When professional organizer Maggie McDonald finds a body in a snowdrift outside her friend’s ski cabin, she must plow through the clues to find a cold-blooded killer . . . Lake Tahoe in February is beautiful, but Maggie can’t see a thing as she drives through a blinding blizzard with her friend Tess Olmos and their dogs, golden retriever Belle and German shepherd Mozart.Maggie has offered her … has offered her professional decluttering skills to help Tess tidy up her late husband’s cabin in preparation to sell. She also plans to get in some skiing when her husband Max and their boys join them later in the week.
What she doesn’t plan on is finding a boot in a snowdrift attached to a corpse. The frozen stiff turns out to be Tess’s neighbor, Dev Bailey, who disappeared two months ago. His widow Leslie expresses grief, but Maggie can’t help but wonder if it’s a snow job. As more suspects start to pile up, things go downhill fast, and Maggie must keep her cool to solve the murder before the killer takes a powder . . .
“A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For
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I enjoy this series very much. The characters are very real.
THIS BOOK WAS MEDIOCRE.WHILE IT WAS PLEASANT AND EASY TO FOLLOW,ITWAS ACTUALLY TOO SIMPLISTIC AND TEVENTS MOVEDJUST A SMALL BIT AT A TIME. I LIKED THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR PERSONALITIES !THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MEAT TO THEM, PLEASANT BUY TOO LIGHT.
Enjoyed
I enjoyed it
I have never lived anywhere that had blizzards this severe so survival techniques were very informatives. Well written and great characters. I enjoyed it very much.
Very good book. I wish I lived in a neighborhood like this one
Maggie McDonald is back, this time helping her good friend,Tess, clean out a house that has many memories. The motivation is the recent death of Tess’s husband, whose family has had the house for years. The plan is to get it cleaned out and ready for sale quickly so that Maggie’s husband and son and Tess’s son can come up for some weekend skiing. Only a blizzard or two and the dead body Maggie finds when she tries to park her car provide lots of distraction. The small neighborhood includes an elderly woman and a dog, along with some other neighbors. They all know each other and the discovery begins a tail spin about the same time as the next snow and power failure. Pies are abundant and Belle and Mozart have a great time.
This is well-written and well-paced. There are interesting characters, as well as human emotion and grieving. I like Maggie and Tess and their interaction, and of course the dogs. The women engage in sleuthing and Maggie uses her organizational skills in the process. If you like cozy mystery, you can chill out with the snow and skiing easily with this one. It is the 6th in the series, but easily read as a stand alone mystery.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
As Maggie, and her best friend Tess, head up to Tess’s Lake Tahoe cabin, they weren’t planning on driving in white-out conditions. As a Professional Organizer, Maggie offered to help Tess de-clutter the cabin after the death of her husband. Arriving at the cabin, it was slow going up the ice-covered driveway. Thinking the worst is past, they got out to grab what they needed for the night in the cabin. With the temperatures plummeting, they quickly go to the back of the SUV and make a chilling discovery. With feet sticking out of the snowbank, the police determined the body was a neighbor, one who went missing a couple months ago. With the decluttering project on hold as more back-to-back winter storms hitting the area and knocking out power and heat, Maggie and Tess go into sleuthing mode to find a killer.
This may be the sixth book in the series, yet I found it exciting as the others. I love Maggie and all her organizing tips! I felt like Maggie showed us a little of her vulnerability and stamina during blizzard conditions. Using her organizational skills, her many lists, Maggie keeps track of the various suspects while using her instinct to help find the killer. I appreciate the way Ms. Feliz subtlety brings to mind many of today’s concerns, making us aware of those specific to the area. As a fan, this author is one I automatically pre-order. The twists and turns throughout and the many suspects kept me guessing. There were many times I thought I figured it out, only to be surprised once again. The main characters are ones I enjoy, and meeting those involved in the murder investigation, I found loyal and attentive to the needs of the others in the cul-de-sac. This was a fast-paced cozy mystery, one that I would recommend without hesitation. I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Maggie didn’t get as much cleaning and organizing done as she has in some books, but we do get the words of wisdom at the beginning of each chapter. She and Tess are ready to take on the challenge of getting the mountain cabin ready to sell. You know what they say about best laid plans. Loved the story line and the characters. I loved the mountain setting, but don’t know that I could handle all that snow. I do love the way neighbors look out for each other, whether you are a full time or a part time resident. Can’t wait to see what they get into next time. I received the book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
I was drawn to this book because of its cover. However the story is so much more than pretty dogs in the snow. Maggie’s trip to Tahoe with her friend Tess to clear out a family vacation home topped off with skiing with the family turned into dealing with a blizzard, murder, illegal activities and explosions.
The story was an engaging read from the very beginning and it had such vivid descriptions I found myself feeling winter even though it was actually a hot summer day for me. I also really enjoyed the thought-provoking quotations at the beginning of each chapter.
It is the sixth book in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Maggie McDonald is a professional organizer, who goes to her friends Lake Tahoe home to clear it out in preparation of selling it. After finding a dead body, Maggie and her friend Tess look into the murder on the close knit street.
I have to say, one of my favorite things was the description of life in a ski resort town. Much of the book takes place during a fierce winter storm, and seeing how the neighbors look after each other was very heartwarming. I live where it doesn’t snow, so life in a snowy town is fascinating.
The mystery was interesting but I felt the murderer came out of nowhere. I don’t see how any reader could guess his identity. Maggie and Tess were both likable, but as the story went on, I found it difficult to keep all the neighbors straight. The women were distinguishable, but the men seemed to blend together. I enjoyed the book enough to read more from this author in the future.
I received a free ARC from the publisher and the Cozy Mystery Review Crew in exchange for my honest opinion.