Chelsea, Teeny, and Miss May have recently returned from a vacation -- well, really, solving another murder -- in California, and all they do is want to relax. But Chelsea is blindsided by the fact that Miss May has booked a bachelorette party. Or maybe Chelsea just ignored her when she told her. Anyway, the women are there for a few days to enjoy their time, have a real home-cooked meal, and party a little bit. But even this is marred by murder when a man's body is found in the local pond, and the police chief won't let them even look at the body. In fact, she wants them as far away as possible. She's also instructed Chelsea's new fiancé, Detective Wayne, to not share any information -- which he's trying very hard not to do.

So, the three strike out on their own anyway, and Chelsea figures anything they learn she just won't tell Wayne, either. Or will one of them break down eventually? Time will tell. They're also stunned when a rude man that Chelsea met in town shows up on their doorstep and wants to hire them to solve the murder. It turns out that he's the dead man's son, and he doesn't think the police are doing enough. With reservations, the three agree, and now they're drawn into their own investigation -- which means going to the dead man's widow and asking her about it. Unfortunately, things don't go the way they planned, and they need to question others -- which also don't go the way they planned.

But when there's another murder, Chelsea thinks someone may be targeting these people, but she doesn't know who. Neither do the police. Will the three sleuths solve the murder before the police? Or will this time be their last as amateur P. I.'s?...

This is definitely one of my very favorite series. I love all the characters (well, almost; Sunny I could do without). I love watching the sleuths probe into the murders, and even Teeny has her own kind of logic (strange though it may be). They've had more problems this time out, with very few people wanting to give them any information at all. They can only hope that the police don't have any more luck than they do. But how do they solve the man's murder when they don't have any clues? It's not going to be easy.

They've also got the bridal party to contend with, and Chelsea is noticing one of them isn't a happy camper. In fact, she seems miserable. So, what is Chelsea to do to improve her mood? It's when she hears the backstory that she truly feels sorry for the young woman. Yet she can't concentrate on this with everything else going on. Plus, she and Wayne haven't even had time to discuss the marriage plans, much less set the date.

I enjoyed this book as much as the others, and it's always fun to watch how everything plays out. This one is definitely a winner. When the killer is revealed, it's as much a surprise to us as it is to Chelsea. Watching how everything comes down is the best part. At least until the end...when the author(s) give us a teaser of the next book. Now I find myself wanting to read it immediately!! As the saying goes, waiting is the hardest part. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review. ( )

Set aside a day for this fast-paced family-friendly cozy which sees our set of sleuths back in Pine Grove after their visit to Los Angeles but do not read in public as chortles will ensue.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. ( )