Tag: Level Best Books

Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe
by Ruth J. Hartman

About Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe

Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe: A Seneca James Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Indiana
Level Best Books (November 19, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 281 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DLCSLW3R

Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, ends up in hot water, when she’s accused of stealing a wallet from an angry customer in Seneca’s Painted Wings Café. The customer also happens to be the local bank manager, who Evie pleads with for a much-needed loan, resulting in a public spectacle as the bank manager refuses, and ridicules Evie. When the manager later turns up dead inside the cafe, and Evie is the most likely suspect, it will take all of Seneca’s sleuthing and help from her best friend, Sheriff Cody Bales, to get Evie out of trouble.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, runs Seneca’s Painted Wings Café and does an excellent job but one day the local bank manager humiliates her in front of everyone when he accuses her of stealing his wallet. All she did was ask him why he had not responded to her calls about a loan she applied for that she really needed. He leaves in an uproar but later the man is found dead inside the cafe. Sheriff Cody Bales truly doesn’t consider Evie a suspect but Seneca teams up with him to find the real killer and clear Evie’s name.

Seneca is dividing her time between caring for her butterflies and the cafe now that it is the scene of the crime. She needs to continually assure Evie that the person who murdered Burlington Snare will be found and things in Maple Junction will get back to normal. She usually has her frisky feline, Winifred by her side. I love that she loves to dress up in costumes that are made by two local seamstresses every morning and even has pajamas to wear at night. Murray Grimes is the cook at the cafe and he has a huge heart when it comes to Evie so he looks out for her too. Senaca has been trying to hire someone to replace Annie to help her with the butterflies. She has taken on three temporary people until she can find the perfect person but only one actually wants to do any work. The cafe also has some new regulars, a couple of older twin sisters who Seneca is a little curious about. The town also has a new vet who Ms. Winifred is not happy to go see. Ms. Hartman’s characters are interesting, genuine, and true to life.

The murder has Senaca tied up in knots. She is looking everywhere for suspects, from the bank, to the hardware store, and the cafe. She is eavesdropping on conversations, asking leading questions, and doing some general snooping in hopes of catching the killer. Not everyone was on her radar though. Some great twists and red herrings throughout the story kept Seneca on her toes and she was totally caught off guard when the killer was revealed. I was surprised that the right person was at the top of my list of suspects. The showdown was intense but I enjoyed the way the takedown took place.

I would love to have a butterfly sanctuary like Seneca but they are much more work than one would think. I try to plant flowers that appeal to butterflies and am always thrilled when one or more land nearby.

Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe has a gorgeous cover that draws you to the book and Ms. Hartman’s characters, well-plotted mystery, and vivid descriptions will keep you delightfully entertained.  I am looking forward to visiting Maple Junction again soon.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

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About Ruth J. Hartman

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”