The fourth book in the Medlar Mysteries reveals a lot of secrets many of them centering around Kate. First of all, the father her mother told her was dead is released from prison early and has come to Lachlan to get to know his daughter. Kate's world is shaken. Her beloved Aunt Sara has been keeping secrets from her for years.

And Sara is suffering from guilt of her own as she feels that she was instrumental in her brother Randal's incarceration. Kate also doesn't know that Aunt Sara is the one who provided all the money for her and her mother ever since her father went to prison.

Then Kate's mother Ava, who has been insisting that Kate return to Chicago to take care of her, decides to show up in Lachlan too. She wants her daughter and her husband back and is keeping quite a few secrets of her own too.

There is some element of slapstick to this episode with both Sara and Randal both doing everything they can to keep out of Ava's sight. And the sheriff who has his own reasons for staying away from Randal convinces Jack to become deputy sheriff and take over the department saying that he's going on a cruise with his wife but stays almost hidden in his home.

This was an excellent episode in the series. I enjoyed learning some of the secrets and liked that the Medlar Three came through it all still a tight trio. ( )

Jude Deveraux is a guilty pleasure for me. This one returns to the Medlar family. It seems that Sara's brother and Kate's father is being released from prison - the father that Kate has believed dead for years. The sheriff decides to leave town on a weeks long cruise to avoid being there when Medlar is released, and he appoints Jack as a deputy.
Kate visits Charlene, and stumbles over a dead body. Realizing that Charlene has given mouth-to-mouth to the man, Kate is concerned for Charlene, and suggests she goes into hiding.
What follows is a story long hidden which involves Sara, Kate, and Jack (Kate's love, although not ever acted on!), and their families. Kate's mother demands that Kate returns home with her, but surprises are revealed about Kate's mother!
Always entertaining, I look forward to more from Jude Deveraux! ( )

A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux is the fourth book in The Medlar Mysteries. While this book can be read on its own, I wish I had read the series in order (I did not know it was part of a series when I acquired the book). It would have allowed me to get all the background details and it would not have felt like an information overload. There is plenty of family drama in A Relative Murder along with a murder or two. There is a diverse cast of characters. Some I like while others I detested (like Ava). The characters are well-developed. I like Sara, Kate, and Jack. They are all clever, kind, and with extremely curious natures. A Relative Murder is well-written with steady pacing. You can tell that the author carefully plotted out this book as well as the whole series. There are twists and surprises all the way to the conclusion. Some things can be predicted, but there are plenty of surprises. I liked the humor in the story. There are a few times when I ended up laughing out loud (like when Lenny debated on the best way to dispose of a body—an alligator or a woodchipper—he wanted to pick the one that was the most environmentally friendly.) The murder investigation takes a backseat to everything else going on. It gets solved in the end (I could have done without the condescending Broward County detective). Jack as a deputy was humorous. He could not wait to be done with that job. Fans of the series will be delighted with this installment. I do want readers to know that there is foul language in the story. A Relative Murder is an entertaining romantic suspense novel (it would not be a Jude Deveraux book without romance). Be prepared to stay up late to finish the story and have a book hangover the next day. A Relative Murder is a lively mystery with a melodramatic mother, surprising secrets, a whole lot of holes, a staycation vacation, conniving uncles, a blast from the past, a mysterious murder, and a determined daughter. ( )

There were many twists and turns in this latest book with Kate, Jack and Sara. We get to learn a lot about Kate and her mother and her fathers past. Sometimes I got a little confused as to who a few of the characters were but I loved the story. I recommend reading these books in order to know who everybody is. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux is a highly recommended mystery and the fourth book in the Medlar series.

Sara Medlar, best selling author and murder investigator, has returned to her home in Lachlan, Florida. Living with her is her niece, Kate, and friend Jack Wyatt. They are known as the Medlar Three around town due to the murder investigations they have solved together.

The current investigation is a bit more personal. Sara hoped the truth about her family would never be exposed, but with her brother Randal being released from prison, everything is about to get real. Kate has always been told by her mother, Ava, that her father died, but Randal is sure to return to Lachlan and find her. Sara played a part in Randal's conviction, so she is afraid Kate will hold this against her. Then Jack is appointed as a deputy so the sheriff can take an unexpected vacation (and hopefully miss Randal's return). Adding to to the plot before all the real confusion sets in is the dead body found in a friend's barn.

This is can be read as a standalone mystery even though it is fourth in the series. Enough information is provided that you won't feel as if you've missed something. This is a murder investigation, but it is somewhat of a lite-investigation, more entertaining than foreboding. There is some humor, a few twists, secrets revealed, and family drama galore. The characters are well developed and vary widely from easy to relate to, personable, intelligent, annoying, and goofy. All in all a nice mix of personalities wrapped up in a satisfying mystery. This is a nice, quick enjoyable mystery to read. Those who are following the series will be happy to see this new addition.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books via Edelweiss.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/03/a-relative-murder.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4621401241 ( )