Alaskan fine arts dealer, Caribou King, has closed up shop for the season and is looking forward to a peaceful winter, capped off by the birth of her sister’s first child. When she discovers the body of an Mrs. Nash, an elderly woman, in the old Tilamu house, Cara can’t help poking her nose into the investigation.Doc Tilamu served the people of Coho Bay all his life, building the house for his … for his bride and their three children, but as soon as they became adults, each one of them left town and never looked back. When Alex Tilamu shows up at Mrs. Nash’s funeral, drunk and ranting about murder, Cara is convinced there is more at stake than a dilapidated house on the edge of the bay.
Unraveling the mystery of the old woman’s death takes Cara and the town’s one-man police force, Dan Simmons, on a perilous journey through decades-old hatreds, bitterness and greed. With the Alaskan winter closing in, Cara finds herself caught between two men who say they love her and one who wants her dead.
This is the second book in the Caribou King Mystery series, combining murder, light suspense, comedy and romance.
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This is book two in the series “Caribou King Mysteries”. I read book one just last week and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read book two right away. I am not a fan of romance novels but love mysteries and if the mystery is the main part and romance is an added bit then I am good. This book was more a romance than a mystery for me hence the lower star rating. I still enjoyed the characters and the town of Coho Bay Alaska. I also enjoyed the introduction of Olivia the new doctor. Michelle Babb once again does a wonderful job of narrating this story and series. It looks like this might be the last book in this short series. This book was released in 2017 and I can’t find a book 3. 🙁
The tourist season is over in Coho Bay and Caribou King…LOVE the name…and her family are getting ready for winter and the impending birth of her niece/nephew. Surely life will be boring! That is, until Cara discovers the body of a longtime seasonal renter in one of the cabins that she manages. At first, it appears to be a suicide but the more digging that Cara does, the more it doesn’t pass the sniff test. Throw in the drama of two guys vying for Cara’s attention and you’ll see that life is never boring in Coho Bay, Alaska! Another great story in the series with equally great audio performance!
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. This is the second book in the series and each book is a stand alone, although this one does continue where the first one left off, at the start of winter. Sometimes the story felt like more of a romance story than a mystery, as the main character get pressured to choose between two men. However the mystery was good and did have me guessing as to the killer was. I liked the way you weren’t sure if it was only one death that needed to be investigated or two. The small town atmosphere was well written about and really gave you a sense of community and the fact that everybody knew everybody and there business, loved Earl’s shout out comments and everybody’s reaction to them, some funny moments. Also mumma bear protecting her cub. I hope there are more audible books in this series to come if only to find out how life changes once the baby arrives.
With everything winding down for winter, Cara is behind schedule shutting up the rental homes after catching pneumonia. She when she does finally make it to the run down cabin to shut off the water before it freezes she wasn’t expecting to find any one still there. Especially not the nice old lady who has been renting the cabin for years and certainly not dead. She was the last person Cara would have expected to have taken her own life. She kept to her self despite the fact she came every year, so nobody in town knows a thing about her or her family. When a grand daughter turns up for a funeral everybody is surprised but it is the accusation that are hurled about at the funeral that gets the biggest reaction. Had the old lady really killed a woman for her husband? The owner of the cabins children think so. There was more to the little old lady than met the eye and with her reputation on the line and her grand daughter happiness in the balance, not to mention the hope of a doctor moving to the island Cara sets about finding the truth. Anything to keep her from having to choose between two men.
Michelle Babb as the narrator is a good choice and I think she helps to recreate the story with just words and the tone of her voice.
It’s off-season in Coho Bay, Alaska, so like most shop owners, Caribou King has closed her fine arts store for the winter. However, being the only licensed realtor Caribou still has work to do. She heads out to check on one of the rental properties she oversees to make sure it the water has been shut off for the winter. As she enters the cabin she finds something disturbing… the dead body of the renter, Mrs. Nash. Along with Coho Bay’s one-man police force, Dan Simmons, Caribou sets out to find the killer. As they investigate they find more unexpected information and people who may be suspects. Will Caribou be able to sort through all this new info and find out the real truth for not only Mrs. Nash’s murder but some past deaths as well?
I really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to know of Caribou and her family a little better. I liked the little love triangle element added to the storyline. I have to admit I am like Caribou’s mother I have my pick on who is better for Caribou but also see negatives aspects with both men. The mystery aspect, however, is suspenseful with several twists and turns along the way. This is very well written mystery and just sucked me in from the beginning. I enjoyed the first book but I think I actually enjoyed this one a little bit more. The setting of it being winter in Alaska really added to the story’s plot and made me feel (as I expect Caribou and the others of Coho Bay) the urgency in finding the killer before some of the suspects were gone back to warmer climates.
I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrator Michelle Babb is a wonderful storyteller and really brings Caribou and the other characters to life. She has wonderful pace and diction which added to the experience reading this book.
I recommend this book and series to all mystery lovers. I was provided with a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way influenced by anyone.