Whale of a Crime (Gray Whale Inn Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Maine
Self Published (January 13, 2017)
Paperback: 308 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1542550666
Kindle ASIN: B01M7QVJ0Q
The long-awaited seventh book of the bestselling Gray Whale Inn Mysteries is finally here!
When a tour company books the Gray Whale Inn for a full week, innkeeper Natalie Barnes can’t wait to get cooking — and to hitch a ride on the antique schooner Summer Winds, getting up close and personal with the local whales. But when one of the humpback whales turns up dragging a mass of fishing gear from its tail, the tour takes a dark turn. It turns darker still when the schooner’s handsome captain winds up attached to the vessel’s anchor, sixty feet underwater… and not by accident.
Before long, the tour naturalist (and Natalie’s best friend’s beau) is behind bars, charged with a murder Charlene swears he didn’t commit. Stir in a surprise visit from Natalie’s quarrelsome sister, midnight kitchen sabotage, a sick orphan kitten, and a mysterious investor with plans for a massive resort on the quaint island, and Natalie’s got a recipe for potential disaster. When a second body turns up just outside the inn, the heat is on Natalie to solve the double murder… or risk ending up with her own goose cooked.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Thank you Karen MacInerney for continuing this series on your own!
Natalie and John are back and the Gray Whale Inn is fully booked. Their guests are all in town to see the whales from atop of an antique schooner. This are sailing smoothly until the captain is found dead when the ship’s anchor is lifted. There are several suspects but Alex, the tour’s naturalist, is arrested. Natalie is going to have a whale of a time trying to find the real killer so Alex can be set free. If that isn’t enough, Natalie’s sister blows into town fuming about her daughter’s engagement and blames everything on Natalie. Never a dull moment at the Gray Whale Inn.
These are some of my favorite cozy characters. This series started even before I started blogging and I anxiously awaited each new installment. The characters are so realistic and engaging. It felt so good to visit my old friends.
We are treated to a fast paced story in both the plot and subplots. I read it quickly on a Sunday afternoon. With all the possible suspects it was fun to follow the clues and whittle them down one by one. Having Natalie’s sister arrive unexpectedly added a wonderful family dynamic. We also see some things disappearing and happening around the inn that gives us more to figure out. Are the murder/s connected to this or is this something else all together?
As for the setting, Cranberry Island, Maine would be an absolutely fabulous vacation getaway. Whale watching, the yummy food, and staying at the Gray Whale Inn sounds great to me. I am ready to book my next trip today. Please Karen, don’t make us wait too long for book 8.
If this is a new series to you I recommend starting at the beginning but this book also reads well on its own too.
Find out more about Karen and her books on her webpage here.
The Gray Whale Inn Kitchen
… free!
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.”
This looks like a marvelous cozy mystery! Can’t wait to read it.