Lethal Literature

Kym Roberts

May 2018 · A Book Barn Mystery Book 4 · Lyrical Press

About this eBook

Running an independent bookstore in small-town Hazel Rock, Texas, doesn’t sound like a high-risk pursuit. But when a fundraiser reveals a story with a truly killer ending, Charli Rae Warren will need to scramble to sort out the deadly plot...

Sponsoring the literacy drive to benefit the foster care system should be a feel-good endeavor, but one of Charli’s helpers is definitely on another page. Charli’s dad is distracted and keeping something secret, which Charli suspects is a harmless flirtation with an attractive county clerk who offered to lend them a hand. It’s nothing to worry about—until the same clerk winds up dead...

When nosy locals begin pointing fingers, Charli finds herself entangled in a race to uncover the killer’s identity—and to get to the bottom of a shattering family secret that could rewrite her history in alarming ways. Suddenly Charli is facing her worst fears and her childhood nemesis in order to unmask a murderer—before he silences her for good...

Ratings and reviews

The cutest town with the highest murder rate in Texas returns! Charli Rae (aka Princess) is back with the rest of the Hazel Rock Crew and sure enough mayhem, murder and mystery aren't that far behind! Charli is involved in fundraising for books for Foster families. But she has a couple of big shocks to her system coming. Like realising her father has a life which may not centre around her, the Mayor has been keeping secrets and Mateo...well they might just get to spend some time together...at last! But when Charli's dad gets caught up with an investigation into the murder of Ava, assistant to the puritanical, tyrannical former sheriff of Hazel Rock and Charli's teenage Nemesis, Charli and Scarlet end up knee deep in the investigation. Ava was the victim of domestic abuse and Charli follows the trail of devastation to Dallas. She learns some family secrets along the way that may just clear up a few of her childhood memories. I love this series so much. The characters all leap off the page and into my brain. With the usual Hazel Rock quirky inhabitants popping up to be some comic relief, Charli deals with some powerfully emotive topics such as domestic abuse, child neglect, the Foster Care System and does so with care, empathy and conviction. There are family twists that I DID NOT see coming but explains so much! Mateo...well he is just such a sweetheart even when he has to be cop Mateo and not boyfriend Mateo. The scene in Dallas, well that just took my breath away! Come on Hazel Rock, what are you going to come up with next!

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.