A Ghostly Clue (Pet Momma Cozy Mysteries)
by Maryann Shanesy
About A Ghostly Clue
A Ghostly Clue (Pet Momma Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – The small town of Starport Cove and a suburb of the town called Bluffington Hills
Independently Published (December 15, 2023)
Paperback : 151 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8872006169
Digital ASIN : B0CQGQG2PH
It’s the Christmas season in the charming small town of Starport Cove. But amid shopping for gifts, decorating, baking sugar cookies, and organizing the Christmas Bazaar, the discovery of a body is not the holiday event that anyone expected. When antique store owner Milton Cenford is found dead in a suit of armor, amateur sleuth Tarsey Quinston is determined to find the killer.
As quirky visitors arrive in town and create more questions than answers, Tarsey finds herself investigating rumors of a missing historic diary penned by a First Lady from Starport Cove and looking into paranormal activity.
Will the discovery of a mysterious hidden passageway and an encounter with a ghost lead Tarsey and her intuitive cat Silver down the path to danger? Or will they finally unveil the identity of the killer?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It is Tarsey and Steve Quinston’s first Christmas in Starport Cove. Tarsey is busy getting ready for the holiday and organizing the Christmas Bazaar but stops by to visit her friend Amanda’s consignment shop. Amanda tells her that the shop next door is going to be available soon and she is hoping to expand her shop into that space. Amanda wants to visit the antique shop next door and see if the owner Milton Cenford is having a going out of business sale plus it allows her to check out the space. She asks Tarsey to come along. When they arrive Milton’s shop appears to be closed so they go around back and find the door ajar. Tarsey calls the police but Amanda rushes right in where she finds Milton sitting at his desk wearing a knight’s suit of armor, his staring out of the helmet’s visor. The man is dead, his office has been ransacked. The police arrive just in time to see them leaving the crime scene.
It isn’t long before Tarsey starts to investigate and she learns about a historic diary that belonged to the First Lady that has been missing for years. Could Milton have found the diary? Is that why he was killed? Tarsey gets some help from her cat Silver and another unusual source as she tries to solve the mystery of the murder of Milton Cenford.
The people of Starport Cove are an eclectic bunch and they are pretty serious about their history. In fact, the city’s historical society owns all the buildings on Main Street and leases them to the shopkeepers. They also have a set of rules that must be followed by the tenant. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story including the paranormal factor that played a huge part in solving the mystery. The building’s history was so interesting and added to the story. Tarsey’s empathic sensitivities played a major part in the book as she could see and feel what others couldn’t. Starport is a typical small town filled with some really quirky characters. All have plenty of room to develop as the series continues.
The mystery was interesting. A diary of a former First Lady who lived in the Main Street buildings during the Civil War appeared to be key to Milton Cenford’s murder. Someone wanted it bad enough to kill. Tarsey was like a dog with a bone to find the diary. She had a little help from her friends to focus on just where the book could be located. Then things go a little crazy. The novice amateur sleuth/empath made a mistake, and from there the ending was a bit confusing with a variety of things happening before we got back to the matter at hand. The showdown was entertaining but then I still had I had more questions than answers.
Amongst the mystery of Milton’s death, there was a subplot that just felt off. An event to recognize Steve and Tarsey’s cat Silver for the part he played in the mystery in the previous book. Steve and Tarsey were led to believe they were just picking up a certificate but the cat shelter’s director planned a big event complete with a band that startled poor Silver enough to run out of the shelter. She should have known better. Plus the woman was on a mission about their new leash program for cats. The woman was offputting because of the way she pushed her agenda and didn’t take Silver, Tarsey, or Steve into consideration at all. She even tried to get them involved in another event that no cat no matter how special would want to be involved in.
I loved the way Starport went all out for the holiday season and that a visitor to the town made it even more special. I also enjoy the way Tarsey’s cat Silver is very present in the Pet Momma Cozy Mysteries. He is almost always by Tarsey’s side. He shares his thoughts with the easy-to-understand meanings of each of his MEEOOOWWW’s. He also always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
A Ghostly Clue was a curious mystery with a driven protagonist, a ghost with a clue, and a lovable feline.
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About Maryann Shanesy
Maryann Shanesy is a native of Maryland who has always enjoyed writing. A lifelong lover of mysteries and anything gardening, she is a pet momma to a rescue dog and cat that brightens her life. She and her husband have two wonderful daughters and live in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She hopes you will enjoy the second cozy mystery in her series.
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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.”
What an intriguing holiday mystery! Cute cover too.