perfect and the day is going well until one of the owners of the bistro drops dead and Noley is charged with the murder.
As if the murder isn’t enough to keep the police busy, someone is burning down vacant houses. The first house was near a graduation party Lily’s son is attending. Lily witnesses the final house fire herself and may be able to identify the firebug. On top of that Lily is dealing with her mother’s dementia and some tough decisions are going to be made soon. First, though she needs to clear Noley’s name and get her out of jail without becoming another one of the killer’s victims.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Worst Noel, and added this book to my calendar for this week to coincide with the holiday.
Lily and her family are very true to life and deal with issues many of us face. She raised her children on her own and their father has just recently reentered the picture. Her mother is living on her own but her health is truly failing. I love the way her grandchildren step in to help and how close they are, having sleepovers and family meals. They are just as concerned about her as their mom and their uncle.
The one thing that felt a little off is Lily’s business. She does leave her employee in charge a lot as she handles chamber business or chasing down clues, but she also spends an extraordinary time in her office doing paperwork. Her employee is very capable but usually, a small business has the owner covering most of the hours. She must truly have an incredible business to meet all her expenses for both her business and her family and still be able to employ someone more than full-time. Unless I totally missed it she didn’t design any jewelry pieces during this story either.
Now the mystery in this story really had me guessing. Anyone at that event could have been the killer as it was super easy to set up the crime and disappear into the crowd. The same with the firebug. Anyone in town could be starting the fires, even some newly graduated high school students. Lily is pulled in several directions as she tries to sort through the suspects and clues while handling teenagers and her mom and still trying to have a little romance in her life. The author tangles all the events and happenings together superbly giving the book an excellent flow. I was truly surprised by the big reveal and a little sad at the same time.
Dead, White, and Blue was a fun holiday read that helped get me into the spirit for the celebration this weekend. After missing the family get-together last year due to COVID this is our first chance to get our extended clan together. Hopefully, murder won’t play a part in our event and the only firetrucks we will see are in the parade.
Dead, White and Blue
Juniper Junction Holiday, Book #2
Amy M Reade
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Summer is getting hotter in Juniper Junction, Colorado.
There’s a firebug on the loose, the townspeople are nervous, and Lilly Carlsen, single mom to two teenagers, has even more to worry about. She’s in charge of the Independence Day celebration, her mother’s mental health is declining, and her son is getting ready to leave for college.
But things are about to get even hotter: when a bistro owner dies at the celebration and Lilly’s best friend is charged with murder, events start hitting close to home. It’s up to Lilly to help clear her friend’s name while at the same time dealing her mom’s worsening forgetfulness as well as a coming-of-age issue under her own roof. (Goodreads)
Review:
Lilly still has some problems in her life: the kids are getting older and they do not need her so much, her mom’s dementia is getting worse and her ex is still living in Juniper Junction. But there are some positive things in her life too: her relationship with Hassan is moving along nicely and Noley and her brother are getting along great. She is in charge of town’s reenactment festivities and the Fourth Of July celebration. When someone is killed during the bash, and Noley is a person of interest, Lilly will have to figure out the real killer. And also try to figure who is setting abandoned homes on fire around town before someone gets hurt.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. The time that Lilly spends with her family seems so real and down-to-earth. I can feel her pain knowing that her mom is only going to get worse in her dementia and things will have to change. And I can relate to her feelings about her kids leaving and going to school, those are feelings many of us have had. I feel for Lilly and that keeps me engaged even more.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery was well plotted and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the reveal at the end.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. There is just something about this series that clicks with me and I am enjoying it so much.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.