Paula Darnell

Artist Amanda Trent is preparing for the holiday season in Lonesome Valley when tragedy strikes. A local man dies after eating carrot bars sold at the high school arts and crafts fair - was this food poisoning gone wrong, or was there a more sinister reason behind his death?

The characters of Lonesome Valley seem like people you'd meet in many a small town. The town is charming, yet flawed, adding a realistic touch to the story. Darnell does a good job of creating interesting storylines and relationships for her characters, even if they're only background characters. These characters help make the mystery more interesting. I didn't see the mystery ending in the way that it did! However, if there's one thing that could be improved, it's the dialogue (particularly Amanda's internal dialogue). At times, it seemed a little stilted and unnatural.

It should be noted that the mystery is not always the focus of the story. I'd describe it as being only one of the major storylines that runs through this novel, the others being Amanda's slowing art sales and Amanda's first Christmas as a divorcée in Lonesome Valley. I liked the insight that we got as a reader into Amanda's life as it helped to flesh her character out, but readers who are more interested in the detective work behind a mystery itself may not find the other storylines as entertaining.

I read this book as a standalone, so I may have missed some of the character backstories. However, I don't think you need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Campbell and Rogers Press for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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This was my first time reading this author. Though it is the third book in the series, I was able to settle right in. I love Christmas themed books as well as though that feature pets. This book has both so I was very attracted to it.
The main character is Amanda. She is in her 50’s, has recently gotten a divorced, moved out of her family home, (her ex-husband kept it), into a new town, has adult children, has fur babies at home, and is an artist. Much of this I could relate to. I paint about as well as a first grader but I do appreciate the artwork of those who paint well. I like Amanda. She is starting her life over at a time when she probably thought she would be getting ready for retirement. While there was some mention of potential romance, this book was wrapped around friendship and the mystery. I found that a breath of fresh air. From my reading experience it feels like many cozy mysteries want the main character to be in a romance or very quickly moving toward one. I really enjoyed not having to add to the mix a police related partner admonishing while romancing the main character. Many older women don’t feel they need a romantic relationship to have a good life. I adored Laddie, (dog), and Mona Lisa, (cat). When the reveal came, and was I ever wrong about who did it!, they play parts in the reveal. If you love animals you won’t want to miss this scene!
I really enjoyed reading this book. I plan to read the first two books in the series. I just loved how much Laddie and Mona Lisa were in the whole story. I would definitely recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers, especially those who love cats and dogs.

*I received an electronic copy through the Facebook group, The Cozy Mystery Review Crew for review purposes. My review is voluntary and is based upon my enjoyment of the book.*… (más)