| Title | : | And Then There Were Nuns (League of Literary Ladies #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0425282953 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780425282953 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 2016 |
B and B owner Bea Cartwright has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to ten visiting nuns, who are on retreat at the Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on picturesque South Bass Island on Lake Erie. But the peace of the retreat is shattered when one of the nuns is found at the water’s edge—murdered. And when a second nun is killed, Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies—Chandra, Kate, and Luella—start to wonder about eerie parallels with the Agatha Christie mystery classic, And Then There Were None.
Since Bea has the trust of the sisters, the local chief of police asks her and the other Literary Ladies to interview each of them. Expecting a confession may be asking for a miracle, but Bea hopes she can at least find the killer before another nun gets crossed off the guest list...
And Then There Were Nuns (League of Literary Ladies #4) Reviews
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3 stars to
Kylie Logan's
And Then There Were Nuns, her fourth installment in the League of "Literary Ladies mystery" series. When one of your all-time favorite stories is
Agatha Christie's
And Then There Were None, you feel compelled to read any books that appear to follow in its footsteps, especially if they are part of an existing mystery series you already enjoy reading, hence why I selected this one earlier in the week.
While it followed the original storyline, and had its own new interpretations, I found a few too many parts in need of work. It kicked off with a great premise and a few deaths but then disappeared into a poorly formulaic distraction -- still worth a read if you're a fan of the author and the series, but not an ideal introduction for someone new to the series. Let's dive into the specifics...
Story
Bea runs an historic inn on Ohio's South Bass Island near the Great Lakes and the Canadian border having moved there after escaping a stalker when she lived in New York City. She belongs to a reading group with several friends who often help one another with their various businesses and relationships, this time Chandra's persistent attempts to deliberately annoy them. This month, they're reading a non-mystery book when Bea is asked to help a friend provide meals for a group of ten nuns who are staying in another converted mansion. When her friend is called out of town, Bea takes the lead to ensure the nuns have everything they need while on their retreat, but soon finds one of them dead on the beach from a whack to the head. When another one dies, Bea and her friends start to see the resemblance to Christie's classic mystery novel and reluctantly determine they're back on another case.
Hank, the police sheriff Bea initially disliked, soon recruits her to be the lead for him on the investigation given it's a small town and she already has a connection to the nuns. Bea manages the care for the guests at her own inn, deals with her friends' problems and attempts to investigate the case of the disappearing and dying nuns. In the end, she avoids being killed in an accident meant for someone else and narrowly misses being shot by the murderer; however, she solves the case and the criminal is carted off to prison with little lasting impacts. Throw in a few guests on a genealogy quest and a bird-watching hunt, and you've got all sorts of kooky characters this time.
For a fun side story, Levi, the man she has flirted with in the last three books, wakes up in her bed in this fourth installment, leading us to believe something happened in between to push them into accepting their growing attraction to one another. But it doesn't last when each reveals the secret reason why they had been holding off from dabbling in the relationship waters. At least we're finally getting to connect the spoiler bread crumbs that were dropped along the way in the earlier books.
Strengths
1. The setup for the story kicked off with an intriguing plot. Ten nuns invited to a retreat by a leader who suddenly can't show up himself. The caretaker of the mansion also is mysteriously called out of town and needs Bea to help watch over the nuns. The nuns claim not to know one another but soon start revealing some have interesting connections to each other. Reader love this stuff. It provides lots of guesswork and a myriad of options to develop a complex story.
2. We finally understand the chemistry and concerns with a Bea and Levi match up. Getting some of the backstory was helpful, but it was also brilliant to only provide some explanations to understand why they both came to the island. We still have the mystery of what happened to each of them prior to arriving which I suspect will come out in a future books.
3. The character of Hank is growing on me. He's not so gruff anymore and he's becoming more real. I was frustrated with him in the earlier books given his on again / off again relationship with Chandra and dismissal of Bea and the girls.
Suggestions
1. The plot devolved near the end. (SPOILER ALERT) I understand the backdrop is Bea's bed and breakfast, but the murderer can't always be the mysterious guy staying at the Inn. It undermines Bea's intelligence if she never picks up on it until the end, and it sets up too repetitive of a storyline. The author needs to find a way to better use the people who stay at the Inn and who already live on the island.
2. The story stopped following Christie's plot a third of the way through the book. I know you can't kill off more than two or three of the ten characters without reality stepping in to have police surround the remaining nuns 24/7, but when one of the nuns is not really who she says she is, you can't abandon the entire plot line to cater to a story that is completely different. It was still a good story, and provided many laughs and drama, but I felt like it was a bit disconnected.
Final Thoughts
I was a little disappointed in the plot of this book, perhaps because it didn't live up to the real Christie story or perhaps because sometimes not every book in a series can be top notch. I'm hoping it bounces back in the next installment because I really like the characters and the setting for the series. I'd still encourage readers to read this book if they're committed to the series as many good things happen to evolve the characters and add complexity, but if you focus on the plot too much, you may not love it.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at
https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators. -
Since I just did a re-read of Christie's
And Then There Were None, I figured it was an excellent time to follow up with this cozy mystery. If a mystery can be called cozy when nuns are getting bumped off. I was glad to have the Christie original in mind, as Logan very skillfully works details from it into her novel.
I was a trifle disappointed that the group of librarians staying at Bea's bed and breakfast didn't play a larger part in the unraveling of the plot, as I worked in a library for most of my career and always felt that many library employees would make good detectives. They did notice some unusual behaviour that tipped me off about part of the answer. After the first reveal, however, the second was pretty obvious. Still, adjusting the details of And Then There Were None to suit a retreat for 10 nuns provided plenty of entertainment.
There are several revelations not related to the mystery. Bea confesses her true story of why and how she came to the island. We find out the real story of Levi too. Bea does not react well to that, despite her strong attraction to the guy. In addition to those details, Chandra starts acting more weird than usual, seemingly trying to pick fights with the other members of the League of Literary Ladies. We have to wonder what's up with that?
There is only one more volume to the series, which I suspect will wrap up all the loose ends and tie them in a bow. I must confess that I will be sad to finish, as I truly enjoy the Ladies, their friendship, their book club, and their crime fighting escapades. I think I will save that final book for when I need something special for some reason. -
There is nun-thing readers won’t love about this book!
It was fun being back with Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies. Goodness, they had their hands full this time! Lucky for us readers, author Kylie Logan knows how to handle them.
Without reading the acknowledgments I would still have easily seen that Ms. Logan’s knowledge of nuns was learned firsthand rather than from research. She did a marvelous job in her portrayal of each one.
As is always the case with a book written by this author, AND THEN THERE WERE NUNS had a fantastic plot, written with skill. Every page flowed perfectly into the next, setting a great reading pace to enjoy this excellent mystery.
For anyone in a book club (by choice or not ), you’re going to love not only this book, but the entire series.
Take a look at the back of the book for a sneak peek of, IRISH STEWED, book one in Kylie Logan’s Ethic Eats Mysteries! -
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It has been almost a year since the Ladies were court ordered to form a book club. The League of Literary Ladies quickly turned into more than a book club and even with all their differences these women have managed to become good friends. In this installment Bea has been asked to provide meals for 10 nuns who have come to South Bass Island for a retreat. Chandra, Kate, and Luella are pitching in to help. They also want to get inside the Water’s Edge Center and see what is behind the gates of a place the used to be off limits. When one of the nuns is murdered shortly after the retreat starts and another dies in quick succession the place becomes anything but restful. Now with only eight nuns the Ladies start to think about the similarities to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. They are hoping the similarities have ended but they again “assist” the police is catching the killer just to be sure.
This is my favorite book in the series so far. I love the ladies and they sure do land themselves in the middle of one murder after another. Don’t think the other residents of South Bass haven’t noticed. This time the author adds a very diverse group of nuns to the mix and brought us a super mystery. That may seem like a lot of characters but they are each unique and easy to keep track of We also lose two of them in the early chapters.
The story really does parallel the Christie classic in so many ways, but whether a Christie fan or not, you will totally enjoy this book. Logan liberally spreads the twists and turns throughout and truthfully I figured it out at the same time as Bea. Excellent writing!
I also loved the setting. A grand place with several suites overlooking the water. All the renovations have not yet been completed but will be soon. It would be a lovely place to spend a week or two.
The subplot with Chandra’s major plans for her yard, swimming pool and a huge lamppost added a whole element I didn’t expect but totally understood as this part of the story played out. She really was pushing the other’s buttons and I was surprised by how long it took for one of them to let her have it.
Fun, entertaining, a great way to spend an afternoon. I hope this is not our last visit to South Bass Island. I really want to solve another mystery with the League of Literary Ladies Book Club. -
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Berkley and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are entirely my own.*
There are some series you simply can't get enough of, and there are others that you can overdo. Kylie Logan's League of Literary Ladies series, however, is one of those series that I can absolutely not get enough of. Filled with the right blend of serious and hilarious characters and set on an ideal island it is certainly a winner!
The characters in this series are wonderful to read about. Bea is complex, smart, and strong, yet she also has flaws. In other words, she's an amazing MC. There were huge surprises in this book about not only Bea, but also Levi. Honestly the things revealed blew me away. It was a wonderful plot twist I didn't see coming. The rest of the main characters, Luella, Chandra, Kate, and Hank, are also great. I loved meeting and learning about the nuns in this book. They were all wonderfully complex and hilarious.
The mystery was well plotted, however I saw the killer a long time before the reveal happened. There was just too much mystery surrounding the person and it was easy to figure out.
Overall a wonderful book, despite a slightly weak mystery. I love this series and will be reading the next one! -
When ten nuns arrive on South Bass Island, Bea agrees to help with their meals during their week long retreat. However, when one of the Sisters doesn’t show up for dinner, Bea finds her dead body. Is one of the other Sisters hiding a deadly grudge? Or is someone out to put a killer end to this retreat?
I was thrilled to return to South Bass Island and Bea and her friends. They are a delightful group, and I enjoyed spending time with them as always. While borrowing nicely from the setup of the Christie classic, this mystery takes off in some fun new directions. One aspect of the setup is never fully explained, although I can guess what happened as why. That’s a small quibble and my only complaint with this wonderful book.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at
Carstairs Considers. -
The League of Literary Ladies has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. And Then There Were Nuns is the best book of the series so far, but I could be biased since it's so similar to my favorite book of all time: And Then There Were None. I enjoyed the book so much that I almost finished it in one night. I really loved being stumped by the two mysteries in the book. Well, there's really three mysteries if you count the weird way Chandra acts towards the other ladies throughout the book, but I figured that out right away. I can't wait to start the next book in the series. I can't recommend this series enough to those who love cozy mysteries.
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I knew I'd love this book when the opening lines concerned seeing penguins on the front porch that turned out to be nuns. And so started a new mystery for The League of Literary Ladies, full of murder, betrayal, secrets and lies. I really enjoyed the intricate plot, with so many twists and turns that it was impossible to finger the real killer.
I enjoy how Bea and the other Literary League ladies have formed such a tight bond. Their squabbles always remind me of how sisters argue all the time but always have each other's back. I would like to see more of the ladies develop as time goes on. They're a little more than one dimensional but are still nothing more than wallpaper. Levi was better utilized in this book, you get a tiny bit more of a back story, but not much. I have to say, the whole Levi story line was my least favorite part of the book. It just seemed a little...melodramatic. I'd like to say that Bea's reactions were out of character but it occurred to me that I really don't know if it's out of character. The backstories really haven't been well developed. Then it occurred to me that I liked the stories the way they are and adding in a lot of backstory would just bog the books down, so, you know what? It's all good.
A fantastic read in a stand-out series, and the only disappointment was that the recipes for the really tasty dishes were not included at the end. *sigh* That super duper Special Day Hallelujah cake sounded pretty darn good. -
Well.
I knew who the "bad guy" was from almost the beginning, but I didn't know the why's until everyone else did, which makes up for knowing "whodunnit". The author is very good at writing red herrings and for a brief moment I was carried away by the idea of a certain person and then shook my head and went back to my original theory and I was correct. You cannot read cozy mysteries for as long as I have and not have somewhat of a clue sometimes. ;-) -
A great fun loving cozy mystery with the Literary Ladies. A fun group of women who trouble seems to follow. I knew they were reading the wrong book for their discussion group. They should have been reading Agatha Christie's And Than There Were None. One of my favorites.
I hope there will be more books to this series. I really love this series and great covers to the books too! -
Synopsis:
The national bestselling author of The Legend of Sleepy Harlow returns to South Bass Island, where the League of Literary Ladies has to find out who’s killing off nuns.
B and B owner Bea Cartwright has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to ten visiting nuns, who are on retreat at the Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on picturesque South Bass Island on Lake Erie. But the peace of the retreat is shattered when one of the nuns is found at the water’s edge—murdered. And when a second nun is killed, Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies—Chandra, Kate, and Luella—start to wonder about eerie parallels with the Agatha Christie mystery classic, And Then There Were None.
Since Bea has the trust of the sisters, the local chief of police asks her and the other Literary Ladies to interview each of them. Expecting a confession may be asking for a miracle, but Bea hopes she can at least find the killer before another nun gets crossed off the guest list… (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. Bea and her three friends belong to a group that they call League of Literary Ladies, and they are the only members. Unfortunately they have had prior experience with murder and finding a killer, and they have to put their sleuthing skills to work again. There seems to be a theme with the murders, they appear to be based on books, such as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing. Whether I was reading about the food that Bea was serving at her B&B or to the nuns at their retreat, or the setting on the Lake Erie Islands, or the retreat center itself, I was totally drawn into the book. I felt like I was right there enjoying the food and watching all the action going on around me.
The mystery is well plotted and carried on throughout the book. There are many twists and turns and enough suspects to make solving the mystery a real challenge. I was swiping the pages as fast as I could to see what was going to happen next. And there is more than one dead body to deal with and there is even a secret that Bea reveals.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will definitely not be the last one I read. Reading more books by this author is one “habit” I do not plan on breaking.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. -
And Then There Were Nuns by Kylie Logan is the fourth book in the League of Literary Ladies mystery series. Around this time last year, I read the first book in the series. I read the second book right before starting this one, and I plan to go back and read the third book. This is such a great series! Bea has secrets...she moves to South Bass Island on Lake Erie to open a B&B. She also discovers she has a penchant for solving murders and other crimes.
This series is so fun. I loved that secrets are revealed in this installment. I love the characters and enjoy visiting South Bass Island. Living in Ohio, it feels like the story is taking place just a couple of hours away from me, and that really makes the story feel authentic. The quirky cast of characters and tricky mystery surrounding the deaths of the nuns kept my interest and had me staying up late to finish. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but overall this is a top-notch cozy mystery in a series that will keep me coming back for more.
I received a copy of this book for review purposes, but I only share my honest thoughts on the book. -
3.5 stars because I can't figure out why Levi would like Bea. When it comes to him she is unfair, negative and overly dramatic and any other man would rightfully run for the hills. Bitchy and strong are not the same thing, and I've noticed the same thing in all of the Kylie Logan books I've read so far.
The romance angle is just a small part of this mystery, but it just irks me. Otherwise, it was ok. -
I bought this book because the title made me laugh and I'm very glad that I did. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the setting, and the nuns were terrific.
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I think this is my favorite one in the series so far. Another Agatha Christie storyline parallel, how can I resist? A retreat with where 10 nuns are staying. Why would anyone want to kill nuns? There are also some background questions that are answered (but you should have guessed already if you read the others), one is a twist. A totally fun read.
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I'm liking the series more and more. And of course the story arcs are getting interesting. The mystery in this was interesting. Another really good installment in the League of Literary Ladies series.
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I have enjoyed all the books in this series, but I think this one was probably my favorite. While it was nice to know Bea had finally given in to her feelings about Levi, it was also nice to know she didn't turn into a simpering lovestruck lady! Instead when a secret was revealed about why Levi was living on the island, Bea got mad and stayed mad...and got even! She is a tough and determined lady, who likes her privacy, which is why I was surprised that she finally revealed her true identity to her friends.
Bea needs her strengths to deal with the situation at hand! She has taken over making and delivering meals to 10 nuns who are on the island for a retreat. (The owner/manager was called away suddenly to deal with a family issue.) She uses her "job" as an excuse to look around the retreat center-a former mansion that has never been opened to the public. Being good with strangers (as the host of a B & B), Bea becomes friendly with the nuns on her frequent food drop off visits. When Sister Sheila is found murdered off the beach of the retreat, Chief of Police Hank asks Bea to help him with the case.
Much speculation and sleuthing occurs, and it is soon pointed out the similarities between the nuns situation and a novel called, "And Then There Were None" are many. Murders-close calls-a missing package-secrets-B & B guests...they all add up to a very interesting and satisfying murder mystery. I recommend this series and this book. Although each book is independent, the cast of main characters is the same. If you read the books in order you will see the character growth and understand their dynamics much better. Just don't miss a chance to read this good cozy mystery. -
If you are looking for a good read this is a safe bet as you will enjoy.
THIS was a very good read my first by this author. I will BE READING more of her books.
I read a ton of cozy type on my ipad so this was nice to have the actual book in my hands.
I did receive the book to write a personal review.
The book does have others before it but did read well as a stand alone.
THE story has a wonderful flow and does have nice likable main characters.
The nuns were cute and sweet. I did like the references to Agatha Christie and if you have read those you will be looking for your old copy to re-read, or to read for the first time. Also if you are looking for a what I call clean read(NO major bad language or descriptive sex) this book is it.
I did love the twist that the book takes and the end leaves you with a nice happy friendship feel.
There were only 2 small things I didn't Like about the book 1) a lot of cooking details but no recipes at the end. (something I have come to love about many of these type books).
2) A cat on the cover but he was not really part of the story just mentioned. With him being the main focus of the cover I would loved to see him more involved.
I will be looking for more of him in other stories to come. -
I loved it! From the moment I read Mayhem At The Orient Express I knew I found my new favorite cozy mystery series. In the fourth installment Kylie Logan doesn't fail to deliver a marvelous book. And Then There Were Nuns is a play on words of Agatha Christie's classic novel And Then There Were None like the other books in the series that are centered around a book that The League of Literary Ladies are reading. In this book there are plenty of twists and turns that when you think you have figured it out, there is a new twist. Readers should be warned that there are spoilers in the books over the book that the ladies are reading. This isn't a major deal breaker since they are older books that most have read. I love And Then There Were None and Kylie Logan's And Then There Were Nuns is my favorite so far in the series.
*Disclaimer, I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own. -
Bea Cartwright runs a B&B on South Bass Island on Lake Erie. The owner of Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal is called away and asks Bea to take meals and generally look after the ten nuns visiting the resort for a retreat. All goes well until one of the nuns is found floating in the lake--and it doesn't appear to be an accident.
I believe this is the 4th in this "League of Literary Ladies" series, but I've only read one of the others. But it doesn't really matter, as the characters are easy to get acquainted with, and it's not difficult to determine the inter-relationships between them. I like the character of Bea--she's pretty down-to-earth, although she has major trust issues, explained by her backstory which I won't go into here. I like the way the author made the nuns seem more human than they are usually depicted, and although there are ten, she made them all individuals.
I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, enjoyable, cozy read. -
And Then There Were Nuns was truly a delight to read. This book is a first rate mystery that kept me reading well into the night because of the various twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing right up to the last pages of the book. I enjoyed the Librarians and the Agatha Christie references and would love to have friends like Bea has in the League. And the Nuns were lovely and charming. Even though I have not read the first three books in the series, this story could definitely stand alone; the characters were strong and well developed, and I did not feel that I was missing out on anything from not having yet read the previous League of Literary Ladies books. However, I was hooked by this cozy and will definitely be going back to read the ones I have missed.
I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. -
Murder intrudes on an island retreat for Nuns! B&B owner, Bea Cartwright and her three friends in the League of Literary Ladies Book Club are preparing and serving meals to ten Nuns at the recently opened Water's Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on South Bass Island on Lake Erie. Shortly after their arrival, one nun is found murdered and a second soon follows. Having gained the Nun's trust Bea and her friends assists the police chief in solving the crime. Theft, greed, a hit man and money all play a part this fascinating adventure. As the fourth book in this series, the characters are like family, and the island setting is the perfect background for twisted and ingenious mystery plots. This is one of my favorite series because it is so entertaining and comfortable!
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A Retreat Center is opening on South Bass Island and the first group of visitors are nuns who all earned a grant. They had never met each other. Bea is catering the meals for the retreat. Kate, Laurie and Chandra are helping her. As events occur each seems to mirror Agatha Christie's THEN THERE WERE NONE. Chandra s bent on causing trouble. Levi and Bea's secrets are exposed. The many twists and turns of the story will hold your attention.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own. -
Great Book!
This is a great book; this is the fourth book in the League of Literary Ladies series by Kylie Logan. Bea Cartwright is the owner of a B & B in South Bass Island in Ohio. Bea has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to some visiting nuns, who are on a retreat at the Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal. When one of the nuns body is found, it is up to Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies to find out what is going on. If you are looking for a great mystery, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. -
I approached this series because of the location; South Bass Ohio. My husband and his family are from Sandusky Oh so I was intrigued to read a mystery set in this area.
Once I began reading this book, I was quickly drawn in. Early on I began creating my list of possible murderers. While I did pick the murderer, I didn’t.
You really need to read this book. I’m going back to read the previous books in the series.
The book is fast paced and easy to follow, even with 10 nuns to keep track of.
A fun read!!!!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this book are entirely my own. -
Rated 4.5
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Kylie Logan continues her wonderful series involving The League of Literary Ladies and South Bass Island in book number four of this series. Bea Cartwright owner of B and B Bed and Breakfast returns and agrees to provide meals to nuns who are holding a retreat at the Water's Edge Center for Spiritual and Renewal. Unfortunately someone has it in for one of the nuns and it stirs not just Bea but also her fellow Literary Ladies to track down just who that person(s) might be. Being a fellow Ohioan, I love the fact that it involves our beautiful islands located off the shore in Lake Erie.
