Tag: Bree Baker

Welcome to Coxy Wednesday!

This book will be released next Tuesday, January 29!

Closely Harbored Secrets (Seaside Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (December 29, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1728205751
ISBN-13: 978-1728205755
Kindle ASIN: B088P765Z1

In the fifth book of the popular Seaside Café Mysteries, Closely Harbored Secrets, Everly Swan just wants to make Halloween-themed treats and specialty teas for her customers. But when it seems that she’s being haunted by the phantom of a sailor straight out of a ghost story, her plans are capsized. Could this be the bitter end for Everly?

Hitting all the sweet-tea spots, this series is:

• • A delightful Tea Shop and Café Culinary Mystery
  • The ideal cozy beach read
  • Perfect for fans of Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle

It’s almost Halloween, and the small island of Charm, North Carolina is decked out for the festivities. When Everly Swan agrees to close her iced tea shop early to help her aunts host their annual haunted historic walking tour, she expects some good-natured spooks. But the night turns grave when one of the ghostly actors is found dead. To complicate matters, the victim scratched Everly’s name into the ground before she died, making her a key suspect.

The murder mystery heats up when Everly’s potential boo, Detective Grady, takes the case—and he definitely doesn’t want her getting involved. Will their seaside romance be threatened by all the ghostly drama? But when a phantom sailor straight out of local legend starts leaving Everly threatening messages, she has to get involved… With a local election underway, ghosts on the loose, and a search for long-lost buried treasure, Everly can’t help but stir the pot!

INCLUDES DELICIOUS FOOD AND DRINK RECIPES

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Halloween means a big celebration in Charm, North Carolina that includes a haunted walking tour. Clara and Fran Swan have key roles in the event and Everly is providing tea and treats for those attending. The night of the walk Everly joins her aunt’s group to hear ghost stories she has heard repeated several times but her aunt always adds something new. This year the something new is a dead body. Dixie Wetherill was to be playing the part of a local legend but when she misses her cue, a quick search finds Dixie dead with Everly’s name spelled out in the ground beside her.

Detective Grady Hays has to follow the evidence even if that means investigating his girlfriend. But then Everly receives several threatening messages. The messages appear to be from the legendary ghost pirate, The Sandman. Threats that are meant to scare Everly only make her mad and set her off on her own investigation to catch the real killer. Although finding that person just may get her killed . . .

What a wonderfully written spooky mystery!

Charm, North Carolina has a rich history and the stories that have come from that history can be downright chilling, especially on a Halloween Haunted Walking Tour. Ms. Baker paints some eerie pictures with her words. I felt like I was right there to enjoy the event and as the body was found. It was so easy to visualize. Her descriptions throughout the story kept me right there at every scene.

The author also breathes great life into each of her characters and she keeps them busy too. In addition to the Halloween festivities, the mayor’s race is right around the corner and Everly is pulling out all the stops to help her Aunt Fran win. Grady is dealing with some family issues that could create havoc in his already complicated relationship with Everly. Everly is busy concocting new tea drinks and running her shop along with a little home renovation. And then, there is that murder and the threats against Everly that has everyone worried. Bree Baker’s development of all her characters is top-notch.

The mystery is very well-plotted and sets a nice pace that really ratchets up as we get to the big reveal. It was so exciting. Again, the descriptive writing style had me feel like I was watching a movie. I could see all the action so clearly.  I truly was on the edge of my seat and may have even been holding my breath.

This Halloween story was a terrific treat! Closely Harbored Secrets blends a fascinating mystery with fabulous characters. There is a light paranormal element or two and that just adds to the fun. Charm, Blessed Bee, and the Sun, Sand, and Tea are places I can’t wait to visit again.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

You can read my review of No Good Tea Goes Unpunished here, Live and Let Chai here, Tide and Punishment here,
and A Call For Kelp here.

Bree Baker is a Midwestern writer, obsessed with small-town high jinks, sweet tea, and the sea. She’s been telling stories to her family, friends, and strangers for as long as she can remember, and more often than not, those stories feature a warm ocean breeze and a recipe she’s sure to ruin. Now, she’s working on those fancy cooking skills and dreaming up adventures for the Seaside Cafe mysteries. Bree is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers and the Romance Writers of America. She is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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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.”