Fatal Fiction

Kym Roberts

Dec 2016 · A Book Barn Mystery Book 1 · Lyrical Press

About this ebook

The plan was to sell the family bookstore and flee Texas, not play sheriff . . . “Joan Hess and Margaret Maron [fans] will find much to appreciate in this series.” —Kings River Life Magazine
 
When kindergarten teacher Charli Rae Warren hightailed it out of Hazel Rock, Texas, as a teen, she vowed to leave her hometown in the dust. A decade later, she’s braving the frontier of big hair and bigger gossip once again . . . but this time, she’s saddled with murder!
 
Charli agrees to sell off the family bookstore, housed in a barn, and settle her estranged dad’s debt—if only so she can ride into the sunset and cut ties with Hazel Rock forever. But the trip is extended when Charli finds her realtor dead in the store, strangled by a bedazzled belt. And with daddy suspiciously MIA, father and daughter are topping the most wanted list . . .
 
Forging an unlikely alliance with the town beauty queen, the old beau who tore her family apart, and one ugly armadillo, Charli’s intent on protecting what’s left of her past . . . and wrangling the lone killer who’s fixin’ to destroy her future . . .

Ratings and reviews

Very enjoyable read!! Small town cozy mystery with the perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing and wanting more. Charli was a great character and you could feel her frustration with being back in Hazel Rock and the current situation. Returning was never in her plan. Happy and content as a teacher in Colorado is where she wants to be but with her father missing and a murder to solve Hazel Rock is where she is stuck. The townspeople are hilarious and all the secondary characters are well developed which should give us many more great stories in the series. Definitely a recommended read.

Fatal Fiction by Kym Roberts is the first book in A Book Barn Mystery series. Charli Rae Warren is returning home to Hazel Rock, Texas after having left over twelve years ago at age seventeen. Charlie Rae received a call from Marlene Duncan, a realtor. Marlene needs Charlie Rae’s signature in order to sell The Book Barn (families bookstore). Charlie Rae is surprised by the appearance of the bookstore. It is bright fuchsia (outside) and called The Book Barn Princess. The inside of the store is also pink (which happens to be Charlie Rae’s favorite color) and contains tacky princess items (which Charlie Rae liked when she was a teenager). This is her father’s attempt at making amends (the reason Charlie Rae left town at 17). Charlie Rae enters the store calling out for her father, Bobby Ray. Charlie Rae parts the curtain to the backroom and finds Marlene dead on the floor with a sparkly pink belt around her neck. Charlie Rae wants to leave town and head back to Denver, but she is broke (and Sheriff Espinosa insists she stay put). Bobby Ray ends up at the top of the suspect list (of course). It does not help that no one has been able to reach him or find him. Charlie Rae with help from her old high school beau, the football coach and his team, and the beauty shop owner revamps the shop to turn it back into a profitable enterprise. Charlie Rae also starts nosing around asking questions so she can clear her father’s name, and he can return home (and she can go home). But someone does not like Charlie Rae asking questions. Why was Marlene killed? Will Charlie Rae be able to find the culprit? Fatal Fiction is easy to read, but the humor is not the type I enjoy. Charlie Rae is a hard character to like or relate to (at least for me). She is either overreacting, acting idiotic, or admiring some man’s physique (or thinking about his kisses, touching him, etc.). Charlie Rae acted like an escaped psychiatric patient off her meds (especially after she finds the body). Charlie Rae is a college graduate and in her early 30s. I just expect more intelligence and adult behavior from her. I felt that there was too much quirkiness in the book. There is the pink armadillo (shop mascot), Charlie Rae’s uncooperative hair (mentioned more than once), Scarlet Jenkins who is always perfectly turned out and lives in an airstream behind her shop, the bouquets for Marlene that block the entrance to the store (and she feels she cannot move them aside so she can open the doors), Charlie Rae’s lack of clothing to wear while in town, and let us not forget Mr. Perfect—Cade. I only provided a few examples (I could go on). I give Fatal Fiction 2.5 out of 5 stars (I did not like it). The mystery was the best part of the book (and the only reason I kept reading). Many readers will not be able to figure out who killed Marlene. The mystery plays out over the course of the book (there is no real investigation and few clues). I liked that the book setting is a bookstore, but I just felt that Ms. Roberts needed to dial back the eccentric and silliness (at least for me).

I enjoyed the "Fatal Fiction" so much I hated to put it down but it did take me two days to read because I had to go to bed and get some rest. I could not figure out who the killer was and the murderer definitely surprised me. Love this book. Will be reading many more written by Kym Roberts.

About the author

Three career paths resonated for Kym Roberts during her early childhood: detective, investigative reporter, and... nun. Being a nun, however, dropped by the wayside when she became aware of boys—they were the spice of life she couldn't deny. In high school her path was forged when she took her first job at a dry cleaners and met every cop in town, especially the lone female police officer in patrol. From that point on there was no stopping Kym's pursuit of a career in law enforcement. Kym followed her dream and became a detective who fulfilled her desire to be an investigative reporter, with one extra perk—a badge. Promoted to sergeant, Kym spent the majority of her career in SVU. She retired from the job reluctantly when her husband dragged her kicking and screaming to another state, but writing continued to call her name, at least in her head. Visit her on the web at kymroberts.com.