A whip smart librarian’s fresh start comes with a tart twist in this perfect cocktail of murder and mystery—with a romance chaser. MURDER ON TAP With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe … feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect?
In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi.
“A slam dunk . . . surprising twists and turns.”
—Kirkus Reviews on A Good Day to Buy
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From Beer to Eternity is the first in the new series, A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery book by Sherry Harris. I did not want to put it down! I’m already waiting on the next book.
Chloe has recently arrived from Chicago and just wants to honor her deceased friend’s request and help his grandmother with his passing and the grandmothers beachside bar for a few weeks. Little did she know, grandma is not a frail senior but a Vivi is one feisty lady. When a regular from the bar (who has been acting strange in the last few weeks) turns up murdered outside the bar, all signs point to Vivi being the guilty party.
Chloe doesn’t think Vivi could have done it or could she. She decides to investigate on her own but being new in town, will the locals open up to her. They all are a close knit group and who is the “fixer” and why is she needed in the small town.
This easy to read cozy has it all, starting with a well written mystery, a great setting (you had me at Florida beach) great characters, some quirky, humor, and just maybe a touch of romance.
I now want to go to Emerald Cove and get a drink at the Sea Glass Saloon.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kensington for an honest review.
From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris is the first book in a new cozy series set in the Florida Panhandle. Ms. Harris is a “new to me” author and the setting of this mystery was also unknown to me. I found both to be an enjoyable reading experience for me.
Ms. Harris’ writing is smoothly paced and her description of Emerald Cove made the different businesses and people come alive for me. I confess that I didn’t connect with Chloe through the first few chapters; but as her character became more developed, I began to like her and appreciate her determination to help Vivi. Emerald Cove and it’s small town tourist appeal is also a character in itself and I would love a visit to get to know the town better. The reveal was a total surprise and action packed as Chloe races to the rescue. I will be looking for the next book in the series as I want to know more about Vivi, Ann and Rhett.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
cozy-mystery, Florida, family-dynamics, friendship, firefighters, librarian
When her best friend dies in Afghanistan, Chicago children’s librarian Chloe gets herself down to the
Florida panhandle to fulfill the promise she made. Only his grandmother wasn’t at all what she expected. Instead she was a fashionable owner of a respectable bar and she resented Chloe. Then an odd customer gets stabbed to death just outside the back door of the bar, and Chloe was the one to find the body. It gets personal real fast and Chloe needs to find out who seems to have framed Vivi. Poking around gets Chloe into some very real danger and things just seem to keep escalating. Excellent read with very memorable characters. I’m very glad that this is the start of what looks to be a very interesting series!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!