Today I'm reviewing Tastes Like Murder, the 4th in the Fiona Quinn Mysteries as part of the launch of the newest in the series, DEEP BLUE MURDER.
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 202 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 23, 2017
Formats available for review: audiobook (audible download), ebook (mobi for kindle, epub, pdf)
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
About the Book
The bridesmaid dresses are ruffles and ruffles of ugly, one bridesmaid is trying to micro-manage…well, pretty much everything, and the bride-to-be is a total bridezilla! Wedding bells will soon be ringing, but as usual, Fiona is a bridesmaid and not a bride. As the maid of honor, how can Fiona keep the volatile pre-wedding festivities running smoothly?
The problem is abruptly solved when the bride drops over dead at the elegant wine-tasting wedding rehearsal. Yikes! Who poisoned the wine? The suspects are lining up, and Fiona finds herself at the top of the list! Double yikes! It’s a vintage murder case for Fiona, Detective Landry, and the gang. Cheers!
Review
Once again, Fiona Quinn is at her best, trying to avert crises and solve a murder, without becoming a victim. Her cousin, Tatum, is the original bridezilla and very demanding. At the same time, her other cousin, Johnny Lynn comes up with various ideas (like male and female strippers) to liven up the rehearsal dinner and more. Fiona tamps down the craziness as best she can but the closer it gets to the wedding, the less patience she has. Then Tatum dies after drinking cranberry juice, handed to her by Fiona and captured on film by many.
Fiona quickly discovers things about her cousins and others she wasn't aware of. All of it leads to more questions. Her mother decides to help out with the narcoleptic detective assigned to the case since Nathan has a personal relationship with Fiona and she's initially a suspect. There are many humorous moments along with subtle clues and red herrings.
The story is easy reading, well-written, and evenly paced. The characters you're supposed to like are likable and personalities are well-developed for those important to the story. It is the fourth in the Fiona Quinn mysteries, but can easily be read as a stand-alone mystery. As with others I've read in this series, McDonald has again crafted a fun who-dun-it.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
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About the Author
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write.
Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren.
In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Deep Blue Murder - the focus of this blog tour - is the 11th in the Fiona Quinn Mysteries. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.
Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!
Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Connect with the author:
Sounds great, Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks fo stopping by, Rita
DeleteThanks so very much, Christa for this lovely review! I'm so happy you enjoyed your time with Fiona!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Cindy. I always enjoy Fiona!
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