| Title | : | Mission to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1601833059 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781601833051 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 238 |
| Publication | : | First published July 1, 2014 |
Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Thomas, the obnoxious owner of South Cove's most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Thomas is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name. But when the killer comes for her, she'll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation.
"Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover's dream come true." --Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
Mission to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery, #2) Reviews
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Mission to Murder is the second book in Lynn Cahoon's cozy series, Tourist Trap Mysteries. I've read many of her other cozies and recently picked up this collection. Given there are over a dozen already published, I have a long way to go to get current, but I plan to accomplish it by end of year. Set in a California town near the southern coast, protagonist Jill Gardner runs a coffee and book shop, though she seems to spend her time solving crimes. Thankfully, her aunt has taken over the day-to-day oversight at the store, enabling Jill to explore a newfound inheritance and get to know a local cop - personally and professionally.
In the last book, Jill's elderly friend died and left a rundown home to her. Jill was able to prevent the town from demolishing the place when she discovered it potentially had a connection to a former mission site from early explorers. This time, the enemies she once made when she stopped the land development are out to get her. One of them ends up dead, and while Jill looks a bit guilty, a few other potential criminals pop up. In between, Jill fights to prove that the mission is actually on her property despite a new document claiming otherwise. Toss in some teenagers possibly breaking into local businesses, a lecherous man coming on to Jill, and a mayor hellbent on revenge, the book has a bunch of well-rounded side stories.
Enjoyed it. I like the characters in this book. The mystery was good, but I was a little unsure of the guilty party/parties at the end. It makes sense but I couldn't determine the real connection to a few areas... plus, the alliances between certain people were somewhat unclear. Was the murdered guy a good or a bad person - never really clear? Just seemed angry, mostly at Jill. I wanted more background on it, beyond the mission connection and real estate deal failure. That said, it's easy-to-read, has great dialog and descriptions, and I will be continuing with the rest this year. -
I love this cute little cozy series. The characters are likable and unique. It has the perfect mix of cozy and mystery suspense without being too sickly sweet.
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When Jill discovered a significant historical site in her back yard she found herself at odds with Craig Thomas who takes the lions share of the towns funding for that sort of thing. With the possibly corrupt mayor siding with Thomas and evidence suggesting that the site in question was actually somewhere else things aren't looking good for her getting the funding to preserve the site.
Then Thomas shows up dead and suddenly Jill is a suspect. It's left to her to investigate and find the real killer before the killer turns his attention to her.
I generally read two or three books a week, but for a couple of weeks I've had the flu and that's slowed me down a fair bit. I'll literally read a couple of pages and then fall asleep. All that goes to say is that this book has been with me for a while, and if I'm totally honest it's been a bit of a comfort to me in my miserable self-pitying state.
Mission to Murder really is like a cute shaggy dog sleeping on the end of your bed (thanks to Roscoe for a rare still moment). As a cozy mystery or a book to read on the beach, it's kind of perfect.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC -
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the first book in the tantalizing, A Guidebook to Murder, which I recommend reading prior to #2 MISSION TO MURDER ---was delighted to catch up with Jill and all the favorite characters in this quaint small town.
Coffee, Books, and More on Main Street, is just one of the many tourist hot spots in the small coastal town of South Cove, California. From the first book, Jill Gardner (owner of Coffee, Books, and More), a former lawyer, inherited Miss Emily’s house (she befriended her years ago), and the city wanted her to tear down the house for a new condo real estate development.
She began her fight with small town politics, with many obstacles---Emily’s family, the mayor, real estate developers, attorneys, threats, and faced the circumstances which surround Miss Emily’s death, secrets, and of course a murder mystery to solve.
Presently, in MISSION TO MURDER, Jill, has discovered the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission, which she wants to declare as a historic landmark. However, again she faces many challenges and obstacles regarding the mission site; (one being a thorn in her side – Craig Thomas).
Craig is the owner of The Castle, a popular tourist spot---he is a man who knows how to create enemies. However Jill had an argument with him and later her boyfriend and local detective, Greg (hunk, from Book 1), receives a call stating Craig was found murdered at The Castle. Then there is Fifi, his dog who was left tied at the beach, the ex-wife, the FBI, and other mysterious happenings going on at The Castle.
Appears Josh Thomas, Owner of Antiques by Thomas, the antique shop next to her coffee shop, and Craig Morgan, The Castle were the two standing in her way of certifying the Spanish mission wall site.
Currently Jill is not only fighting small town politics, the mayor, (which dislikes her), city council, historic committee, plus more in order to fight for the historical commission to certify the site, so she can ensure future generations know the history of this particular part of the California coastline. Now she finds herself in the middle of a murder, she did not commit. Her top priority is to find the real killer, and the mystery begins.
In the midst of all the murder, the first Annual Cloaked in Mystery was being planned (a new release and secret thriller author, whose name is kept hidden) to further build suspense and intrigue. If anyone guessed the author, the prize would be a set of author's signed backlist, current release, and a night at South Cove's B&B.
A cozy, light murder mystery filled with an array of eccentric characters, and shop owners (most are nosy and always know everyone’s business), where flowers bloom, with good books and coffee, friends, and an adorable village out of a fairy tale (with murders), a lovable golden retriever, a yummy love relationship, with never a dull moment in a town full of mysteries and historic charm. Another winner by talented author, Lynn Cahoon!
Readers will also get a peak at Jill Gardner's next adventure, IF THE SHOE KILLS, coming Nov 10, 2014, an excerpt is included at the end of the book. As South cove's council liaison, Jill volunteers her shop for meetings each month (and president of the I Hate Mayor Baylor Club)--more mischief and scheming. Appears Aunt Jackie, Darla, Sadie, Marie, and the rest of the crew will be returning for another action packed saga to keep the drama brewing.
JDCMustReadBooks -
Jill Gardner and her friends from South Cove are back. Once again, Jill finds herself the center of a murder when a man she had been arguing with is suddenly killed. Craig Thomas was intent on publicly refuting Jill’s claim that a wall on her property was actually an old landmark. Jill planned to prove him wrong, but she had no plans to kill the man.
Her boyfriend, Detective Greg King, believes her but the mayor of South Cove is pressuring him to arrest Jill since all the evidence is pointing her way. Despite Greg’s warning against it, Jill decides to do some snooping on her own. She is sure someone is framing her. Not only will she find out why, but she is determined to find out who before she finds herself behind bar.
This is one of those cozies that you feel as if you are visiting old friends. It’s fun to check in and see how they are all doing since the last book. The characters are well portrayed and literally jump off the pages. Jill and Greg’s romance is written perfectly – they aren’t moving too fast giving readers a chance to witness the relationship as it progresses.
The secondary characters are delightful from her best friend Amy to her aunt Jackie to the local psychic Esmeralda. Each one feels as if they are real people any of us can meet in our everyday life.
Although many cozies take place in bookstores these days, each one has their own special take on the setting and this one is no different. The store is filled with books, coffee and many, many delicious-sounding desserts. South Cove sounds like a delightful place – who would suspect murder happening on a regular basis? LOL
This series is a quick, relaxing read for me. The author can’t write them fast enough. I love every minute of my visits to South Cove and I anxiously await when I can return again.
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own. -
I wasn't paying attention when I picked up the Kindle special of this book. I then picked up the audiobook at a bargain price. I'd forgotten! This was #2 in a series and I'd read (listened to) the first one. Gradually I realized things were familiar. On my.
The heroine JIll owns a bookstore/coffeeshop and now her aunt helps her run it. She has a boyfriend, Greg, a local police detective. The book is (intentionally) chaste so we never know if they do more than just snuggle and kiss. Jill is one nosy woman, though most of the time it's in order to save her skin, her house or her business. The characters in this town are annoying and I wouldn't want to live there despite the California seaside setting.
The writing is overall average, but sometimes needed editing. At times, it seemed that she used "whom" too much. It seemed stitlted. Other times she seems to be showing off as in this exchange: "...isn’t this one of those incense carriers they use in Catholic services?” .... “You’re right. It’s a censer or thurible— depending on your sect." She goes into this detail about this terminology BUT there are no sects in the Catholic church. There are churches that are part of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, such as Greek Orthodox, Armenian Catholic etc. But these churches are NOT sects. The book talks about "attending a Catholic service". Excuse me. Catholics GO to MASS. They don't attend services. This series needs "test readers".
Finally I had forgotten how very very much the narrator's voice for the aunt infuriated me. The woman is probably in her 60's. The narrator uses this creaky voice that is so insulting to older women. This is the last in the series I plan to read. If I buy another one "by accident", I will return it.
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Short review: Great second book in a great series, lots of twists and turns, love the characters and the location. This is shaping up to be a great cozy series.
Long review:
Mission to Murder, the second in the Tourist Trap Mystery series, picks up where the last book left off. Jill is still struggling to establish herself as part of the South Cove community, to have the mission wall certified as a historic landmark, and to have an uninterrupted evening with her boyfriend, Officer Hunky, err, Greg. Aunt Jackie is still serving up great marketing ideas and Coffee, Books and More is a runaway success.
I love this series. The setting is magnificent, true location porn; I can almost smell the ocean breeze all the way over here in the Midwest. It's always gratifying when an unlikable character gets offed; and when local man-you-love-to-hate Craig Morgan gets offed,I almost cheered. The murder part of the plot didn't have a lot of detail; in fact, if the the manner in which Craig died was mentioned, I missed it. Also, what was so interesting about the tox screen?
The battle to certify the mission as historic continues with the mutual dislike Jill shares with the mayor and a growing feud with shady antiques dealer Josh. This aspect is believable, I've heard of battles over historic certification that got pretty underhanded and dirty. It also adds a richness to the story, something more to draw you in as a reader (at least for me, I'm a history buff.)
The characters are warm and easy to relate to, but I feel like some of the characters aren't as developed as they could be (especially BFF Amy). Which is understandable, since it's only the second book of the series and many plot lines haven't developed yet. Amy just feels like a convenient plot device, sometimes and I don't really connect with her. Without having Hank introduced in the story, I didn't care one way or the other how the relationship worked out. I love Esmerelda, it cracks me up how she floats in and out of scenes with her second sight delivering esoteric visions that Jill shrugs off like a mosquito. Listen to the woman!
Great book and every bit as enjoyable as the first. The only thing that would make this book perfect is if once in awhile Jill would hang up her running shoes and spend an evening watching Sherlock with a bag of cheeze doodles and a pitcher of margaritas. Then I won't feel so guilty when I do.
Huge thanks to Kensington Books and NetGallery for the advance copy of the book in return for my honest opinion. -
In the California coastal town of South Cove, history is one of its many tourist attractions, until it becomes deadly. Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Thomas, the obnoxious owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Thomas is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name.
But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jill is a fabulous character. And yes, she let Craig Thomas have it, but it was with words, no foul play here. But she doesn’t have an alibi and she and the mayor do not see eye to eye, in fact he would like to see her in jail. Thankfully she is now dating Detective Greg King and he knows she didn’t do it. Now if he could just figure out to keep Jill from investigating on her own and let him catch the killer. But us fans of cozy mysteries know that is just not going to happen.
Lynn Cahoon has given us another wonderful story. The owner of the antique store next to Coffee, Books and More, Josh and junk dealer Ray are the quirky and creepy characters respectively. I love Aunt Jackie and even Esmeralda with her “woo-woo” predictions. But my favorite character in this story was cop/barista Toby. He works for both Jill and Greg and is a great friend to both of them. The customers like him and so do I.
The setting is also special. South Cove sounds like a wonderful place to visit and The Castle sounds like a fantastic tourist attraction.
Cahoon takes the characters in this town and creates a story full of mystery, romance and humor. This is a perfect book to add to your Summer Reading list. Fun and entertaining with just a few hold your breath moments. -
The second in the Tourist Trap Mystery Series. I am really enjoying this series. Jill, our MC, is the prime suspect in the murder of a local businessman. She argued with the victim twice immediately prior to his death. Will her boyfriend, local police Detective Greg King, have to arrest her? I love the nods to cozy mysteries. Jill remarks at one point that she has not become "too stupid to live".
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In Mission to Murder by Lynn Cahoon, Jill Gardner has found an old partially torn down wall at the back of the property she inherited in Guidebook to Murder. Believing this wall to be part of the original Spanish mission in her region of California, Jill has been fighting to get recognition for the wall as a historical relic and thus a protected location. But Craig Morgan, owner of the major tourist location The Castle, which seems to be modeled after Hearst Castle, is fighting tooth and nail to keep Jill from getting the wall certified because it would share with Jill some of the funds for historical restoration that he has enjoyed exclusively.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on
FangirlNation -
Book number two does not disappoint!
One of my favourite series.
Great characters and setting with a wonderfully written whodunit.
I cannot wait to read more in the series! -
Fun, quick read. Good mystery, several suspects, not too obvious. We get to know some of the characters a little better. Off to get book #3!
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This was the second book in Lynn Calhoun's A Tourist Trap Mystery Series and my first book by this author. It had all the great qualities I look for in a cozy mystery: an interesting mystery, an engaging protagonist, set in a quaint location. Throw in some romance and I am all set.
After Jill Gardner, the owner of the Coffee, Books and More, gets into two very public screaming matches with the town's chief pain in the neck, Craig Thomas, he is found dead. Though the list of suspects is long, Jill finds that she is on the list too. So much so her boyfriend, and town detective and hottie, asks her for an alibi. With the help of some engaging side characters including her Aunt- who is a real hoot, will Jill be able to untangle herself from this mess?
I will definitely go back and read
Guidebook To Murder and look forward to reading
If the Shoe Kills
Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. -
Jill Gardner owns Coffee, Books and More in South Cove, CA, which she runs with the help of her Aunt Jackie. Jill's renovating an old home she inherited from her friend, Miss Emily, and working with the historical commission to certify the old stone wall, at the back of her property, is part of an old Spanish mission. Craig Morgan manages The Castle, the towns largest tourist attraction. When he meets with foul play, the list of suspects who could have killed him, and the reasons why, are numerous.
The cast of characters is great! The setting beautiful! An enjoyable cozy mystery for an afternoon's entertainment!
I was provided a copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. I voluntarily wrote an honest review. -
Once again, Ms. Cahoon, has written a fabulous tale. I waited with baited breath for this book. I loved the first book in the series and this one was worth the wait. I was able to enjoy a great mystery, some romance and a worthy adversary. Great job. I can't wait until Fall for the next adventure.
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tl;dr: I love, love, love the settings in these books, but I haven't cared for the characters, mysteries, or writing in the first two. Does anyone have a read-a-like for the setting?
Full Review:
blog post
Okay. I really, really want to like more cozy mysteries, but I have such a hard time finding ones that I like.
The difficulty with this (and the reason I'm leading so negatively despite having read two of the books in this series) is that I'm divided between things I really like about it, and things that I really don't.
When I go to the bookstore and browse the cozy mysteries, I feel like I'm choosing between these different concepts and hobbies: so this series, about a woman who runs a coffee-book-shop in a small coastal town looked like a slam dunk.
But I don't like it. I didn't like the first one either!
So why the hell did I read the second one? Because about 9 months after I was so underwhelmed by the first installment, I got booksick for the setting and scenery in this series and decided to give it another shot.
In a nutshell, our MC Jill is the owner of a bookshop/cafe in a small, coastal tourist town where she moved after leaving her big-city-life. She's still viewed as a newcomer by the other townspeople, but they're beginning to accept her.
In book one, she inherited a big old house (#goals) from her old lady friend Miss Emily, and she discovered the ruins of the old Spanish mission on the property. As she's working to get it certified as a historical site, she's butting heads with the Local Jackass, who runs "The Castle," a historical tourist destination in town. He doesn't want to share funding and other bureaucratic nonsense, so he's trying to bar her from doing that. She goes to ream him out (which the small-town-peeps send up the grapevine mad fast) and the next day he winds up dead. Oopsies! Now, Jill has to clear her name.
This isn't a bad set up by any means, but I found that it had all the same issues as the first one.
-The author says everything multiple times. She introduces a character and the MC thinks "She's amazing, she gets more done in a day than I do in a week." Then, 4 chapters later, she sees her again and the internal monologue tells you that "she gets more done in an hour than I do in a day." It's the exact same sentence wearing a fake mustache and a hat. I was sitting in my living room, freaking my cat out by shouting "I know!" at my kindle.
- The mysteries are really lackluster. The investigation will go through some enjoyable (if formulaic) stages, like sneaking around a yard of shipping crates and sneaking away from a tour group to snoop around. These are things I want from the mystery. But, just like in the first one, the big reveal is full of things that she didn't figure out: they're just revealed to her. She finds all these clues, and then things fall to shit before she settles in to put the pieces together and solve the puzzle. That's so unsatisfying!
- The relationship between our amateur detective and the local policeman (proving this is a card-carrying-cozy-mystery) is not very compelling. They got together in the first one and it was alright--I didn't particularly care about it, but it was fine--but in this one they've already settled into a very boring routine, and while there was the material for an interesting test of their relationship (the fact that the MC is the prime suspect for a murder and if she were anyone else she'd have at least been brought in for questioning) this is just mentioned over and over again, and never explored.
That being said, there's a reason I went back and gave the second one a try!
- I love the premise. Like, Jill is living my dream life. She retired from some crap-ville corporate law job in the city and opened a bookshop-cafe in a small, Marple-esque coastal town full of secrets and intrigue. This is my if-I-won-the-lottery plan, down to the last detail.
- I love the town! I love the setting of Jill as the newcomer to the town that people haven't quite embraced; I love her old historic house that she's renovating; I love that she has this small town drama with the local business committee and all the stuff that goes along with that. I love the setting of these books so much.
These different feelings are fighting each other and landing on a 3 star rating. And to be honest, I'll probably go another 9 months, not find a read-a-like for the setting, and read no. 3. Then complain about it. Don't @ me.
(@ me with recommendations for a setting read-a-like, I beg of you.) -
Book 2. Jill shop Coffee , Books,and More was going strong with ithe help of her Aunt Jackie and young Deputy Toby that worked with her too. One of the committee members Josh was groaning about kids all shacking up in the town's Castle house. And breaking and entering. Sadie told him they are not doing anything wrong ( she had a son that was one of the boys Nick Josh mentioned.) In book 1 there was a Mission Wall that Jill had on her properly so she thought. But the owner of The Castle was fighting her about it. And being very rude. Amy Jill best friend was going out with a guy Hank that Jill and her boyfriend cop Greg could not stand. Jill wanted to tell Amy that he was not good for her but she kept it to her self. Craig was murdered and Jill was the # 1 suspect because they fought out in open. But her boyfriend Greg knew she did not do it. Love the relationship with Jill and Greg. They are a great couple in this series. At first the book 2 is kinda slow. But it really was great book. I read book 1 but forgot about cause I read it a long time ago.
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Jill Gardner runs the Coffee, Books, and more in the town of South Cove. Jill discovers the old stone wall on her property that might be an old mission and starts a claim to have it declared as a landmark. Craig Thomas, the owner of a tourist spot called "The Castle" starts contesting Jill's claim to make the wall a landmark for his own reasons.
Craig is found murdered and Jill decides to find out who murdered him much to the objections of her boyfriend, a police detective.
There are a few twists, good characters and turns in the story and it held my interest to the end. -
Fun book to listen to. Looking forward to the next one in this series.
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Mission to Murder takes us back to South Cove and all the fun characters that live there. Jill is settling into her new house, and Greg and her are seeing each other. Jackie is pretty much managing the Coffee/Book store and Toby is still bringing in all the girls of South Cove surrounding areas with his good looks.
In the first book we find out that Jill might have an old mission site on her property and in Mission to Murder she is having problems getting it verified because Craig the manger of the only other historical site, the castle, is getting in the way. So when Craig ends up dead guess who ends up suspect #1, Jill. She was last seen arguing with him before he ends up dead but she is not the only one who has a reason to want him dead. The mayor has it out for Jill since the last book because she refused to sale Emma’s house. She of course he thinks she did it, but Greg who is the detective on the case is Jill’s boyfriend and he knows she didn’t do it. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cause some awkward moments when Greg has to question about her whereabouts.
Greg tells her to say out of it that he will find the one responsible, but when your a suspect in a crime you didn’t commit, it’s hard to stay out of things. She does a bit of sleuthing on her own and even gets Jackie started as well.
Mission to Murder was a lot of fun. I might have enjoyed this one a little bit more than the first one because of Jackie. She is a hoot! She also gets involved a bit in the sleuthing and tattles on Jill to Greg which made me chuckle. Jill also uses Jackie to get information from Josh who is an antique dealer and has information about the Mission site. When Jackie accuses Jill of pimping her out I just about died it was so funny. There was a bit more romance in this one than the first one because they were just getting to know each other in the first book. I think Greg and Jill make a cute couple and they also had their first fight I am surprised hadn’t happened before, since she kept getting trouble.
As much as I like Jill I think that Jackie is my favorite character out of the whole series, she really makes it fun to listen too.
If you like cozy mysteries then you will probably enjoy this series and now I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
Narrator: Susan Boyce
If you read my review of the first book you will know that I liked this narrator but thought at times she sounded a bit like a robot. Well, I am glad I can say her narration is getting better. Susan did a really great job narrating the second book and really gives all of the characters voice. I think she does a really good job with Aunt Jackie’s voice, but then I am partial to that character..lol.
Audio gets a 4/5 this go around. -
Mission to Murder, the second in the Tourist Trap Mystery series by Lynn Cahooh, is a quirky mix of mystery and romance. After reading it and the original in the series, Guidebook to Murder, I’m not sure which genre wins out.
Mission to Murder is light reading. It’s not a complex mystery that requires thinking. In fact, it’s probably best read when you don’t want to think.
We follow the continuing saga of Jill Gardner, owner of a coffee shop/book store in the central California coast as she gets mixed up in murder and various other crimes. Her boyfriend, the local cop, teases her about being suspect number one after she fights with the manager of a local attraction about the old brick wall in her backyard – that she thinks is from an old Spanish Mission. He tells her is going to destroy her. She yells (in public, of course) that “No matter what I have to do, you’re not getting away with this.”
The manager, naturally, ends up dead and the race is on to find out ‘who-dun-it’. Jill decides he “couldn’t have died from a heart attack because he had no heart. And if he’d slipped and fallen [into one of the Grecian baths], the eel part of his nature would have saved him from drowning.”
The book follows Jill, the amateur sleuth, as she tries to cross suspects off her list. Add in Amy (the town’s city planner, Jill’s best friend and “a California girl through and through” – “she reeked granola”), Esmeralda (the local fortune-teller and police dispatcher), Jill’s Aunt Jackie (who came out of semi-retirement in the last book to help run the coffee shop after losing her money in a local Ponzi scheme), Eric (the sleazy real estate developer who wants to build condos on the land where Jill lives) and his ‘lying, stealing, murdering girlfriend’ and a host of other colorful characters who make the reading easy on the eyes and really quite enjoyable. “Everyone did whatever they could to make ends meet in the small tourist town.”
Calhoon writes so casually that you almost think you’re there, watching the characters playing out their roles. “It’s not a rumor. Cindy told me and she heard it from Gladys, the church secretary. She’d overhead the girl’s folks telling Pastor Bill.” And then consider Esmeralda’s warning to Jill – “The Spirits are trying to contact you.” “I haven’t missed any calls…”
Quirky. But fun. And not so heavy on the romance that a guy can’t enjoy the story.
This review is based on a preview of the Kindle version set to be released on July 21, 2014. -
Mission To Murder by Lynn Cahoon, the second book in the Tourist Trap Mystery series, is a great cozy read. This book has all the elements I look for in a cozy: friendship, romance, mystery and a small town setting.
Jill, who is the owner of a bookstore/coffee shop, is a suspect in the murder of a local business man. She is seen arguing with the deceased shortly before he is murdered, so of course she is a prime suspect. But she does not have to prove her innocence or find the real murderer by herself. She has her best friend Amy, her Aunt Jackie, her employee Toby, who is also a part time detective and her detective boyfriend, Greg. She uses all her friends and persistence to finally solve the case.
The mystery is carried on throughout the entire story and I did not figure out the killer until it is revealed at the end of the book. The murderer is not the obvious choice and I thought that was refreshing. It was someone who could very well have done the deed but was not someone you would have suspected right away.
The small town setting provides a good place for all the action to take place. The rumor mill is up and running and not much that Jill does goes unnoticed. And not everyone is a big fan of Jill, she has her share of enemies. These things make the story even more interesting.
The writing style flows easily and it is an easy read. The writing is descriptive and made me feel like I was right there, involved in the action as it unfolds. The characters are realistic and display many of the same human traits that we all have. Most of them felt like people I would like to know and hang out with.
I was able to read book one, Guidebook To Murder, before I read Mission To Murder. I normally do not like to read two books by the same author one right after the other, but The Tourist Trap Mystery series is different. I had to start Mission To Murder right away, because I wanted to continue my journey with the gang from book one. I would recommend this book to all cozy lovers and mystery lovers. I would recommend reading the books in order, I think it adds to the enjoyment. -
MISSION TO MURDER
Lynn Cahoon
Kensington Books
July 2014
Jill Gardner’s shop, Coffee, Books and More, is the semi-permanent host site for the South Cove Business to Business meetings from seven to nine on the appointed mornings. Jill is the Chamber’s liaison with the Mayor’s office and her BFF, Amy, is the mayor’s secretary and city planner. New member Josh Thomas does nothing but complain about everything. Josh owns an antique store and does appraisals for his good friend Craig Thomas. Craig owns one of the most popular and prosperous tourist attractions in South Cove, and he is an absolute total jerk. Jill is attempting to get an old stone wall at the back of the property declared an historical landmark, but Craig and Josh are doing everything they can to keep this from happening. When Craig is found murdered, Jill is the only suspect since she and the deceased had a very public yelling match just the day before his death.
Jill’s business is thriving since her business savvy Aunt Jackie moved to town and has taken over the store’s publicity using book chats, author chats, and the older woman was smart enough to hire hunkalicious Toby Killian part time as a barista. He certainly does draw the women of all ages in. Toby is a full time cop that works with Jill’s boyfriend, Detective Greg King.
Greg knows that Jill had nothing to do with Craig’s death, but no other leads pop up for anyone to take her place as a suspect. He is being very protective of her because whoever killed Craig is sure to come after Jill also.
Lynn Cahoon has crafted another fine cozy mystery for her outstanding characters to solve. The pace is even and steady, the people are three dimensional, and Ms. Cahoon’s narrative is voiced loudly and proudly. MISSION TO MURDER has several story lines including one for Esmeralda, the town psychic, and her cryptic messages for Jill. MISSION TO MURDER was pure entertaining pleasure to read, and the conclusion was and wasn’t expected. Have to figure that out for yourself!
Betty Cox, Staff Reviewer
ReaderToReader.com -
When it comes to the stonewall in Jill’s backyard, I am beginning to wonder if its importance, as part of an old mission or not, is going to be the ongoing theme for the entire series. After book number one, Guidebook to Murder, it was left dangling and I thought it was a good lead into book number two, but by the end, it still was not decided. Ok, I can live with that, but by the end of book three, which is due in the fall, that question had better be answered.
Jill Gardener is still being challenged as to the historical significance of her wall, but when Craig Morgan, the manager at The Castle, and her major detractor, is found dead, of course all eyes and fingers are pointed to her as the killer.
For being no more than a blip on a tourist map, South Cove sure has their fair share of crime. Apparently, more crime than even the lead detective knows about. Which is funny, since a small town of three officers does not need a detective. With Greg and his officers all over the map, trying to solve this murder you would think that making sure that Jill is escorted home after her shift at Coffee, Books and More, and tucked into bed at night would not be their top priority.
The book meanders for a long while and when it came to the reason for Craig’s death, I thought that it had come out of nowhere and the whole Fifi training was absurd and made me question how mindless the author thought her readers were.
I enjoyed the first book and thought that the series had a real shot; book two has made me step back a bit and wonder if it was necessary to spend a vast majority of it describing baked goods and coffee without moving the story forward, so I am hoping that the third book will get back on track. South Cove and its people have a chance of captivating their readers, their interactions are warm and the locale is perfect. Now it is up to the author to tell a well-balanced story without resorting to fillers and nonsense. -
“Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Thomas, the obnoxious owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Thomas is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name. But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation.”
This second book in the Tourist Trap Cozy Mystery Series was a pure delight to read. The characters were all unique, different, and interesting in their own ways but pretty much all the business owners along the main street in South Cover. She does have an aunt who is really a hoot and lots of fun who really is the fun part of the book. Naturally her boyfriend is a cop (seems to happen too much in cozies) which often creates problems between the two of them. Her dog, Emily, just brings a warm happiness to round out the list of characters in the book! And, it’s only Jill that seems to naturally just fall into trouble everywhere she goes! Anyone enjoying cozy’s should enjoy this book. I didn’t read the first one (but am going to go it as soon as I go out) but, I had no problems following the story along! PLUS it only took 8 hours to read! A pure delight! -
In the first episode of this series, we met Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, a bookstore-cafe in a central California coastal town. As she renovated an inherited old house, she discovered that a wall on her property was probably part of an old Spanish mission, which threatened the mayor's plans to condemn the house to start a lucrative construction project.
As this book opens, Jill clashes with the mayor and Craig Morgan, the owner of a landmark, who bristles at the idea of sharing funding or fame. Soon after she has a very loud and public argument with him, he is found dead. Jill may be at the top of the list of suspects, but it's a long list: the dead man had irritated many.
Fortunately, Jill's beau is the chief of police, who manages to curb ex-lawyer Jill's inquisitive nature long enough to keep her from being the next victim. Friends from the first book reappear, and friendships grow deeper as they open their hearts and lives to the relative newcomer - and not only because her cafe serves the most delicious pies and cakes in town! More insight into characters deepens the reader's interest in the series, as well as the surprise book-signing that her aunt has cooked up for the town.
Recommended!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is a fair review. -
4 stars review at
http://mysterysequels.com/mission-to-...
Jill Gardner is a recent transplant in South Cove, where she opened a book store called Coffee, Books and More. In the first book Jill discovered a stonewall on her property pointing to what she thinks is an old Spanish mission that was there many years ago, which caused her quite a bit of trouble. Trouble that follows her in the second novel as well.
The problems start when Craig is found dead and Jill is the obvious suspect – afterall everyone knows about their ongoing fights and bickering about that wall.
The only thing that helps Jill is her friendship with Greg, the local detective, who is automatically put in the case (afteral the small town of South Cove only has 3 police officers, it shouldn’t need more – although the latest series of murders might prove it otherwise).
Of course Greg knows Jill is innocent and he begs her to let him solve the case. Now proving it is another story, and Jill can’t sit and wait until justice will be done. She is an ex-lawyer who knows that sometimes finding out the truth means getting your own hands dirty.
Overall Mission to Murder was a great read. I have to admit I enjoyed Guidebook to Murder more and I’m hoping that in the third book to be published shortly, the pace picks up a bit more again. -
Mission to Murder is book 2 in Lynn Calhoun's Tourist Trap Mystery Series. I loved the first one, and was excited to rejoin my beloved characters to pick up where Guidebook to Murder left off. In this installment, Jill Gardner not only battles to prove her newly discovered wall is a historical relic, but also has to battle against one guy who is willing to play dirty so he doesn't have to share money. As you read, you will see just how far greed can drive a person. And in the case of Craig Thomas, is drove him far. However, after 2 unfortunate (but well deserved) shouting matches between Jill and Craig, he is found dead. Now Jill has to prove she shouldn't be suspect #1 on top of proving the authenticity of her wall.
It was fun to see the sparks still flying between Jill and her boyfriend, detective Greg King. I love their relationship and the dynamic between them. Readers will get to see best friend, Amy, embark on two relationships. One will a character you can't wait to be rid of. The other, you can't wait to read more about.
I hope you enjoy reading Mission to Murder as much as I do. I am anxiously awaiting the next book's release. If The Shoe Kills releases on Nov. 10, 2014) -
Wonderful Mystery!!
I loved this book! This is the second book in the A Tourist Trap Mystery by Lynn Cahoon. It can be read as a standalone, but would better if you start reading with the first book in the series. Jill is fairly new to the small California coastal town of South Cove, she owns a coffee/ book store. She discovered an old stone wall on her property and believes that is may be part of the old mission which would then be declared as a landmark. However, the manager of The Castle, Craig Thomas is determined to contest her claim to the stone wall because he wants all of the towns money invested in The Castle. Lynn and Craig get into a heated argument and then next day Craig turns up dead, and she is the number one suspect. Lynn must now find the real murder and find a way to prove that the stone wall is really part of the old mission. I loved all of the characters in this book! It had me guessing until the end who the killer was. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review. -
First I would like to thank Net Galley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for an advanced copy of this book and in return I will provide an honest review.
I don't know where to begin, I LOVED this book from beginning to end. This is my first book by this author ( I plan to read the first book in the series as well ) and I can't wait for many more!
I never wanted to put this book down and even read it while at work whenever I had a few minutes to spare!
This story takes place in the California coastal town of South Cove which is deep in history from a mission from years past as well as a beautiful castle.
Jill Gardner runs the local coffee shop and dates the town detective as well. She just so happens to have a big fight with the Castle owner over what she believes is a historic wall in her back yard, and things turn deadly....She may be suspect Number One.
Around every corner there is something new to enjoy with this book! I recommend it to everyone and can't wait for many more!
