Dev owns and runs a dime store that really is much more. She makes gift baskets to order, and hosts a variety of meetings, including a book discussion group. But things go awry at the discussion, and the guest speaker causes a ruckus with unfortunate results. Trying to keep her store running smoothly while caring for her grandmother and dating two very eligible guys has Dev burning the midnight oil and then some. Highly entertaining, this cozy is one for the books. ( )

Dead Between the Lines is not a cozy mystery in a series with a librarian as the amateur sleuth. It's the third book in Denise Swanson's Devereaux's Dime Store series. The victim is a truly obnoxious author who is speaking at a book club meeting held in the store. I can't help suspecting he was a poet just so Ms. Swanson could have Dev's BFF Boone make the quip he does about the murder (see the end of chapter 6).

Lance Quistgaard may have looked like Hollywood's idea of a poet or vampire, but he was a pretentious sexist whose views on small towns are hardly likely to endear him to the locals of Shadows Bend, Missouri. (What one of the book club members did to him when he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer is described in chapter 19. I loved it!)

Meanwhile, sexy U.S. Deputy Marshall Jake Del Vecchio and handsome Dr. Noah Underwood are both still very interested in Dev Sinclair. Dev can't make up her mind which man is right for her. (Do check out Jake and Noah's rude nicknames for each other in chapter 1.) Will they agree to Dev dating both of them until she can choose?

The rivalry makes for a satisfying subplot. There are pros and cons for both guys, so readers can have fun taking sides. They're so much in evidence that both of Dev's BFFs get much smaller roles than before.

Another subplot is about Dev's father, based upon a big revelation in book two, Nickled-and-Dimed to Death. It has the potential to change Dev's life.

Dev's incentive to find out who killed the creep becomes greater when she's attacked and threatened. Which man in her life will get to come to her rescue -- or will she rescue herself?

It's another fun entry in a good series, but it has a cliff-hanging ending.

Notes:

Chapter 4 is where Dev describes Shadow Bend's village square (chuckled at the thoughts the sight of various buildings brought to her).

See chapter 6 for why Noah's poisonous mother, Nadine Underwood, is so against her son dating Dev. (I didn't even suspect her reason.)

You can find out Dev's favorite doughnut in chapter 13.

The fact that Shadow Bend's library was closed because they lacked funds is mentioned in chapter 13. In chapter 15 we learn the same dire news about most of the other nearby little towns, but there's some hope for Shadow Bend.

I hope Dev's chapter 23 description of the Ksiazak Bed and Breakfast means she's read the three classic romantic suspense authors mentioned. (I've read and enjoyed all three, although one book infuriated me.)

Chapter 23 is also the place to look for a great T-shirt saying about gossip.

Do look up Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, mentioned in chapter 24. Images are available online (apparently you can also get it on a T-shirt).

Cat lovers, both Banshee the Dev-hating ancient Siamese and Tsar, Boone's friendly Russian Blue have good roles in this one.

Dog lovers, you'll have to content yourselves with cameos by Lucky, Noah's Chihuahua, and Lucky's friend, a Saluki named Persia. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2014/06/review-dead-between-lines-by-denise.html ( )

A small town book club meeting gone awry, dark secrets meant to stay buried, and murder! DEAD BETWEEN THE LINES is a juicy cozy mystery that had me hooked from the beginning.

Dev Sinclair runs Shadow Bend's dime store, and to help make ends meet, she rents out space for local club events. On the evening the Stepping Out Book Club held its meeting, things go terribly wrong. The guest speaker, a local poet, turns out to be a misogynistic jerk who manages to offend everyone. He storms out in a huff and is later found dead in Dev's trash behind her store. Mr. Unpleasant was harboring some big secrets, ones that made him even more unlikable, if that's possible.

With an ear to the gossip grapevine of Shadow Bend and an eye on possible suspects, clever Dev becomes an invaluable resource to the police's murder investigation. I like Dev. She's a down to earth gal who takes a sensible approach to amateur sleuthing. She also gets some help from the two men in her life - U.S. Marshal Jake and Dr. Noah. Both guys have a thing for Dev, and she kind of has a thing for both of them, which complicates things.

DEAD BETWEEN THE LINES was an enjoyable read. It was a fast-paced and exciting mystery, and I was rather surprised to learn who the killer was. This is the third book in the series, though it could be read stand alone. Recommended to fans of cozy mysteries who like a healthy dose of romance mixed in.

Source: Review copy from the publisher ( )