Killer Party

Lynn Cahoon

Jul 2017 · A Tourist Trap Mystery Book 9 · Lyrical Press

About this eBook

A cool California resort turns into a chilling crime scene when a groom-to-be is murdered in this cozy mystery by the New York Times bestselling author.

Bookstore owner Jill Gardner and her detective boyfriend Greg are still getting used to living together. So it’s a welcome surprise when they get an invitation to South Cove, California’s most luxurious resort. Greg and his college pals are gathering to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their buddy Levi, who’s now a tech millionaire. Meanwhile, Jill finds herself caught in a wives’ club of women who don’t approve of Levi’s standoffish fiancé. Just as Jill is ready to escape the shenanigans with a good book, Levi’s body is found floating in the resort pool. Not only is the party over, but everyone who knew Levi is a suspect, including Greg. Now it’s up to Jill to find the killer fast—or she might not have a boyfriend to come home to any more.

Ratings and reviews

Killer Party by Lynn Cahoon is the ninth book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series. Jill Gardner is packing for a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, Greg King and his friends. Greg’s childhood friend, Levi Walker is getting married, and he is holding a stag party weekend in South Cove at The Castle. Jill is looking forward to enjoying the spa services and escaping Aunt Jackie’s wedding planning while Greg reconnects with his friends. On Saturday, the men go on a boat excursion to “fish” (ingest alcohol) while Jill shows the ladies around South Cove (it seems that Greg “volunteered” Jill for the task). It gives Jill an opportunity to introduce herself to newcomer, Vladimir Petrov who opened a Russian collectibles shop. Early the next morning (around 4 a.m.), Greg and Jill are awakened by Brenda Morgan, manager of The Castle. A dead man has been found in the pool. Greg runs downstairs and discovers it is his friend, Levi. Because of Greg’s close connection with the victim, he is not allowed to investigate the crime. Mayor Baylor asks Bakerstown PD to step in. This does not stop Greg and Jill from conducting their own inquiry into Levi’s murder especially when the detectives focus on Greg. Could one of Greg’s friends committed this homicide? Tag along with Jill on her latest adventure in Killer Party. Killer Party is easy to read, has good writing and has a nice steady pace. Each book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series builds upon the previous (they are not stand alone books). We get to know a little more about the characters and see them change/grow. Killer Party focuses more on the cozy element (food galore, Jill adjusting to living with Greg, Jill out jogging, Emma, shopping, Toby getting over Sasha, Aunt Jackie planning her wedding, Aunt Jackie annoying the employees of the coffee shop, Jill spends a lot of time reading, Jill getting ready for a new class at college, and Aunt Jackie going to the doctor). It is an easy, breezy type of book that is perfect to read while lounging by the pool or at the beach. My rating for Killer Party is 3.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery is made to seem complex. Unfortunately, I identified the killer before Levi (I just knew he would end up belly up) turned up dead in the pool. There are a limited number of suspects (one really stands out). The characters in Killer Party seemed grumpy (especially Aunt Jackie). I liked how Lynn Cahoon found a way to work Cat Latimer into the story (from Ms. Cahoon’s A Cat Latimer Mystery series). I believe, though, that Greg and Jill may be moving too fast. There are still many details they do not know about each other (they really need to talk more). Killer Party ends with a cliffhanger. Readers will have to wait until the next A Tourist Trap Mystery to find out what is going on with Aunt Jackie.

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About the author

Lynn Cahoon is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of cozy mysteries including the Kitchen Witch Mysteries, the Cat Latimer Mystery series, the Tourist Trap Mysteries, the Farm-to-Fork series, the Survivors' Book Club Mystery series, and The Bainbridge Island Mysteries. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers and her books have sold more than a million copies. Originally from Idaho, she grew up living the small-town life she now loves to feature in her novels. She now lives with her husband and two fur babies in a small historic town in Eastern Tennessee and can be found online at LynnCahoon.com.