Love is in the air in Aspen Hills, and it’s making a terrible mess of Cat Latimer’s writers’ retreat—especially when blood stains the plot . . .Ever since her business partner, Shauna, fell for a wealthy landowner in town, Cat has been working double time to keep her writers’ retreat running. And with the January session almost underway, that spells trouble. As if scheduling mishaps aren’t … scheduling mishaps aren’t disastrous enough, Shauna skips out on kitchen duties one morning, forcing Cat to serve unsuspecting guests store-bought muffins . . .
But best laid plans really go awry when Shauna discovers her beau missing from their bed. When his body later turns up in the horse barn, they quickly find out the victim’s scandalous lifestyle left many dying for revenge. While balancing an eccentric group of aspiring writers and a suspect list for the record books, Cat soon finds herself on the heels of a killer—and authoring her most deadly conclusion yet . . .
Praise for Lynn Cahoon
“Better get your flashlight handy, A Story to Kill will keep you reading all night.” —Laura Bradford, author of the Amish Mysteries
“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.” —Fresh Fiction
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Love can be all-consuming but death brings out the truth, at least that is the case for Shauna. She fell for a man, he asked her to marry him, and then he goes missing. Late getting back to cook breakfast for an early retreat arrival, Shauna tells her Cat that she woke up and Kevin was gone. She has notified the police (Uncle Pete) that he is missing and is waiting for news. When Uncle Pete arrives she knows the news is not good. Her fiancé was found dead on his property, in the horse barn. Worse, Shauna may be a suspect.
One murder is not enough, Cat is still desperately trying to find out who killed her ex-husband and why. When one of the retreat authors offers to help her sift the books and papers he left behind she can’t say no.
Cat is between books right now so she pours herself into solving both these mysteries all while hosting a writer’s retreat. Hands full yes, but she needs to do this for both she and Shauna, so they can start to really close the doors on their past.
I love our main cast of characters but Ms. Cahoon has introduced a new character that quickly became my favorite. Shirley is a retired police detective from Alaska. She is writing a police procedural and even plans on talking to Pete for some additional background. The woman is an early riser, writes like a speed demon and isn’t afraid of roaming through piles are papers like a dog searching for a bone. She also is sweet on Pete and he on her but both deny it, claiming their relationship is purely professional. I hope she makes many return visits to Aspen Hills.
I really enjoyed the way the mystery of ex-husband Michael death comes to a head in this installment, but I think Cat will always have lurking questions. The mystery of Kevin Shields death had many more suspects than I could have imagined. Twists, turns, secrets, and even a connection to Cat in a roundabout way had me speculating all kinds of scenarios, especially when the mob may be involved.
The one thing this author excels at is keeping her readers on their toes. She takes us on quite a ride with perfect amounts of intrigue, romance, and humor. Exciting, funny, and clever. Once you start reading, this book is hard to put down.
Next up, Slay in Character! I can’t wait!
Cat Latimer has been working a little harder than usual ever since her friend and business partner, Shauna, fell for a wealthy landowner. But when he goes missing from their bed and is later found murdered, there’s trouble on the horizon. So, Cat sets out to find the killer.
I found this series recently and have really enjoyed it, this book being no exception. The book’s well-written with wonderful characters and it drew me in from the start. The mystery will keep you guessing and enthralled with the story. I didn’t want to put the book down and am eager for the next one. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
I’ve completed reading the four books currently published in the Cat Latimer mystery series by Lynn Cahoon. Today’s review is for Of Murder and Men, the 3rd in the series; I read the 4th one first because I’d won it in a giveaway and then went back to read them in order. I wish I started properly, but overall, this series keeps getting stronger and stronger. I think this is my favorite thus far, and it earns 4.5 stars.
Cat is a late 20s widow who inherited her ex-husband, Michael’s, house when he died. At this point, we know he was somehow involved with the mob who has ties to the small town outside Denver, Colorado where they lived. What Cat didn’t know was that he’d been sucked into the accounting issues with a mob-related property, and before long, he had to pretend to be doing bad things in order to survive. Unfortunately, he couldn’t extricate himself quickly enough and was killed. We finally learn in this book who likely killed him, and how the killer’s family may or may not still be be after Cat. Instead of ignoring it, Cat has been trying to solve Michael’s death while using the house he left her as a writer’s retreat. Her high school boyfriend (and new love interest), Seth, and her best friend, Shauna, help run the retreat, where 5 writers show up for a week each month to finish their current WIPs. Almost always, one of them is a murderer, dies, or has a connection to the victim.
In this one, it’s Shauna who suffers. Kevin, her distracted boyfriend-turned-fiance, is found dead in his barn. Cat, Shauna, Seth, and Uncle Pete find connections between Michael’s death and Kevin’s death. One of the writers, Shirley, an ex-cop, helps investigate while she warms up to Pete. Ah, romance is brewing… the other writers are busier than usual and not as involved in the plot, but one of them turns up to have a connection with Kevin. Shauna’s battling it out with Kevin’s two ex-wives and their children for his estate, too. She doesn’t want the money, just a few things to remember him by. At the same time, Cat finds out Michael left her another building and never closed their joint account. Except… there’s WAY more money in it than he could have ever earned. Someone’s play games here, and Cat is determined to find out before Dante, the hot guy from the mob family who turns out was Michael’s childhood best friend, gets her all excited and bothered in a good way. No, poor Seth!
I’m quickly falling hard for this series. Cahoon has created some magic with the setting and action surrounding a writer’s retreat. Add in the mystery of Cat’s friends, and the mob-connections about town, there’s story in abundance. I love the clues Cahoon’s dropped in each book about future stories, too. I can already see plots formulating and know what might happen to certain characters. She’s a strong planner author (like me) which may be why I really like her writing style and these books. I need to read her other series next, especially since I’m now fully caught up with the four in this one. The 5th book won’t release for a few months, so I have time to start another of hers. Anyone else tried the Tourist Trap series?
Another FANTASTIC story! We never have a writer’s retreat without something happening, but this time it involved family. Shauna’s guy ends up dead and of course she’s the prime suspect. We KNOW she didn’t do it but who did? To add to the mix Michael’s murder gets solved but not before more questions come to light. Uncle Pete gets into the action by what for it… DATING!! It is a great story that I hope every one likes as much as I do.
This is a fun, new series! The characters leap off of the page enough that the reader is among them.
Would love to visit Cat and her retreat!
Enjoyable series
Oh my goodness was this a good book! I guess a book is really something when you read past the 20% warnings on your Kindle and the battery just dies on you. Luckily, I own a backup Kindle 😉
Cat Latimer has her January writers’ retreat people coming. Since we didn’t have a book for December, we find out that the retreat for that month actually went on without incident. Cat’s friend and business partner, Shauna, has fallen for a local landowner and isn’t going to be at the retreat much this time but she’s still got everything under control especially after Cat confesses to her that she forgot to turn the oven on to bake a breakfast casserole.
Shauna later gets the news that her boyfriend, recently turned fiance’ was found dead in his horse barn after having gotten up in the middle of the night to answer a text. Meanwhile Cat is still looking into Michael’s murder and now she feels like she needs to look into Kevin’s as well.
The stand out visiting character in this book was Shirley, a retired police detective who is on the retreat so she can write a police procedural. I just got the biggest kick out of her. On one hand she really likes Uncle Pete but she tries to brush it off as a professional friendship. She also grabs onto the whole Michael murder mess and won’t let go until she finds something useful. I really hope we do get to see more of Shirley.
I liked the little character cross-over that the author did from her Tourist Trap series. Cross-overs are fun, like introducing one set of your friends to another set. And that’s how I feel about the characters in this series as well as the Tourist Trap series. It’s always fun to go back to visit them.
I was glad to see some of the items that had not been resolved since the first book finally put to rest. I think Cat will always have questions about Michael but her main issues are at peace now. I’m anxious to see how the different things that Shauna, Shirley and Seth have suggested they do for the retreat turn out as well. Long live the writer’s retreat!
I love this Lynn Calhoon’s series. I am into her other about South Cove and its bookshop coffee house owner. I didn’t want to start this series because I loved the other so well that I didn’t want to distract from it. Ironically, this series is great also and so differently written and centered. Love it can’t wait for the fourth in this series to be published. It keeps me wanting more.
Have enjoyed her books. Easy to read.
Best of the series so far. Really enjoyed it.
Thought it was too slow and too many unnessary words and phrases. Kind of silly
I really enjoy all of her books.
One of my favorite cozy mystery authors!
Of Murder and Men by Lynn Cahoon is the third in her Cat Latimer Mystery series and the best one yet.
Ms. Cahoon as written a cozy mystery that is both complex and deeply emotional for both Cat and Shauna. The writers retreat introduces us to a charming new crew of hopeful new authors, including Shirley, a retired Alaska detective who has captured Uncle Pete’s attention. The murder of Shauna’s boyfriend/fiance’ sends Cat into Nancy Drew mode to help Uncle Pete investigate who wanted Kevin dead. There is also the continuing story of Michael’s past and who wanted him dead and why. There were so many suspects, twists and layers to each of the murders that I just had to keep turning the pages. A smoothly paced plot and well developed characters that have continued to grow throughout the series makes this a favorite of mine. Ms. Cahoon’s descriptive writing of Aspen Hills makes me wish I could visit Cat and Shauna.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.