Writer’s apprentice Lena London is enjoying life in Blue Lake and being newly engaged, but is soon drawn into the terrifying disappearance of one of her closest friends….Lena is starting to feel like having it all may actually be possible! She and suspense novelist Camilla Graham are busily plotting their next novel and she’s got a brand-new diamond ring on her finger thanks to her fiancé, Sam … to her fiancé, Sam West. The only blot on her Blue Lake life is a strange new corporation that has come to town called Plastisource. They seem to be intent on gobbling up prime real estate and changing the landscape of Lena’s lovely adopted home.
When she and Sam get a call from their good friend (and Blue Lake detective) Doug saying that his girlfriend–and Lena’s pal Belinda–isn’t answering her phone and missed a date with him, they all head out to her home. The trio is shocked to discover that Belinda’s purse and phone are at her house, along with a single red rose on her countertop–but Belinda herself is missing. Has she been abucted? Could the strange new corporation play a role in her disappearance? Lena is determined to find out and rescue her friend because she knows that the truth can be stranger and much more deadly than fiction….
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Life is going well for Lena London. Her latest collaboration with bestselling novelist Camilla Graham is doing well, she and her fiance, Sam West, are just starting to plan their wedding, and she enjoys spending time with her new friends in Blue Lake. The only shadow is the new factory that is being built just outside of town. It looks like the building is going to be an eye sore, and Lena is not happy about it and other ways it might change this area she considers home. However, a cold wind blows in when someone vanishes. Soon, Lena and her friends are caught up in another race to figure out what is happening before things turn deadly. Will they solve things in time?
I thought this novel’s beginning was weak, but it was the weakest part of the story. Even then, that is a minor complaint since I was hooked from the very first page and could hardly put the book down until I reached the end. If real life didn’t interfere, I could have easily finished it in one sitting. I did see one or two twists coming, but there were plenty others I didn’t suspect, but they made perfect sense by the time we reached the end of the story. I love Lena and her friends, and we got plenty of time with them in these pages. Their relationships are fantastic. Each chapter starts with a quote from the projects that Lena and Camilla are currently working on, and I found they helped me better understand just how this series works Gothic elements into each book. Honestly, I’d love to read their books if they were real. It is best to read this series in order since some events of previous books are spoiled by necessity. That’s not an issue since all the books in this series are great. Set aside plenty of time when you pick up this book because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve read every thrilling page.
I was happy to be able to finally sit down and pick up the fifth book in the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series. I have been a fan since the first book. I love the nod to the gothic mystery that comes with each book. Ms. Buckley has delivered a series with well defined and developed characters and mysteries that continue to engage and confound me. I was a bit concerned when the book opened with a missing Belinda, but with that quickly resolved, I was able to see how the author used that twist to set up the plot for the rest of the book. Lena London has settled into Blue Lake nicely if you disregard her penchant for getting into trouble. Her relationship with Sam is moving along to the next level, as are the relationships between the secondary cast of characters. They all seem to connect and work well as a group, even though they are diverse in age, background, and experience. The author crafted another wonderful mystery that kept me guessing. Ms. Buckley has a was of writing a mystery that leads the readers in circles following one misdirection after another. She expertly weaves clues throughout the story but tucks them nicely into the plot so that as a reader you really have to be on your toes the entire book. I very much enjoy this series and will happily preorder the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see where the author takes these characters for their next adventure.
Great story! A must read series for anyone who likes books. With relationships changing things are different, but not in a bad way. I love seeing/reading characters grow, and change. Hoping another book will be added to this series. Love it!
Wonderful characters, setting, and story! Can’t wait for the next one.
I was so happy to step into the lives of Lena and Camilla again in Blue Lake, Indiana! The characters are defined with excellence through interesting, realistic dialog and decisive actions. Blue Lake is a wonderful small, Midwest town where the residents genuinely care for each other and their community. The mystery is engaging, keeping me guessing throughout.
Lena has lived with Camilla Graham, her favorite author, jer employer and now mentor and dear friend for about a year. In that time, they have solved several real-life mysteries and Lena has become her co-author on the latest Gothic mystery. I envy Lena this outstanding opportunity and life! Lena has also become engaged to Sam, the neighbor she met through interesting circumstances. I have very much enjoyed watching Camilla and Lena work together, as well as Lena meeting Sam and their mutual friends in the area. Camilla and Adam have been in a relationship for quite some time. Adam was her late husband’s close friend, and he has been in love with her for more than forty years.
Plasti-Source keeps showing up in the center of this novel. They have factories in several cities and are currently building an ugly, foreboding monstrosity in Blue Lake. They have a history of problems with the EPA for poor toxic waste disposal. A local man, Luis, who works at the Stafford plant goes missing. His wife doesn’t seem too concerned – they had a fight and separated, so she doesn’t know where he is. His employers, who previously loved his work, now claim that he isn’t reliable and are not concerned with his whereabouts. Only one person is concerned and comes to Lena and Camilla for help, the brother of Lena’s close friend Belinda, who had also gone missing. Luis’ car was found out of town with blood inside, enough blood to cause police to think Luis is seriously injured, or dead.
This mystery is finely plotted and executed, with twists and turns that keep changing or adding to the suspect list. I love how the characters get together to help each other and work out the mystery. Camilla and Adam are always the calm voice of reason, yet equally adventurous when there is good cause. Whodunit was a real challenge; I was completely surprised at the end! I highly recommend this newest in series to those who love well-crafted cozy mysteries that include writers, complex situations, and good friends.
The Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series just keeps getting better and better with each book. I’ve read all 5 so far and they are truly amazing. I love Lena’s character and her love and affection for everyone around her. Her relationship with Sam has been taken to the next level and they are so cute together. Lena’s relationship with her mentor, Camilla, is one of mother/daughter (at least to me) and there is genuine affection between them – and with Camilla’s guy, Adam. The introduction of Cliff in a previous book also brings a nice, loving component to Sam’s life and, in turn, Lena’s.
The mystery in Death with a Dark Red Rose begins with the abduction of Belinda, a friend and the girlfriend of local detective, Doug. What starts out as a missing person snowballs into a mystery full of missing, and presumed dead, employees of a plastics manufacturer who unceremoniously decides to set up shop in Blue Lake, shady characters, peeping toms, and danger no one saw coming. I was wholly engaged in this book and did not put it down unless I absolutely had to (I’m looking at you, day job!).
The twists, turns, and red herrings kept my mind actively trying to put the pieces together of this mystery. I didn’t feel like there were any dull or slow moments as we spent more time with Lena, Sam, Cliff, Belinda, Doug, Allison, John, and of course, Camilla and Adam. It wasn’t until almost the very end that I was able to put the pieces together and have the “ah ha” moment right along with the characters.
One of my favorite cozy series’, I was a glad to be back in Blue Lake and can’t wait to visit again.