THANKS FOR MUFFIN by Victoria Hamilton

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

3***

Blurb: After years of planning and hard work, Merry Wynter was finally ready to host the grand opening gala of the Wynter Woods Center for the Performing Arts. With musicians, entertainers, members of the media and even influencers on the guest list, the event went off without a hitch—until a particularly nasty journalist posted a criticism of the gala and everything Merry was trying to accomplish. Still reeling from the review days later, Merry wasn’t sure what to feel when she discovered the reporter’s dead body on the grounds of Wynter Castle. With many of her guests staying on at the castle for the weekend, Merry realizes they’ve got a murderer in their midst. Going from celebrating to sleuthing, she discreetly questions each of them, trying to weed out the culprit. She quickly learns that the victim had heated arguments with several of the people at the gala, and it turns out those people were all connected by a tragedy in the past. Certain the killer is among them, Merry will have to unearth the final clue that nails the killer—before the killer decides she’s getting too close . . .

THOUGHTS: I’ve read this author before and enjoyed her stories, but this one just did not resonate with me. First of all, there are a lot – and I do mean a lot – to the point where it was really confusing after a bit. Plus two of the characters – Pish and Piph — had names so similar, I had trouble keeping them straight. And then there was the mystery itself. In most cozies, the dead body (or mystery problem) usually shows up by chapter two. Three at the very most. I was halfway through this book before anything happened. The first half of the story is all about the gala happening at the new Performing Arts Center and the descriptions of all the guests and their clothing, which made for really slow reading for me. But by the time we got to the actual murder, we had quite an extensive list of suspects.

I’m not saying this is a bad book, it just didn’t pull me in like most cozies do. But the ending was satisfying and I will give the author kudos for her world-building and descriptions.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”