A dead bank president. An old friend with a dark secret. A deep mystery.It’s the Christmas season in Mercy, Mississippi. But things are far from jolly.For Vlad Templeton the sleepy little town where he spent his childhood provides the perfect place to conduct his state funded sleep study. But when the local bank manager, who was participating in the study, is found dead on his doorstep, is it a … his doorstep, is it a set up…or is Vlad somehow involved?
But, when someone makes an attempt on Lily Gayle’s and Dixie’s life, the two realize they better move fast….or they might end up sleeping forever.
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Death At The Midnight Dragonfly
A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery, Book #3
Susan Boyles
5 Stars
Synopsis:
On the fourth day of Christmas,
In Mercy, Mississippi….
Four suspects lying,
Three sleuths a sleuthing
Two clues a hiding
And a very, very dead body.
It’s the Christmas season in Mercy, Mississippi. But things are far from jolly.
For Vlad Templeton the sleepy little town where he spent his childhood provides the perfect place to conduct his state funded sleep study. But when the local bank manager, who was participating in the study, is found dead on his doorstep, is it a set up…or is Vlad somehow involved?
But, when someone makes an attempt on Lily Gayle’s and Dixie’s life, the two realize they better move fast….or they might end up sleeping forever. (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I love all the genteel Southern women in this book, or at least that is the way they try to present themselves. In reality, they are a bunch of sassy, feisty and curious women. They love to gossip and they feel the need to be in everyone else’s business. And when there is a murder to solve, all bets are off. I really enjoyed the relationship and interactions between Lily Gayle and Dixie. You can tell they are friends from way back and they would do anything for each other. They may call each other out if necessary but when push comes to shove, they have each other’s backs. I also enjoyed the relationship between Lily Gayle and her cousin Ben, the County Sheriff. Their bickering and banter provided a lot of humor to the story.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author has a way with writing and she pulls you in at the beginning of the book and does not let you go until the very end.
She is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place. I enjoyed the small town southern setting and Mercy Mississippi is definitely a place I would like to visit. The mystery was well plotted and had enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through that it was not easy to solve.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. With a great cast of characters, a cozy southern setting and a well plotted mystery, what is not to like?
“Death at the Midnight Dragonfly” earns 5/5 Batches of Mistletoe…Sans the Murder!
I am thrilled to add my ‘thumbs up’ to another great mystery with some favorite characters created by Susan Boles…It’s Christmas in Mercy, Mississippi, and everyone is excited about the annual Christmas gathering, The Mistletoe Magic Extravaganza. Well, Susan throws immediately a ‘twist’ because for Lily Gayle the Christmas spirit is a bit muted. She witnessed an argument between her BFF Daisy and husband, and then the local bank manager Tom Hammond stumbling and become ill, assumed as too much reverie and Miss Edna’s punch. This seems tame when the next day set to see a childhood friend staying at the Midnight Dragonfly B&B, she finds the police investigating murder…the bank manager is dead and the evidence points to Daisy’s husband. It is very personal now, and no one will stop her from finding the truth.
Again Susan has penned an entertaining murder mystery. It was fun to see the final motive revealed, and I was thrilled to have my ‘could it be’ right on the button. However, the reason for my ‘fan’ status is the entertaining, if not purely Southern, set of characters who add humor and a lot of meddling. Although I enjoy following Lily Gayle and her amateur sleuthing efforts to protect her friends and family, my favorite is senior citizen Miss Edna. I am a fan and have read the first two books (“Death of a Wolfman” and “Cherry Cake and a Cadaver”), but for newbies it might improve your experience by reading them first to better understand background and character connections. But, don’t…don’t shy away from this book! It is well worth the time.
eath at the Midnight Dragonfly is Book 3 is the stellar Lily Gayle Lambert Series.
I have grown to love this series so much. It’s Christmas in Mercy, Mississippi and all my favorite characters are back and excited about the annual Christmas Party, The Mistletoe Magic Extravaganza. Well everyone is excited except Lily Gayle, which for me was the first “twist”! If you have read my reviews you know I am not a spoiler kind of girl, so you will have to read this fantastic mystery to see for yourself.
The author has again created a complex mystery with those beloved characters. Each book builds on the “story”. While this is a stand alone book , I do think the reader would get more pleasure by reading the first two books in the series, but it is not necessary. BUT WHY WOULDN’T YOU?
I did not guess at all who the murderer was and the other side storylines involving the other great characters added to the complex nature of the plot.
Do yourself a favor and get your hands on this series! You won’t be disappointed.
Death at the Midnight Dragonfly by Susan Boles is the third story in A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series. It is almost Christmas in Mercy, Mississippi, but Lily Gayle Lambert is not feeling the Christmas spirit. She is standing outside the Mistletoe Magic Extravaganza, but she does not feel like going inside. She witnesses an argument between her friend Daisy and her husband, Jack. Then she notices local bank manager, Tom Hammond stumble outside and become ill. It seems that Tom imbibed a little too much of Miss Edna’s punch. The next morning, Lily Gayle rides her bike up to the Midnight Dragonfly Inn. She wants to visit with Dr. Vlad Templeton running the new sleep study. It has been a longtime since Lily Gayle has seen her childhood friend. The police are out front when she arrives. Vlad found Tom Hammond on his front porch—dead. A red boxing glove under some nearby bushes points the finger at Daisy’s husband, Jack, who recently joined the new gym. But Jack is not her only friend suspected of the crime. To clear her friend’s names, Lily Gayle will have to find Tom’s killer. What happens when she gets too close to the truth?
Death at the Midnight Dragonfly is a cute story. It is a quick and easy book to read. I do suggest reading the first two books in A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series prior to picking up Death at the Midnight Dragonfly. The series contains quirky characters and a unique small town. There is humor throughout the story along with meddling friends. The mystery was uncomplicated. I identified the victim and killer before Lily Gayle rode up to the Midnight Dragonfly Inn on her bicycle. I do feel it is time for Lily Gayle to grow or develop more as a person. I want to see her overcome her fear of driving (for example).