Nightmares Can Be Murder
(A Dream Club Mystery)
New Cozy Mystery Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (September 2, 2014)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Bill Brunning
Cover Design by Lesley Worrell
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425268056
E-Book File Size: 2727 KB
ASIN: B00IOE4MS0
Dream Team
Business consultant Taylor Blake has returned to Savannah, Georgia, to help her sister Allison turn her dream of running an old-fashioned candy store into a reality. Allison is also interested in dream interpretation and invites Taylor to her Friday night Dream Club, where members meet once a week to share and analyze their dreams.
When a local dance instructor, Chico Hernandez, is found dead in his studio, and the murder scene has an eerie resemblance to one of the dreams shared at their meeting, Taylor can’t help but be intrigued. And when her sister, who was briefly involved with the dance teacher, becomes the prime suspect, Taylor and their fellow club members can’t be caught napping. It’s up to them to dream up a solution to the murder before Allison faces a real-life nightmare…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I am a vivid dreamer so the premise of this series is very exciting to me. I had never heard of a Dream Club. This one has some very interesting members and their meeting place is an old fashion candy store owned by Allison Blake. Her sister, Taylor has taken some time away from her life in Chicago and has come to Savannah to help her sister make a real success of Oldies but Goodies, a candy shop that features all the candy we loved as kids.
We meet Lucinda Macavy as she enters Dream Club and announces “I dreamt I was walking stark naked down the produce aisle in Publix.” Sybil self proclaimed dream expert wants more details. The Harper Sisters, Minerva and Rose, who are in their 80’s, relate to how cold that aisle of the grocery store can be. Dorien, self proclaimed psychic and tarot card reader, tries to deflect the entire conversation and turn it to something about her dreams. Samantha Stiles, a police detective and Taylor both just want the meeting to end. Neither of them wanted to be there but it is her sister’s club so Taylor is trying to pay attention. That becomes much easier when Persia starts to share her dream that included a murder!
Mary Kennedy has given us a wonderful group of core characters. She has also given us pretty shady victim opening the door to quite a variety of suspects. The plot continue to twist and turn throughout the story and I sure didn’t figure out this whodunit until the characters did.
I am also thrilled with the candy store setting. These shops are popping up all over and I love being able to find all the candies from my childhood. The story made me remember even more that I had long forgotten.
The was a bit of humor and a hint of romance too that always makes a cozy mystery everything we dream about. The Dream Symbol Guide at the end of the story was enlightening too. Maybe someday I will figure out what my crazy dreams mean 🙂
This story is a wonderful debut for this series. I am already dreaming about the next installment.
Find out more about Mary Kennedy and her books on her webpage here.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I’m afraid working in a candy store, I’d eat up all my paycheck / profits. 🙂 And I’d be even much more overweight than I am now. But, from experience I know that after a bit, one is rather tired of eating the candy (or donuts, or whatever), so it wouldn’t really be a problem.
Sounds like another series I need to begin reading.
Thank you for the chance 🙂
Sounds like fun 🙂
Sounds like a fabulous read.
I love the premise of this book/series. I’m a vivid dreamer, too, so it is right up my alley and, really, I think the possibilities will be endless. Thanks for the great review and giveaway.
sounds like a fun book.thanks for the chance
Thank you so much for the wonderful review of Nightmares can Be Murder–I am thrilled that you liked the first release in the Dream Club Mysteries. Book two will be out in June, DREAM a LITTLE SCREAM, thanks again!
I love they way women are using the internet and social media to support and promote each other and/or their favorite authors. This is such a great way to find writers new to me and keep up with the ones I enjoy. Cozies rock !
I want to read this book so very much.
I love that Mary is an expert and uses her knowledge to write fictional mystery.