#Review / #Giveaway – Sconed to Death (A Cat Latimer Mystery) by Lynn Cahoon – Great Escapes Book Tour – @KensingtonBooks @LynnCahoon

Sconed to Death (A Cat Latimer Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Colorado
Kensington (May 28, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1496716833
ISBN-13: 978-1496716835
Kindle ASIN: B07H1ZCS2Z

Dollycas’s Thoughts 

A group of cozy mystery writers from Chicago arrives for the latest retreat at the Aspen Hills Warm Springs Resort and they are excited about everything Cat and Shauna have planned. A cooking demonstration, a trip to the college library, a couple of lectures, some speed writing games, and plenty of time to write.

Cat and Shauna get a little sidetracked when the health inspector shows up at the door in answer to a complaint. A complaint by Dee Dee Meyer, owner of the local bakery, all because she thinks Shauna is stealing her recipes. Really the woman is just out for attention. And attention is just what she gets when a body is found in her bakery. Why would celebrity chef Greyson Finn even be there? He has restaurants in Denver and is one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. He and Dee Dee? . . . No way! She wouldn’t kill him in HER bakery, would she?

Cat’s uncle/the chief of police tells her to take care of her retreat and he will take care of HIS investigation.  She just can’t do it though, especially when he shows up for dinner every night and the retreat authors are even throwing around their own theories about the crime. But can she catch the scone-cold killer or will she be the next one on their list?

__________

This is my new favorite book in this series. I loved this group of cozy mystery writers! They were fun to read about because they had fun with each other and they care about each other. One author is dealing with a situation at home that has followed them to the retreat. The others try to be understanding and give the author some space but step in with advice when the time is right. They also welcome the retreater from the college with open arms. Mollie is a huge fan of Cat’s books so she was thrilled to be chosen to participate in this retreat. She was equally as thrilled about all the new author friends she quickly makes. The best thing was them hashing out puny titles for books and discussing fresh new ways to kill their victims. Fiction imitating real life, I am sure.

The core characters Cat, Shauna, Seth, and Uncle Pete have all continued to grow. The subplots dealing with real-life issues mix in nicely with the main murder plot. Cat, Shauna, and Seth love hosting the retreats but are starting to feel the need for some time away from Aspen Hills. Shauna connects with her brother in New York and makes plans for a trip when this retreat ends. Cat and Seth are planning for a getaway when she returns. Uncle Pete’s is missing his Alaska girlfriend and he may be spending more time there in the future. I think Shauna had the most growth as she is getting so much better at handling the grief after the recent death of her boyfriend. Some furry felines make great listeners and cuddlers.

That main mystery is very well-plotted. Cat tempers her curiosity better this time, making smarter decisions, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t put herself in harm’s way. There were several red herrings to twist things up. I had a great time following along with Cat as she did her sleuthing. With plenty of rumors about the chef, I understood both Uncle Pete’s and Cat’s difficulty pinning down the killer. I changed my mind a few times myself.

Great characters and realistic dialogue made this book a joy to read. I was captivated from beginning to end.

There is a Cranberry Scone recipe at the back of the book, but Shauna deals with several bushels of apples throughout the entire book. By the time I turned the last page I was craving apple pie and apple butter. So much so they were added to our grocery list until we can get fresh apples this fall.

I recommend reading this series in order for maximum enjoyment.